Arrive at the Kirkwood Linn County Regional Center to check in for the day, and spend time perusing the vendors.

Opening Remarks and Welcome

Keynote speaker Melanie Lentz shares how she created a personal protection plan using many of the security measures and tactics she learned as a Secret Service agent. Becoming a special agent in 2007 at twenty-two, she was one of the youngest female agents ever hired. In today's prevention, she will emphasize three major lessons/points: Access Control, Situation Reports, and Legacy. Because life is complicated enough, Melanie will combine funny stories from the job to keep things light while talking about the tougher life "stuff." 

Melanie Lentz was assigned to the Los Angeles Field Office and thrust into the 2008 Presidential Campaign travel rotation as soon as she graduated from the academy. As protecting candidates, current and former U.S. leaders, and foreign dignitaries took over her life, Melanie fell in love with her job and the thrill of securing venues and planning motorcade routes. Little did she know that while protecting others she was failing to protect herself, inside and out. In 2016, Melanie made the difficult choice to leave the job she loved after her personal life underwent massive changes, including divorce and a depression diagnosis. As she rebuilt her life outside the of the Secret Service (and relocated to the Midwest), she realized protecting politicians had really taught her how to protect herself. Today, Melanie writes and speaks about her time in the Secret Service, hoping her personal protection plan will help others who also want to make security changes in their busy lives.

Take part in a fun ice breaker event!

Track 1: Influencing from the Seat You are In

The responsibilities, priorities, and weight of leading from the role we are in can be heavy and exciting at the same time. Let’s examine the steps to take from where you are to where you want to be, whether it is promotion, being a better leader, team member, or juggling multiple priorities. We know that change will happen but being change ready is a choice. Make the next move with more insight and tools to make it your best step across the gap yet to reach your goals.

About the Speaker: Celina Peerman

currently serves as an organizational psychologist with over 27 years of experience from front line to senior level positions, in a wide range of industries and organizations. She is passionate about engaging our human resources in new ways to achieve even better organizational results. Celina holds a Ph.D. in Psychology, a master’s degree in business, with undergraduate degrees in psychology and international studies. She is a 2-time TEDx presenter, podcaster, and writer. Celina holds the Certified Speaking Professional designation, awarded by the National Speakers Association to less than 17% for those who qualify.

Track 2: Audits and Inspections, Making Actionable Changes

We will have an interactive discussion on how we can make the most out of our audits and inspections that we perform. As safety professionals, we can sometimes feel like all we do is audit or inspect, which isn’t all a bad thing as long as you turn the findings into meaningful change for your facility or organization.

About the Speaker: Daniel Szymaszek is currently employed with Airgas, a leading supplier of industrial, medical, and specialty gases, as well as hardgoods and related products. He has been with Airgas for the past seven years in various HSE roles and now currently serves as Vice President of HSE for the North Central region encompassing 45 different facilities across seven different states. Prior to Airgas, he worked in a variety of different roles within the hazardous waste industry for Veolia Environmental Services.

Track 3: Managing Safety Projects 101 - Tips and Tools that Will Help You Take Your Ideas from Concept to Implementation

In this empowering session, Kira will equip you with the essential knowledge and tools to manage safety projects successfully, from conceptualizing ideas to turning them into impactful realities. Discover practical tips, strategies, and resources that will enable you to navigate the project management process confidently. Whether you are a seasoned professional or new to the field, this session will provide you with the skills and inspiration to effectively lead safety initiatives and make a lasting difference in your organization and community.

About the Speaker: Kira Rawson is a safety and loss control consultant primarily servicing Iowa for Encova Insurance. Kira has previous experience in the food processing and manufacturing fields. She has held positions as a safety manager for a large food seasoning and flavoring operation as well as an EHS specialist for an agriculture equipment manufacturer. Kira received a Bachelor of Science in management from Iowa State University and a Master of Science in environmental safety and health from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater.

Break and View Vendors

Track 1: Human Organizational Performance

The roots of Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) began to emerge in the 1940s and has evolved in many ways over the course of decades. It is utilized by companies to build capacity not only in safety, but also in environmental and reliability areas. This session will provide ideas for putting HOP principles into practice in your organization by sharing the strengths and opportunities of ALLETE, Inc.’s HOP journey over the past decade.

About the Speaker: Nichole Knapp is a Senior Safety Business Process Analyst at ALLETE, Inc., a publicly held energy company based out of Duluth, MN. ALLETE, Inc. businesses include clean-energy producers and developers across the US, as well as regulated utilities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Nikki has an MS in Industrial Hygiene from the University of Iowa, where she studied as a NIOSH ERC trainee with the Heartland Center. She has worked in emergency preparedness and safety in various industries – nuclear, construction, manufacturing and utilities.

Track 2: Building a Good Fall Protection Program

This class will cover the basic components of fall protection, including the ABC’s & Rs of fall protection: A- Anchor Point, B- Body wear, C- Connecting Device, and R- Rescue. We will also cover the proper inspection of the equipment, proper wearing of the equipment and a brief overview of the Standards including the new ANSI Z359.14 2021 standards. We are excited to feature a New Women’s Harness that you can utilize at your workplace.

About the Speaker: Rob Luckey is the Regional Sales Manager at FallTech Fall Protection, and is a native of Omaha, Nebraska. Rob was in the Army for ten years - five years active & five years National Guard. He attended University of Nebraska, where he graduated with a Business degree. Rob has been in the safety industry since 1990, first by taking a position with Libra Safety. From there, Rob has been with FallTech Fall Protection for 10 years and with Miller Fall Protection for 15 years. Rob has been a speaker for the National American Society of Safety Engineers Convention, lectured for MSHA and OSHA outreach programs, and has spoken at many regional and local safety and health shows and conferences.

Track 3: Virtual Reality

Description to come

About the Speaker: Jason Clausen has worked in occupational safety for 25 years and has been on the Loss Prevention team at SFM Mutual Insurance for 13 years. He works with agents and policyholders in Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas to help mitigate workplace injury. Jason is a Certified Safety Professional and graduated with a degree in Occupational Health and Safety from Iowa State University. He is also a Reserve Deputy Sheriff at the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.

Lunch and View Vendors

12:30 - 1pm | Panel Discussion: Safety from the Seat You Are In
Moderator: Shar Jones
Speakers:
Peggy Peterson is currently the Bureau Chief for Iowa OSHA On-site Consultation, Education, and COOP Programs. Peggy is a veteran of the Persians Gulf War – her mission was receiving, storing, and supplying blood to hospitals and mobile units. She joined the Division of Labor as a safety enforcement officer, became a safety and health consultant, moved to a Sr. Industrial Hygienist and THE Complaint Officer. She was honored to provide assistance at the World Trade Center after 9-11 and in New Orleans, LA after hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Peggy was one of the first employees in the Division of Labor to become an OSHA 10-hour trainer in both construction and general industry and has trained many employees and employers throughout the state.
Samantha Rogers is the Vice President of Human Resources and an Executive Leadership Team member at TrueNorth Companies. She is a proud 2019 Forty Under 40 honoree (CBJ), a 2024 Emerging Woman of Influence (CBJ), and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SHRM). Throughout her career, Samantha has consulted with multiple organizations on building safety programs and training opportunities in compliance with OSHA and MSHA, and preventing, addressing, and reporting workplace accidents.
Dana Schultz is the HR and Safety Manager at SuperiorTubeProducts, a manufacturing company, and has over five years of experience in creating a safety culture, managing human resources, and developing training programs. She holds an MBA degree from Mount Mercy University and multiple certifications in workplace safety and leadership. She has also orchestrated Safe + Sound Week, a campaign that promotes safety and hazard recognition among all team members. Dana created and maintained training for new hire orientation, safety, and leadership, as well as championed mental health awareness through the Make-it-Ok Campaign.

Track 1: Panel Discussion - Artificial Intelligence

Moderator: Shar Jones
Speakers:
Celina Peerman, Peerman Group; see bio above
Leah Westerkamp, MākuSafe
Jen Bendorf, IntelliSee

Track 2: Performing Your Own Ergonomics Assessment

Join us for an interactive session that will teach you how to perform simple ergonomic risk assessments at your workplace. Together we will work through different checklists and tools that will help you assess a variety of work environments to determine what risk they are at for a musculoskeletal injury. From there, we will discuss modifications you can make to reduce the risk of injury and increase the comfort of the workspace.

About the Speaker: Caley Ploessel is a Doctorate of Physical Therapy and Certified Professional Ergonomist at Balanced Fitness & Health. Caley partners with manufacturers and other companies to provide industry-leading injury prevention and ergonomics expertise. Her goal is to take safety
and injury prevention programs to the next level by providing ergonomic assessments, presentations, and creating individualized early intervention programs. She has helped companies bring total workers’ health to the forefront of every employee’s mind while improving safety, health and wellness and increasing morale.

Track 3: Hard Hats and Helping Hands: A Leadership Approach to Suicide Prevention in the Construction Industry

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the construction industry has the second highest rate of suicides amongst all occupations, and a male construction worker is four times more likely to die by suicide than men in any other occupation. This presentation will explore the factors behind these alarming statistics, in addition to focusing on mental health and opioid addiction in the construction industry. Takeaways will be focused on what we, as leaders, can do to combat deaths by suicide, opioid addiction, and how we can improve the mental health in our industry.

About the Speaker: Angela Cloud oversees the health and safety of multiple construction projects across the Midwest. In 2021, she was named one of the Top Women in Safety by American Occupational Safety. Angela is passionate about construction health, safety, mental health awareness, and suicide prevention. She was a founding member of a suicide awareness and prevention committee with OSHA Region 7, and a founding member for the Construction Suicide Prevention Week Steering Committee in Kansas City.

Break and View Vendors

Track 1: Panel Discussion - Influencing from the Safety Seat You are IN

Moderator: Traci McDowell, Vice President - Sales, Airgas

Speakers:
Carmen Kiefer has been the Plant Operations Manager at AB Mauri since 2016, following a six-year tenure as Director of Operations. With over 35 years of experience in various manufacturing roles, Carmen has consistently focused on cultivating talent and sharing best practices. At AB Mauri, she has fostered a culture of trust and transparency, prioritizing safety in all decisions.
Olga Lesch has been with Airgas since March 2020. She previously held the position of Branch Manager at the Roseville, MN branch, and now serves as a Distribution Manager for the North Central Region. Olga holds a Master’s degree in English Language and Literature from Kharkiv National University and a Master’s degree in Economy and Entrepreneurship/Finances from the Southern Academy of Personnel Development of the Ministry of Industrial Policy of Ukraine.

Linden Terpstra is an accomplished EHS professional and passionate entrepreneur. Currently serving as the founder and CEO of EHS Support Source, she empowers manufacturers by optimizing their EHS processes and connects companies with EHS experts.

Track 2: So You Are New to Safety... What Are Your Priorities?

Have you recently found yourself in a safety role and not sure what you should be doing? We’ve all been there! Join us for an information packed session on navigating the world of safety as a newcomer. This session is designed to equip you with essential knowledge and resources to excel in your role. Topics discussed include; OSHA, DOT/FMCSA, Qualification Platforms, Conferences, Associations, Insurance Partner Resources, Training Opportunities and so much more!

About the Speakers:
Heidi Sands brings over 15 years of experience in banking compliance to her current role in safety management. Transitioning into safety, Heidi recognized the parallels with compliance but adapted her expertise to a new industry. Over the past 5 years, she has navigated this transition with a focus on sharing her knowledge to support others in similar roles. Currently overseeing safety for over 150 employees across Northeast Iowa, Heidi's primary goal is ensuring every team member returns home safely to their loved ones each night.
Kristy Ryan brings several years’ experience delivering loss control and risk management services to commercial insurance clients throughout Eastern Iowa. She works to help reduce claims through risk analysis, mitigation and training. She educates and helps develop programming for her clients on OSHA & DOT compliance and safety & workers’ compensation best practices with the goal of reducing risk and saving businesses on the overall cost of insurance. Kristy is an OSHA Outreach Certified 10 and 30-hour Trainer and is a past-president for the Northeast Iowa Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals.

Track 3: Working Toward the Promotion, Next Level

Are you working toward the next step in your career – moving into a new role, taking on greater responsibility, or leading a team? During this session, explore strategies to set and achieve your goals, gain valuable experience, and demonstrate your readiness for more responsibility. Gain actionable steps to help you prepare to advance your career.

About the Speaker: Brenda Meeker

is passionate about supporting others in their personal and professional growth. As owner and president of Elevate Consulting, LLC, she provides learning and development, HR, and project-based solutions to meet organizational and employee development needs. She has worked in corporate and nonprofit settings and Division I athletics, providing a range of experience that informs her work. Brenda earned a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an MBA from Drake University in Des Moines.

Break and View Vendors