WISE Speakers Save the Day
Sponsored Article by Abby Ferri
Africa and Middle East OHS Summit are officially in the books, thanks to an amazing effort by women organizers and speakers. At the link, you can scroll through the agenda to see the speaker abstracts, and all topics are very relevant and would be great for that event you’re planning… But as Lavar Burton would say, “don’t take my word for it.” In the words of event speakers, here’s the scoop!
From Mary Stine, “Through the forethought and planning of our WISE Leaders – The Speakers List was the salvation of another woman in Science’s dream. This list compiled with some of The ASSP’s brightest stars was reviewed by a female scientist in Tunis, Tunisia and she selected several members of WISE to spread the message of US methodologies and the thought process of Safety Management. Over a three-day event, the WISE community endeavored to support her cause and as a result, we were instrumental in her garnering respect amongst her colleagues. It is events like these that show our common interest group is more than a branch of ASSP, but it is our them in life. To support those in our community to navigate the waters of Safety and Environmental Health.”
From Rachel Michael, “Souhir was a one-person everything for the conference and was GREAT. I liked the 30-minute presentation format. I was happy to participate!”
From Kathi Dobson, “Souhir was great – very responsive, even with the time differences. Nice to see that PPE issues and lack of proper sizing are pretty darn universal.”
From Tricia Kagerer, “Souhir did a great job in communicating and responding. Based on all the challenges, I’m impressed they forged on and made it happen. Overall the opportunity to present globally was a great experience. I appreciate the professionalism of the staff.”
From Adele Abrams, “Given this was pulled together virtually, the organizers did a great job and I’m so pleased that WISE members seemed to dominate the sessions!”
From Adrianne Pearson, “I’m truly grateful for having the opportunity to participate in such a global event! I was nervous because I’m not familiar with African and Middle Eastern cultures. That said, I accepted the challenge to learn more about each culture and their intercultural communication styles, such that I incorporated what I learned into my presentation. I’m thrilled about such events because it communicates and brings attention to the fact that environmental, health, and safety is a very important worthy topic. It also illustrates that there are many who work hard in the profession to ensure that workers are going home safely to their loved ones and community members. I felt the conference gave an avenue for us to come together, to share what we know, and support each other with our triumphs and tribulations. It also allowed for exposure to other cultures and even though we may be speaking different languages, our challenges are similar even from a global standpoint, and what a fantastic way to get like-minded people together to help solve common problems our profession endures. Bravo to Souhir for taking on and devoting to such a task! I look forward to hopefully participating in the next conference (if there is one). Thanks for the opportunity to provide my feedback. I’m so excited to be part of an amazing community! Lastly, I’d like to thank you Abby for your efforts and time with developing and maintaining the WISE speaker’s list, as well as doing a write-up about our experience regarding the conference.”
From Linda Tapp, “it was great to be exposed to a broader audience. It was a good opportunity to practice virtual presentation skills which are much different (and I think more difficult) than in-person presentations. The 30-minute time slot was perfect and in fact, Guy Kawasaki recommends that virtual presentations be no more than 30 minutes.”
