General Sessions

Our General Sessions give you the opportunity to pause, reflect and be inspired. This year we welcome two self-made storytellers and keynote speakers, Kevin Brown and Devon Harris. Our Panel Sessions will tackle two emerging, important challenges that safety professionals are facing today. These four sessions will be a shared experience for our in-person and online attendees.

Please Note: General Sessions Will Be Live and Not Recorded
All General Sessions will be live-streamed only at the times listed below. These sessions will not be recorded or available on-demand, so plan to join us live so you don’t miss a moment!

All General Sessions will be held in the Skyline Ballroom, McCormick Place (West Building).

• Monday, June 27 | 7:30 AM CST

Safety 2022 Kickoff: Artbeat Live

Elliott From

Artbeat Live

We're kicking off Safety 2022 with a can't-miss explosion of creativity! ASSP welcomes Elliott From, a truly unique, high-energy performance artist who will literally "set the stage" for our time together in Chicago.

• Monday, June 27 | Immediately following Artbeat Live

The Truth About Heroes:
Being Your Best When It Matters the Most

Kevin Brown

Opening General Session

Opening General Session speaker Kevin Brown will create an entirely new perspective to what it means to be a "hero." Kevin's message will set up three days of learning, sharing, and discovering new ways to advance, both personally and professionally.

Kevin’s unconventional path to business and personal success has taught him that winning in business and in life requires anything but conventional thinking. He grew up in Muskegon, Michigan where his blue-collar roots instilled the value of hard work and determination. With a streetwise aptitude and a never-quit attitude, he worked his way from the front lines in business to the executive boardroom.

• Tuesday, June 28 | 1:45 - 2:45 PM CST

How Equity Drives Safety Forward: Exploring the “E” in DEI

Plenary Session

Diversity, equity and inclusion play a key role in helping your organization provide a safe, healthy workplace. While diversity and inclusion are relatively well-known terms, equity is often the least understood concept. Equity recognizes that individuals or groups may need different experiences or resources to achieve the same or similar outcomes. To create an equitable workplace, an organization must recognize the wide range of factors that affect the needs, perspectives and potential of all employees. Build your understanding of equity and hear expert insight about why it is important to worker safety and health. Learn how you can effectively measure progress in improving equity and take away practical tips to make your workplace safer and healthier for all workers.

• Chia-Chia Chang, M.P.H., M.B.A. - Coordinator, NIOSH Office for Total Worker Health® and the NIOSH Healthy Work Design and Well-Being Cross-Sector Program
• Kahlilah Guyah, CSP, CHMM - CEO, Founder and Principal EHS Consultant, EHS Compliance Services Inc.
• Ricky Gonzales - Data Scientist, U.S. Department of Labor

Moderator: Hector M. Escarcega, M.S., ARM, CSP - President, Bilingual Solutions International

• Wednesday, June 29 | 9:15 - 10:30 AM CST

Emergency Preparedness & Response: The Ripple Effect

Plenary Session

Like a stone thrown into a calm pond, an emergency creates a range of cascading events and outcomes. The resulting ripples can stress your organization’s systems, your workers and their families, and your supply chain. These effects will also be felt throughout your community, particularly by vulnerable individuals such as those with lower socioeconomic status, mental health issues and older individuals. Take away insights from lessons learned and learn about best practices you can apply to improve your organization’s emergency preparedness and response; hear practical guidance for identifying and closing gaps in your program; and gather tips for working effectively with public agencies during times of crisis.

• Sarah Bogner, M.S., CSP - Manager, Health and Safety, Contra Costa Water District
• Randy Milliron, SMS, EMR - Safety Manager, City of Gillette, WY
• Terrie S. Norris, CSP, ARM, CPSI, FASSP - Senior Manager, Risk Control Pooling, Sedgwick

Moderator: Leo DeBobes, CSP, CPEA, CIT, EMT – Leo DeBobes Safety Consultants

• Wednesday, June 29 | 1:45 PM CST

Just Keep Pushing

Devon Harris

Closing General Session

Devon Harris knows the power and pain of overcoming inertia and pushing beyond. Devon's incredible story brings a whole new perspective on the quality of persistence and will close our time together at Safety 2022.

Raised in a violent ghetto in Jamaica, Devon could have allowed his environment to keep a chokehold on his life, but he learned how to push past the gangs and drugs by using the power of visualization to imagine greatness. His vision ultimately manifested in a life that took him from the ghetto to the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England, to becoming a three-time Olympian with Jamaica's original bobsled team. It was Devon's determined focus and persistent vision to achieve something greater that carried him farther than those who gave in to their destructive environment.