The BCSP Foundation is pleased to announce the 2022 Officers for the Board of Trustees. Tony Militello, P.E., CSP, CQE will assume the role as Chair; Travis Kruse, Ph.D., MS, CSP will take over as Vice Chair, and Robert Mayes, Jr., MBA will be the Foundation’s Treasurer.

“This leadership group comprises the expertise, professionalism, and dedication needed to guide the Foundation as we begin to expand into new areas and exciting opportunities,” said Christine McConnell, MPA, Deputy Executive Director of the BCSP Foundation. “As we increase our investment efforts in safety practitioners, workforce training, innovation, and support of the youth, it is crucial that we have a cohesive and knowledgeable team to lead us, and with this group, I am confident we will accomplish all the goals set before us.”

Joaquin Diaz, CSP, CHST, OHST; Jane Beaudry, CSP, CHST, STSC; and Shawna Fraser, MS, CHST, CUSP, GSP, CSHO C/GI will continue their service to the Foundation as Trustees. Ray Ferrara, CFP who served as the Foundation’s Chair since 2020, will now serve as Past-Chair.

We are grateful to all these individuals for donating their time in support of a worthy cause. We are excited to get to work and continue to create measurable impact for those we serve.

Tony Militello, P.E., CSP, CQE currently serves as executive-level EHS Director for the Boeing Commercial Airplanes 737 Program, Delivery Operations, and Quality. In that role, Mr. Militello is responsible for workplace safety and environmental compliance and performance, including 737 MAX return to delivery, commercial flight lines, and paint and storage operations. Mr. Militello recently completed a 25-year career civil servant most recently serving as the Director, Occupational Safety and Health, and strategic advisor on the staff of the Secretary of the Navy. Mr. Militello was also the Functional Community Leader for over 1,200 safety and occupational health professionals. Mr. Militello’s career began in 1995 with Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), for whom he worked from 1995 until 2003 as a fire protection engineer in regional offices in Charleston, SC, Washington, DC, and Naples, Italy.

Mr. Militello holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering in fire protection engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Master of Public Administration from American University. He is a Director of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers Board of Directors and the Vice-Chair of the BCSP Foundation Board of Directors. Mr. Militello is a licensed Professional Engineer, Certified Safety Professional, and Certified Quality Engineer.

Travis Kruse, Ph.D., MS, CSP is the Senior Director, Safety & Sustainability Solutions Strategy for W.W. Grainger Incorporated. Dr. Kruse has over 22 years of experience in consulting, general industry, and sales leadership roles.

He is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Murray State University Occupational Safety and Health (ANSAC/ABET) Advisory Council Member, Semiconductor Environmental, Safety & Health Association (SESHA) Board Member, and an authorized instructor for the OSHA Training Institute (OTI). Dr. Kruse has a Ph.D. in Public Health from Oregon State University and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Health and Safety from Murray State University and has published in the Journal of Safety Research.

Robert Mayes, Jr., MBA is the Chief Executive Officer of Columbia Southern Education Group, the parent company of Columbia Southern University (CSU) and Waldorf University. Mayes has more than 25 years of experience in the distance learning industry. In this role, he provides strategy and leadership support to both institutions which serve over 33,000 students. He served as President of Columbia Southern University from 2005 – 2018.

Safety has been at the core of CSU’s academic focus since the very beginning. Founded in 1993 to serve the safety industry, CSU’s occupational safety and health degree programs have set the foundation for online safety education. Mr. Mayes serves on several boards including, the Alabama Association of Private Colleges and Schools, Waldorf University, and Columbia Southern University Board of Trustees. He has a Master of Business Administration from Capella University and a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health from Columbia Southern University.