My Story: Cory Worden

I’m a 16-year safety, health and environmental professional and emergency manager. I attended the University of Houston while balancing four jobs and many long days and nights as a touring punk rock musician. Through this, I only knew that I wanted to work for the greater good and help people, but I didn’t know how. Incidentally, this was decided for me when the 9/11 attacks occurred. I graduated from college as quickly as possible and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.

In the Air Force, I entered the emergency management field. Beginning as a counter-chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear operator, I later became an emergency operations center manager and an instructor. After an Operation Enduring Freedom deployment and many assignments, I completed my enlistment and received an honorable discharge in 2009.

Moving into the civilian safety world, I was fortunate to gain experience in construction, manufacturing, municipal government and health care over the years and have very much appreciated working with advocacy teams with the National Safety Council Divisions and more. I’ve also been fortunate to earn degrees and certifications, and to write, present and find other ways to continually develop safety work and distribute it. This has all led to my current position as a civilian safety advisor, but with our local government, our fantastic team of public health professionals and all other wonderful civil servants.

Ultimately, I’m motivated by the opportunity to help progress safety for the greater good. Any opportunities to develop safety, write, present, discuss and more are appreciated. I love working with fellow like-minded safety pros and team members of all varieties.

Interestingly, for all the intrinsic challenges of being a safety pro, I’ve found that everything I’ve ever done – from school, work and writing to military service and deployments, and all the way back to punk rock and skateboarding – has played a unique role in helping me to adapt, overcome, and continue developing and promoting safety. This has helped me through wartime deployments, hazard control planning, investigations, Ebola, COVID-19 and so much more. I’m very grateful for every opportunity to continue being a safety pro.

Cory Worden, Ph.D. (ABD), MS, CSHM, CSP, CHSP, ARM, REM, CESCO
Safety Advisor
Houston, TX