Message from the Chairperson

A Message From the VPPPA Chairperson

I cannot think of a better organization than the VPPPA for you or your organization to partner with in achieving long-lasting Safety & Health Excellence. Hello my fellow VPPPA members,

The summer sun is in high gear and so is the VPPPA! Our membership is spending this summer sharing and caring as they always have. Many of our Regions will be holding virtual and in-person events throughout the year and we encourage you to participate. We also encourage everyone to register for our Safety+ Symposium, August 31–September 2, at the beautiful Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee. We are excited to be partnering with Region IV in hosting this event. Bonus: if you’re still wary of traveling (or you’re receiving this issue too late to make travel plans), you can attend Safety+ virtually.

With all the exciting events occurring and opportunities available to the VPPPA membership, I reflect on the true meaning of partnership. Its simple definition is, “parties agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.” In the world of Safety & Health Excellence this definition certainly applies. Obtaining and maintaining excellence almost mandates that you surround yourself with successful and talented people. I cannot think of a better organization than the VPPPA for you or your organization to partner with in achieving long-lasting Safety & Health Excellence.

The VPPPA has recently enhanced its partnership with the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) and established a new partnership with the Health and Safety Council (HASC). Additionally, we have partnered with an advocacy firm (LobbyIt.com) to assist us with our efforts in educating members of Congress and creating an advocacy page on our website. We encourage you to visit our website and use the email writing link to ensure your voice is heard on Capitol Hill. We believe all our partners enhance our collective mission capabilities. We look forward to sharing more about what we are working on with our great partners soon.

Partnerships can also be on an individual basis. We all have a network of people that help make us better. Seeking new people to be part of your network is something all of us should do to be successful. I can’t think of a better way to increase your network and gain new partners than by participating in this year’s national & regional events.

We are gearing up and looking forward to all of our partners demonstrating their sharing and caring spirit during this year’s Safety+ Symposium. I am very excited at the opportunity to see my VPPPA family and friends again. I am equally excited about meeting new people and adding to my network of partners in achieving Health & Safety Excellence. See all of you soon!

—Terry Schulte, Chairman—National VPPPA Board of Directors

We are better together!