Two Department of Energy (DOE) contractors have been nominated for the National Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association (VPPPA) Board of Directors. Five positions are being contested. They are vying for the two Director at Large positions. The election will be held during the 17th Annual National VPPPA Conference in New Orleans, LA, from August 27-30, 2001.
The contenders are Kirkland L. Jones, Director, Environmental, Safety and Quality Assurance, DynMcDermott Petroleum Operations Company, Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), New Orleans, LA, and Sharon C. Chivers, Industrial Safety/Voluntary Protection Program Manager, Bechtel BWXT Idaho, LLC, INEEL, Idaho Falls, ID.
DynMcDermott, SPR, has achieved DOE-VPP and OSHA VPP STAR status at four of its sites: Big Hill, West Hackberry, Bayou Choctaw, and Bryon Mound. Bechtel became a GOLD STAR site in May 2001.
Kirk Jones has worked for DynMcDermott since 1992. He is responsible for development and implementation of a comprehensive Environmental, Safety and Health, Fire and Quality program and Worker's Compensation and other insurance programs. As such, he plans and manages the budget, supervises managers of each program, and develops corporate goals, policies and procedures for a multi-site 800 person company. Kirk's accomplishments include achieving DOE-VPP and OSHA-VPP STAR status, ISO 14001 registration, ISO 9001 registration, EPA NEAT Charter membership, and achieving a 40% reduction in Worker's Compensation costs with an increase in worker satisfaction with the program. Holding a Ph.D. in Ecology, Kirk also has an Masters and B.A. in Biology.
Sharon Chivers is the Industrial Safety/ INEEL Voluntary Protection Program Manager. As such, she directs the Industrial Safety program for INEEL, managing the 40 matrixed industrial safety engineers across the site. Sharon successfully led the implementation of VPP site-wide for 6,300 Idaho National Engineering & Environmental Laboratory employees and achieved DOE-VPP GOLD STAR status.
Other accomplishments include receiving a Presidential Award for Excellence in recognition of exceptional quality, performance and achievement; fostered employees to earn all eleven "Star Ready" flags for INEEL, which are awarded for excellence in the VPP safety culture; designed the VPP "Star Ready" process to be used DOE complex-wide; actively supported and participated in VPPPA Region X conferences; and presented in workshops at both VPPPA Region X and the National conference. Sharon holds a Masters degree in industrial safety/industrial hygiene and a B.S. in biology