Editor's Note: Thought-leaders and motivators

Every February, the National Safety Council Conventions Department gathers a group of people to select the Technical Sessions for the annual NSC Congress & Expo.

I’m privileged to be invited to serve on the committee, which reads through and discusses hundreds of submissions before selecting 120 or so presentations to be part of the Congress & Expo educational program.

For me, the meeting is a chance to talk with NSC colleagues I don’t see as much as I’d like. It’s also an outstanding opportunity to listen to and learn from in-the-field safety pros – members of NSC Divisions who generously volunteer their time and expertise – to make sure Safety+Health is covering current issues and concerns in the occupational safety and health community.

As the committee debates the merits of each abstract submitted, a factor comes into play: If the submitter has presented a session at a previous Congress & Expo, the group takes into account the feedback he or she received on the evaluations filled out by session attendees. It’s one of the ways we help ensure the educational offerings remain high quality.

The system has identified a roster of superstar speakers who are welcomed back year after year because, in addition to suggesting excellent topics, they consistently score through the roof on attendee evaluations. As the official magazine of Congress & Expo, S+H would like to shine an additional spotlight on these thought-leaders and motivators. Beginning this month, our new “Speaker Spotlight” column will feature some of the top presenters from the most recent gatherings of Congress & Expo. Please check out the first column, and let us know what you think.

The opinions expressed in “Editor’s Note” do not necessarily reflect those of the National Safety Council or affiliated local Chapters.