Cody Byrns
- Vision Leadership – Why "Why" Means Everything to Empowering a Team
In May of 2013 his life changed drastically. While stopped at a red light on the highway, Byrns was rear-ended by a box truck that failed to stop. As a result, he was considered dead until first responders saw his hand move. He received many injuries that day, including severe burns to almost 40% of his body. After years of countless surgeries and rehabilitation, Byrns has chosen to not allow his scars to keep him bound in bitterness and defeat. Instead, he uses his story to uplift others. His goal is to help people live free from the bonds of scars (physical and emotional), equipping others with the proper steps to walk out of their past hurt and defeat and run towards their full potential. As a thought leader, he speaks worldwide to provide relevant, applicable, and thought-provoking messages. Thousands of people have been encouraged by his story and outlook on life. From college students to business leaders, his presentations have been received by many. Byrns has also been featured on many TV and radio shows around the world.
Trooper Ben
Public Speaker/Social Media Consultant/Retired State Trooper
Trooper Ben Gardner is a retired Kansas state trooper who served the state of Kansas for 26 years. Today, he travels across Kansas and beyond speaking to schools, businesses and organizations about service, growth, leadership and roadway safety.
He is widely known for his authentic style, encouraging message and his #HelpMore campaign, which encourages people to look for ways to lift up and support others. Through his Go and Grow talk, Trooper Ben challenges people to pay closer attention to life and help more whenever they can.
Ryan E. Hodge - Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Deputy Regional Administrator
Ryan Hodge is the OSHA Region VII Deputy Regional Administrator. Hodge is a lifetime Kansas resident and a graduate of both Kansas State University and the University of Kansas, where he earned a Master of Science, specializing in safety. Hodge is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), who has served in the position of compliance officer, area director, and currently deputy regional administrator in Region VII.
Todd W. Underwood - Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Area Director
Todd Underwood is the Area Director in the Wichita Area Office. He has been a Kansas resident for almost 20 years. Underwood is a graduate of Southwest College in Winfield, KS and Columbia Southern University, where he earned his Master of Science, specializing in safety. He also served for 21-years in the U.S. Air Force in an occupational safety role.
Rosa Aranda and Jodi Pew - Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office
Traffic Safety Specialists
- Work Safe, Drive Safe: Safety is the Real Power Move
As traffic safety specialists with the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office, Jodi Pew and Rosa use their skills to educate the population and promote the Drive to Zero initiative. In Kansas the population is diverse and requires the ability to understand and interact with groups with vastly different needs. Every day is a new adventure when working with caregivers of small children, school aged kids, employers, those who speak languages other than English and our oldest drivers.
Shane Etzold, CSP - Kansas Department of Labor
Public Sector Supervisor
- Connecting the Dots: Public Sector and OSHA
Shane Etzold has over 20 years of experience in environmental and safety management in general industry and construction. Before joining KDOL, he served as a safety specialist for the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), a fire prevention inspector for the Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and safety manager for a cabinet manufacturing company. Since joining KDOL, Etzold has served as a public sector safety consultant performing safety audits of public school districts, community colleges, cities and counties.
Arthur Fink - K-State Pollution Prevention Institute (PPI)
Director
Arthur Fink has worked as a technical assistance provider for K-State PPI for the past seven years and has served as the director since January 2025. He has experience in a number of areas in the environmental industry including hazardous and solid waste, stormwater, wastewater, storage tanks and remediation.
Keely Hutchinson - K-State PPI
Pollution Prevention Specialist
Keely Hutchinson has been with the K-State PPI for four years, starting as a pollution prevention intern. She has supported both the Pollution Prevention and Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP) at PPI and has experience with water, air, storage tanks and solid waste. Keely now manages SBEAP waste projects with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Bureau of Waste Management (KDHE BWM).
- Co-Presenting RCRA Basics: Hazardous Waste Storage and Containment
Casey Flinn - Kansas Municipal Utilities
Safety Services Coordinator
- LOTO – Going Beyond the Lock and Key
Casey Flinn spent over 23 years in the United States Army. While serving, he instructed leadership courses, maintenance safety courses and led soldiers through combat during multiple deployments to the Middle East. After retiring, he worked for the State of Kansas as an Environmental Coordinator, helping National Guard locations stay within compliance of set environmental regulations and standards. He also currently serves as a member on multiple Boards of Directors for different non-profit organizations.
Robert Stimson - Office of the State Fire Marshal
Boiler Supervisor
Rob Stimson retired from the US Air Force in 2014 as a Master Sgt. in the HVAC career field with a degree in mechanical and electrical technologies. He began working for the Fire Marshal’s Office in 2015 as a deputy boiler inspector. In 2016 he earned a boiler In-service (IS) Commission with R endorsement and became a member of the National Board of Boiler Inspectors. In 2017 he earned a NB team leader certification to conduct quality program audits and reviews at boiler repair companies. Currently he is working on earning a second commission Authorized Inspector (AI) for new equipment construction.
Troy Whitworth - Kansas Department of Transportation
Director of Safety
Troy Whitworth served as director of employee safety at the Kansas Department of Transportation. Whitworth has worked at KDOT for the past 38 years, spending the first 20 years of his career in Kansas City working in highway maintenance from the front line plow guy to a superintendent. He has spent the past 18 years in several different challenging positions, with the last six years being in his current role. Whitworth has authored four KDOT Safety Chronicle books. These books highlight the importance of situational awareness and safety in a way that can help generate buy-in with its readers.
Michael Jorgensen - Wichita State University
Professor
- Exoskeletons and Job Rotation for Injury Prevention
Michael Jorgensen is a professor in the Industrial, Systems and Manufacturing Engineering Department at Wichita State University, where he teaches and performs research in industrial ergonomics. His research has involved evaluation of interventions for prevention of musculoskeletal injuries, including shoulder exoskeletons, job rotation and reduction of hand tool vibration exposure to aircraft manufacturing workers. Previously he worked as an industrial engineer and ergonomist with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and also as an ergonomics consultant.
Finlay Kimsey - iSi Environmental
Industrial Hygiene Technician
- The Greatest Intro on Earth: Epidemiology for Industrial Hygiene
As an industrial hygiene technician at iSi, Finlay Kimsey brings nearly three years of industrial hygiene experience to iSi and its clients. Kimsey works with clients to monitor workplaces for chemicals and other contaminants they may be affected by. She makes sure clients are providing employees with the proper PPE and that they are working under the correct exposure limits. Kimsey has a bachelor's degree in occupational safety from the University of Central Missouri and is currently studying for her master's degree in industrial hygiene.
Paul Nicholson - Kansas Department of Labor
Special Investigations Unit Supervisor
- Human Trafficking in Kansas
Paul Nicholson is the Supervisor of the Special Investigations Unit for the Kansas Department of Labor. With 33 years experience in law enforcement, Nicholson has developed a strong background in criminal investigations, fraud and human trafficking. Nicholson oversees investigations across the state of Kansas in fraud and identity theft and also investigates and educates on Labor Trafficking in Kansas.
Keith Reissig - iSi Environmental
Project Manager/Industrial Hygienist
- It’s a Hard Rock Life: Navigating OSHA’s Silica Standards and NEP
As a project manager and industrial hygienist at iSi, Keith Reissig brings over 20 years of industrial hygiene experience to iSi and its clients. Reissig is experienced in creating compliance programs, development and implementation of health and safety plans, industrial hygiene testing and conducts much of iSi's safety and HAZWOPER training courses. As an IH, Reissig works with clients to monitor workplaces for chemicals and other contaminates they may be affected by. He makes sure clients are providing employees proper PPE and that they are working under the correct exposure limits. He also monitors for hearing conservation, combustible dust and emergency response, as well as providing written programs and training. Prior to joining iSi, he served as safety manager for the Coleman Company, EHS manager for Triumph and a senior IH at Textron Aviation. His knowledge of real-life application of safety and IH in manufacturing has been useful for assisting clients with the compliance clients face in the aircraft industry. He holds bachelor’s degrees in both chemistry and mathematics from Friends University.
Cass Willard - PROtect LLC
CIH – Industrial Hygienist
- Developing a Risk-Based Industrial Hygiene Plan
Cass Willard has over 30 years in the environmental, safety and health profession. He has a Master of Public Health from the University of Oklahoma and is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH). He served as past president for the Tulsa Chapter of ASSE. He was awarded Safety Professional of the Year by the Tulsa Chapter of the ASSE in 2001. Willard is the industrial hygiene manager for PROtect, LLC.
Jenna Bottolfsen - Wallace Associates
Owner/Career Development Coach
- From Enforcer to Influencer: Leading Safety Through Trust
Jenna Bottolfsen is a career and leadership coach who helps people see their strengths clearly and tell their story with confidence. After 25 years in corporate HR, she left the corporate grind to do the work she loves most: helping people land roles, build confidence, and stop playing small in their careers. She's a Derby native, a mom, president of the Juniper Arts Board, a church volunteer and the owner of Wallace Associates, where she supports people with leadership growth or career transitions.
Taylor Redding, CSP - Midwest Transformer
Operations and Compliance Manager
- How the QR Code Reduced OSHA Recordables by 5x in 4 Years
Taylor Redding has been the operations and compliance manager at Midwest Electrical Transformer Services in Hesston, KS since December of 2025. Prior to that he was the senior separations manager at Stanley Black & Decker in Hesston, KS.
Cameron Cothran, CSP - GAF
EHS Manager
- How the QR Code Reduced OSHA Recordables by 5x in 4 Years
Cameron Cothran has been the EHS Manager at GAF in Newton, KS since April 2026. Prior to that he was the EHS manager at Stanley Black & Decker in Hesston, KS.
Jorge De La Torre - Hutton
Safety Director
- Shape the Path: Building Systems Where Safe Behavior Becomes the Default
Jorge De La Torre is the director of safety for Hutton, where he leads the development and execution of comprehensive safety strategies across the company’s construction operations. With over a decade of experience in environmental health and safety, De La Torre is known for his ability to connect field realities with leadership vision. He is an OSHA-authorized trainer, a respected safety professional, and a frequent speaker on the topics of culture, risk, and accountability. His mission is to create environments where safety is not just a requirement, but a way of working, thinking, and leading
Laura Keniston - Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest
Outreach Coordinator
- Beyond the Safety Basics: Interactive Hazard Mapping
Laura Keniston has served as the outreach coordinator for the Healthier Workforce Center of the Midwest, a NIOSH Center of Excellence for Total Worker Health® since 2016. Her work is focused on developing and disseminating resources to support the safety, health and well-being of the workforce. Keniston has extensive experience working with local employers, case managers, injured workers and occupational health providers to facilitate return to work for individuals recovering from work-related injuries. This experience has fueled her passion for protecting the well-being of workers.
Curtis J. Leiker, CSP - iSi Environmental
Senior Project Manager
- If There’s a Hazard, There’s a Way: The General Duty Clause
Curtis Leiker is a senior project manager at iSi Environmental. Besides assisting companies with EHS and ISO 45001 and 14001 audits, Leiker manages safety and environmental programs, environmental reporting, training and other compliance issues for aviation, general industry, and agricultural facilities.
Chris Myers - Interstates
Project Engineer
- What’s New in NFPA 70B and Why it Matters to You
Chris Myers is an electrical engineer for Interstates and has been with the company since 2013. In his role he is responsible for managing the electrical systems studies team with a focus on industrial application of NFPA 70 (NEC), NFPA 70B, and NFPA 70E. Myers is a dual major and has a Bachelor of Science degree in both electrical engineering and mechanical engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
Dan DeBoer - PROtect LLC
EHS Consultant
- General Industry Safety and Process Safety Management
Dan DeBoer has been an Environmental, Health and Safety Consultant for PROtect, LLC (formerly ERI Solutions, Inc.) for the past 10 years. His experience includes safety and environmental audits, safety program development and training, environmental reporting and PSM/RMP auditing and Process Hazard Analysis (PHA). DeBoer also has 16 years experience as an environmental, health and safety manager for several manufacturing sites in Kansas and Michigan. His professional experience also includes 15 years as a petroleum geologist and five years as a newspaper editor and reporter. DeBoer has an M.S. degree in Environmental Studies from Friends University and an M.S. in geology from Fort Hays State University. He also holds a BS in geology and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of North Dakota. In addition, he is an Authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer, EHS management systems lead auditor (includes ISO 14001) and PHA team leader.
Gary Downey - The Ergonomics Center (NC State University)
Ergonomist
Gary Downey is an ergonomist at The Ergonomics Center at North Carolina State University. He works at the intersection of science, engineering, and human performance—helping organizations across the country create healthier, safer and more efficient workplaces. Downey is both a board-certified professional ergonomist (CPE) and a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), making him one of the rare professionals who can diagnose problems, redesign systems and teach teams how to work smarter, safer and more efficiently. Downey now calls Bartlesville, OK home.
Amy Elwell - Hutchinson Community College
Apprenticeship Coordinator
- Registered Apprenticeship in Safety & Health
Amy Elwell serves as apprenticeship coordinator at Hutchinson Community College. In her role, she serves as the central liaison between employers, students, and the institution to design, manage and ensure compliance in the training programs that align instruction with on-the-job workforce needs.
Andy Hall - The Boeing Company (Wichita)
Fire Chief
- Emergency Response to Industrial Sites
With 35 years of service, Chief Andy Hall has built a career defined by leadership for both municipal and industrial firefighting. Throughout his career he has led incidents from technical rescue to structure fires. Transitioning to industrial firefighting, Chief Hall has developed comprehensive emergency response plans and evolving safety procedures.
Nicole LaHaye, MPH, CSP, CIH, CFPS - INVISTA
Global Health and Safety Leader
- Industrial Hygiene: Assessing Risks and Applying Controls
Nicole LaHaye has worked in industrial settings for over 30 years and is currently the global health and safety leader at INVISTA. In her role she has been responsible for all aspects of health and safety, including, fire protection, emergency response, occupational health, industrial hygiene, process safety and occupational safety. LaHaye has degrees from OSU in fire protection and safety engineering technology and Tulane University in occupational safety and health management. She holds CSP, CFPS and CIH certifications.
Dave Mullins - Hutchinson Community College
Director of Business & Industry
- Registered Apprenticeship in Safety & Health
Dave Mullins serves as the director of the Business and Industry Institute at Hutchinson Community College. In his role, he facilitates strategic connections between local businesses and educational programs, with a primary focus on workforce development.