Biography

Darryl C. Hill, CSP, is safety & health officer for ABB North America, Auburn Hills, MI. His responsibilities include safety and occupational health management for multi-plant, service, and project locations in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. He also is on the ABB Group taskforce providing safety & health strategy for over 150,000 employees and contractors. He holds a B.S. in Occupational Safety and a M.S. in Hazardous Waste Management from Iowa State University and Wayne State University, respectively. Hill is an adjunct instructor and Ph.D. candidate at Oakland University, majoring in Educational Leadership.

Hill is currently Vice President, Finance. He is editor and contributing author for Construction Safety Management & Engineering book. He has served in all officer capacities for the Greater Detroit Chapter. Past ASSE service includes: Region VII VP; Council on Professional Development; Council on Practices / Standards; Construction Practice Specialty Administrator; Leadership Conference Task Force chair; National Future Safety Leaders Conference Task Force chair; Public Relations Committee; and Strategic Planning Committee. He is a member of the President’s Court for membership recruitment (170 new members) and ASSE Foundation visionary donor.

Hill’s honors include the 1997 Edgar Monsanto Queeny Safety Professional of the Year; Region, Chapter, and Practice Specialty SPY; Culbertson Outstanding Volunteer Service Award; and Michigan Safety Conference (MSC) Distinguished Service to Safety (2007).

Hill was the 2006 MSC President. He is a member of the Oakland University Occupational Safety & Health Program Advisory Committee. In addition, he participated in the BCSP safety fundamentals content delineation study.

Platform Statement

It is an honor to be nominated as Senior Vice President after continued service at the chapter, region, practice specialty, and national level. Having served on three councils (CoMRA, CoPS, CoPD), numerous national committees and several task forces for 20 years, I am convinced that ASSE is the premier safety society in the world. As our Society approaches its 100th anniversary, major strides have been taken as we realize our vision as the global champion of the SH&E professional, a global leader of the profession, and a premier resource for those engaged in protecting people, property, and the environment. Furthermore, our Society has a tremendous opportunity to grow our influence as a world-renowned leader in SH&E. But, we must continue as visionaries to ensure our continued success as a Society and SH&E profession.

Strong financial performance is key to continued success. The Professional Development Conference (PDC), educational programs, technical audioconferences, and technical publications are each key programs in nondues revenue growth. Technical audioconferences contribute to revenue growth while incurring minimal expenses. This results in a favorable impact to net income. These events serve to better inform our membership about standards and increase awareness to nonmembers. First-class educational programs, such as symposia, certificate in safety management, certification preparation workshops, and Seminarfest, contribute to the Society’s revenue growth, and we must continue to offer programs that will assist the safety professional in their respective organizations. While nondues revenue growth is important to financial success, we must continue to analyze dues revenue and determine the appropriate dues/non-dues ratio. Keeping expenses at a lower level of growth than revenue is important, however, we should fund new initiatives and expand member programs that will advance the society strategic plan.

To ensure our Society sustains success we must have a reputation for value (a portfolio of good products and services). ASSE Professional Development is doing well and growing. We have experienced increased participation and favorable ratings in PDC, seminars, symposia, and Seminarfest. Professional Safety is an award-winning journal for publication excellence. Council on Practices and Standards (CoPS) provides value as the “Body of Knowledge.” Also, practice specialty newsletters continue to improve with enhanced quality and content. Practice Specialty Administrators must continue to work on future programs and initiatives to enhance practice specialty membership. But, there is also a need for the promotion of the value of our profession to our customers and stakeholders. I support managed actions by ASSE and Council on Professional Affairs (CoPA) promoting the value of our profession to the general population and to those customers SH&E professionals attempt to influence.

In the Professional Safety article, Time to Transform? Assessing the Future of the SH&E Profession (Nov. 2002), I expressed the need for our profession to talk the language of senior management and incorporate financial principles and related terminology in their everyday vocabulary. The Business of Safety Committee continues to move forward with data gathering, document preparation, and source of professional information regarding our efforts to show that investment in Safety, Health, and Environment is a sound business strategy and can positively impact an organization’s bottom-line. Also, in the same article I outlined the importance for educational excellence within our profession. In Post-Capitalist Society, Drucker stated that the world is in transition to a knowledge-based society and that the primary skill in the postcapitalist society will be knowledge. He added that the leading social group will be knowledge workers. Many SH&E professionals function well with formal education at the nonterminal degree level, but a major need exists for doctoral-level safety professionals. Although few industries may require safety professionals with doctorates, such individuals are needed to conduct research on injury prevention and to ensure the continued viability of undergraduate and graduate academic programs. For the profession and SH&E professionals to thrive in the future, a new cadre of Ph.D. researchers and educators must be sought. The profession and society must explore and identify avenues for employed safety professionals to pursue a terminal degree.

The Society must continue to look for opportunities to pull “emerging SH&E issue” information from the grassroots/chapter/regional level up to the Society level so that we can continue service to our membership and promote our profession in alignment with Society Goal 3. Public Relations is doing a fine job in member engagement and profession advocacy. Efforts are underway to identify other professional entities outside of the mainstream SH&E organizations and develop working opportunities, advancing NAOSH to become a global effort, and exploiting technology to enhance delivery of products and services to members. Each of these efforts will serve our members and promote our profession. Also, the Leadership Conference and National Future Safety Leaders Conference are key events aligning the Society with Goal 6 (sets the direction for the Society’s membership) and Goal 8 (sets the direction for the Society’s student membership), respectively. Both need our continued support. Finally, the Governmental Affairs, Educational Standards, and Standards Development Committees will continue to play a key role in the Society’s overall success.

I am confident that you agree with me that ASSE is the preeminent safety society in the world. Also, we are in an exciting period in our profession’s history. But, resting on our laurels will not provide the roadmap for future prosperity. To achieve greatness for our Society and profession will require individual member success. Thus, the products and services needed for individual member success must be assured within our financial framework. Also, society leadership must continue to listen to the membership and external customers. Finally, great thought, insight, commitment, and energy must be the pillars in which we build upon our current foundation. Having served on councils, committees, task forces, and in leadership capacities at the chapter, region, practice specialty, and national levels is an asset as I pursue this critical position in ASSE approaching our Society’s 100th anniversary.