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Message from the President of the Board
Bruce D. Hollcroft, CSP, ARM, CHMM
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Ask a collection of random strangers what they deem to be the most admirable occupations and you are likely to hear some common replies. Doctors, nurses, first responders — these will certainly be at or near the top of most lists.
For good reason. There is no question that our world is better off for the contributions of such knowledgeable and impactful people. They play an integral role in identifying illnesses, treating injuries, and restoring health to the sick. By the nature of their work, though, they often must react to something that has already happened.
There is another vocation that belongs on any such list but tends to fly under the radar. One that is similarly focused on helping people but that emphasizes stopping injuries and illnesses before they start. By its preventative nature, this profession is unique among its peers. Of course, it is our very own safety profession.
The world has changed for the better over the past 100-plus years as safety has evolved from a fledgling interest in creating better working conditions after the industrial revolution to the mature and thriving profession we know today.
Imagine an environment in which workers at heights had little or no fall protection, machinists’ limbs were in peril from unguarded parts, or coal miners breathed in toxic dust every day with no protective masks. Indeed, workers at one time literally took their lives in their own hands when going out on the job.
Thankfully, workplace injury and illness rates have plummeted in industrialized nations that have invested in safety and enacted strong regulations. In more recent decades, we have discovered that even greater success can be achieved by fostering cultures that fully integrate safety into organizational operations.
Your expertise as a safety professional is integral to that success. The work you do each day protects your colleagues from the hazards that exist all around them because the only thing better than healing from an injury or illness is never suffering one in the first place.
I know of only one profession with the sole focus of ensuring everyone goes home from work each day the same way they came in. You should take immense pride in helping to achieve that. You are making a real difference in people’s lives, and you are to be admired.
As we near the end of 2025, I would just like to say that serving on the BCSP Board and as President this past year has been the biggest honor of my 45+ year professional career. I would like to thank those who have served in this role immediately before me and the staff at BCSP.
The future of our profession is bright, and our growing community of credential holders is in good hands with the incoming Executive Committee and Board.
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President
Bruce D. Hollcroft, CSP, ARM, CHMM
Vice President
Daniel G. Hopwood, MPH, CSP, SMP, ARM, FASSP
Treasurer
Tricia A. Kagerer, CSP, ARM, CPCU, CRIS
Past President
Ashok Garlapati, CSP, QEP, CFIOSH, FASSP
CEO, Secretary
Christy Uden, CAE, IOM
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Directors
Josh Becker, PhD, CSP
Teresa A. Cole, CSP, CSHM
Gary W. Clevenger, CSP, CRIS, RRE
Sammy Davis, PhD, CSP, GradIOSH, NREMT-P
Mary Hjorth, SHRM-SCP
Deborah Morrin, CPA, MBA
Donald A. Robinson, PhD, CSP, P.E., ARM-E
Jonathan A. Zimmerman, CSP, CGMM, CCPSP
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