Fort Campbell, KY’s Lt. Col. Jennings Named Safety Professional of the Year by the American Society of Safety Engineers
San Antonio, TX (June 30, 2009) — In recognition of his continued efforts in enhancing workplace safety and health, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) today named, Lieutenant Colonel James Jennings, CSP, of Fort Campbell, KY, as the recipient of the Edgar Monsanto Queeny Safety Professional of the Year (SPY) award. Jennings received the award this morning during ASSE’s annual Professional Development Conference (PDC) and Exposition – Safety 2009, in San Antonio, TX.
The annual Safety Professional of the Year award is given to the most outstanding ASSE member for accomplishments and contributions in the occupational safety, health and environmental field. Sponsored by the Monsanto Corporation, the award was created in honor of its third president and son of the founder, Edgar Monsanto Queeny for his personal commitment to protect workers from industrial accidents and health hazards.
Jennings currently serves as safety officer for the 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division in the U.S. Army. Most recently he was deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan as a safety officer for a 1,200-man brigade providing logistics support for 30,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines deployed to combat in Afghanistan. In addition, he received the Join Service Achievement Medal (JSAM) for his production of the first Dari (Afghan language) safety video in the history of Afghanistan. He was also deployed to Qayyarah, Iraq in 2005-2006, serving as a safety officer with the 101st Sustainment Brigade for a 5,500-man brigade conducting logistics support operations in Northern Iraq. In previous years, he also served as a tactical safety manager at Fort Campbell, KY and a deputy director for the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) Safety Division at Fort McPherson, GA.
“During our deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Jennings willingness to take on the most difficult and hazardous assignments make him an invaluable resource to the soldiers, leaders, and commanders with whom he works,” said Rodney D. Lowell, safety director, Combined/Joint Task Force-101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army, who nominated Jennings for the SPY award. “Few of the other nominees could say that they braved hostile enemy fire to ensure their organizational safety programs were effectively minimizing accidental losses. Jay endured rocket attacks, improvised explosive device (IED) blasts, and mortar fire as he gained a first-hand perspective of the work environment during 36 convoys through Northern Iraq.”
He has a B.S. in engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, a M.A. in humanities from California State University – Dominguez Hills in Carson, CA, and is also currently enrolled in the MBA program at Tennessee Tech University. In 2007 he also earned qualification as a U.S. Army Aviation Safety Officer.
An ASSE professional member since 2003, he has been a member of both the ASSE Middle Tennessee Chapter and the ASSE Georgia Chapter. He has given numerous presentations at the Department of Defense as well as at ASSE chapter and society-level professional development conferences on topics from safety in combat to U.S. Army risk management in Iraq. He also published an article titled “Human Factors Analysis: Applications in Combat Operations,” in ASSE’s Professional Safety Journal. Jennings is also a current member of the ASSE Risk Management/Insurance (RM/I) Practice Specialty and the ASSE RM/I Training and Communications Branch.
“On his return from Iraq in 2006, Jennings volunteered to speak at our chapter meeting,” said ASSE Middle Tennessee Chapter President David W. Brooks, who also nominated Jennings for the SPY award. “All members in attendance were very impressed with the content of his talk and the professional nature of his presentation. Witnessing the brutal conditions under which he implements safety programs puts into perspective how difficult a job he has as a safety professional. Most safety professionals’ employees are not targets in war as they perform their job tasks and functions.”
Founded in 1911, the Des Plaines, IL-based ASSE is the largest and oldest professional safety organization and is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. Its more than 32,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members lead, manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor, health care and education. For more information please go to www.asse.org.