2022 Safety Conference set for Sept. 15, to present experts on occupational health and safety

Marshall University will host the 2022 Marshall Safety Conference Thursday, Sept. 15, at Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall. The event goes on from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will focus on “The Elements of Leadership.” It’s a chance to hear from speakers in the occupational safety and health industry as well as the luncheon speaker, former Marshall Football Coach Bobby Pruett.

Speakers include, in addition to Pruett, Toney Stroud, general counsel for Marshall University; representatives of U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito’s office; Dr. David Dampier, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences;  James McIntosh, chair of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering; Krista Geller of GellerAC4P Inc., speaking on “Managing people vs. Leading People”; Don Elswick, chair of ACGIH (a charitable scientific organization that advances occupational and environmental health) and Alabama Safe State, providing an update on the organizations; and Chet Brandon of GrafTech International, speaking on “Corporate Safety Leadership.”

A panel discussion on “Developing Leaders through Mentors” will feature McIntosh and industry experts Jon McKinney, Dayton Carpenter and Dr. Terry Stobbe.

“We are excited to be hosting our first in-person conference since COVID,” McIntosh said. “The conference is a great example of business and academia working together. The conference is completely planned by our advisory board and led by Alicia Cunningham of Encova, who is a graduate of the Marshall Occupational Safety and Health program. This will be our fifth conference, and it keeps growing. There is really no other conference like it in West Virginia. This year, we will be highlighting safety leadership in the workplace, which is a most important topic for companies operating in West Virginia and surrounding areas.”

Vendors will be on hand, and Mine Rescue Command will be available during breaks. Register and learn more at https://marshallsafetyconference.com.

A pre-conference reception will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept 14, at the Arthur Weisberg Family Applied Engineering Complex, 1676 3rd Ave., Huntington.

This event is sponsored by the Marshall University Research Corporation and Safety Technology Advisory Board in the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences. For more information about Marshall’s offerings in Occupational Health and Safety, visit https://www.marshall.edu/cecs/mechanical-industrial-engineering/.