Safety Professionals: Be Purposeful about Mentoring, Volunteering and Educational Development

June 15, 2016

Michael Belcher, CSP, the outgoing president of the American Society of Safety Engineers, reflects on his tenure as president, the highlights of the past year and where the organization is headed in the future.

Sandy Smith

EHSToday.com recently touched base with Michael Belcher, CSP, president of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), to learn about that organization’s plans for the future and to hear what Belcher had to say about his past year as president.

EHSToday.com: What do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment as president of ASSE?

Michael Belcher (MB): Moving the society forward through a period of organizational change, which included replacing the executive director of ASSE. But the society year isn’t over yet and I’m not planning to sit on the sidelines anytime soon.

EHSToday.com: When you became president, what were your personal goals or goals for the organization? Did you achieve them?

MB: First and foremost, I wanted to ensure an effective transition into ASSE’s new governance structure by developing a cohesive board, then solidifying our strategic areas of focus and aligning operational staff efforts with our mission. We did this in a short period of time, all while promoting our global strategy, advancing the concept of professionalism, opening the doors to our young professionals and leveraging our educational and certificate offerings.

EHS Today is an IndustryWeek companion site within Penton's Manufacturing & Supply Chain Group.

About the Author

Sandy Smith | Editor-in-Chief

Sandy Smith is editor-in-chief of EHS Today, a Penton publication. She has been writing about occupational safety and health and environmental issues since 1990. She has been interviewed about occupational safety and health for documentaries and television programs, has served as a panelist on roundtables, has provided the keynote address for occupational safety and health conferences and has won national and international awards for her articles.