Editor's Note

Editor’s Note: Keep those stories coming

Every February, we introduce you to another group of the National Safety Council’s CEOs Who ‘Get It’ – leaders who demonstrate a personal commitment to worker safety and health.

For NSC, “personal” is a key word. It’s echoed in the council’s Safety is Personal initiative, which has continued into 2025. A significant feature is a series of videos hosted by NSC President and CEO Lorraine M. Martin. Each video is a conversation with a prominent leader – including lawmakers and government officials – about their background and why safety is important to them. Similarly, each CEO profile in this month’s issue opens with “Describe your journey …”

As a safety pro, you’ve probably heard a lot (including in Safety+Health, or perhaps at the NSC Safety Congress & Expo) about storytelling’s power to entertain, enlighten and inspire. And if you read our friend Richard Hawk’s “All About You” columns in S+H, you know that he’s a big believer in sharing stories – and hearing other people’s.

I still remember one of Richard’s columns in 2017, in which he wrote that when he asks people, “What’s your story?” many reply that they don’t have much of one. “Not true,” Richard continued. “Everyone has a story.”

Those words moved us to create our My Story column. It kicked off in 2018, with me sharing my own (non-safety) professional journey and inviting all safety pros to share theirs. I never tire of reading what started people on their path to keeping others safe, and I hope you feel the same. It’s why I occasionally use this space to encourage you all to keep those stories coming. Please email them to us at safehealth@nsc.org. We love hearing from you.

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

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