Shining brightly

The National Safety Council is pleased to recognize the 2013 class of the NSC Rising Stars of Safety, presented by DuPont Sustainable Solutions. The NSC Rising Stars of Safety program honors leaders of tomorrow for their commitment to safety, influence on safety culture, promotion of continuous workplace safety improvement and creation of safety initiatives that produce measureable outcomes – the foundational pillars of the council’s Journey to Safety Excellence.

This group of up-and-coming safety professionals was selected from more than 110 nominees. This year’s honorees work in a variety of industries representing four different countries. Strong safety cultures require safety to be acknowledged as everyone’s responsibility within an organization. In addition to safety professionals, this year we are recognizing an adjunct professor, a drilling manager, and the president and vice presidents of organizations.

The Rising Stars will be honored at the 2013 NSC Congress & Expo in Chicago, Sept. 28 to Oct. 4. This is a fitting time for their recognition because this year’s event is about “Leading Safety into the Future” and how the Journey to Safety Excellence will remain our steadfast guide as we apply its fundamentals to the ever-changing nature of our workplaces and workforces. These Rising Stars are the future of safety. Gaining their perspective and addressing their challenges will be crucial to making a greater impact in the century to come.

It has been a pleasure working alongside each class of NSC Rising Stars. Our first three classes played a major role in introducing the Young Professional track at Congress & Expo, and we are now introducing a new Young Professionals Division. The Rising Stars led the strategic planning process in launching the new Division. They also currently are working on the agenda for an inaugural 2014 spring Division meeting, scheduled to take place in New Orleans.

Continually engaging the leaders of tomorrow is important to tackling the evolving safety issues we are all facing.

Congratulations to this year’s class of NSC Rising Stars of Safety. We know that much can be accomplished when we work together, and ultimately more lives can be saved and injuries prevented.