General Sessions

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General Sessions

The general sessions at Safety Conference and Expo are a special opportunity to come together and share in a common experience and message. Get energized, learn something new and be inspired to make the most of your conference experience.

Monday, June 15 | 8 a.m. PST

A Message from Dan Chuparkoff

Opening Keynote

Adapting to an AI-powered future may be today’s most urgent challenge. But teams are divided. Some are excited about "AI-powered everything" and overlooking the pitfalls. Others are unsure or anxious about the disruption AI could bring—and don’t know where to begin. Dan brings 30 years of experience leading some of the most advanced, future-focused teams in the world—including at Google, McKinsey, and Atlassian. He’s built teams that served billions of users. Long ago, he realized this: The speed at which you grasp and adopt new technology will determine your success. With AI, this is truer than ever.

Today, Dan helps teams to make sense of AI. It’s not just a new search engine or a new chat interface, it’s about to become as integrated into our lives as copy & paste. Dan breaks down what AI is good at, and what it’s not. He’ll show you how it’s evolving, and how to pair its capabilities with the power of human expertise. Audiences walk away with practical strategies to leverage AI and other emerging technologies—unlocking new levels of performance, creativity, and a competitive edge. Dan will show your audience how to harness the power of AI to boldly reimagine the future of the Safety profession.

A Message from Shasta Nelson,

Opening Keynote Speaker

A leading expert on relationships, Shasta Nelson is an in-demand keynote speaker, trusted media resource, and author of three books, including The Business of Friendship: Making the Most of the Relationships Where We Spend Most of Our Time. For over 15 years, Shasta has translated the science of human connection into actionable strategies that help individuals and organizations build high-trust, resilient, and rewarding relationships. Her work has empowered companies like Google and LinkedIn to improve employee retention, engagement, and collaboration by fostering healthier workplace dynamics.

Shasta is a contributor to Harvard Business Review, has been featured in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and TIME magazine, and has appeared as a guest on The Today Show, The Steve Harvey Show, and the Harvard Business Review podcast. A two-time TEDx speaker—her first TEDx talk has garnered almost 1 million views—Shasta has delivered more than 500 keynotes across 20+ industries, including tech, healthcare, education, and non-profits

A Message from Dr. Jessica Kriegel,
Opening Keynote Speaker

Get to know Jessica and get excited for our opening keynote with this message to our attendees.

Watch now

Tuesday, June 16 | 1 - 2 p.m. PST

Operating Under Pressure: Navigating Safety During Uncertainty

Respond to the unexpected...how do municipalities plan for the unexpected, from weather, to technological to, man-made disasters. What goes into pre-planning, working with stakeholders, communication and resource planning, and responding to potentially volatile and uncertain events.

Linda M. Tapp, CSP, ALCM, CPTDP

Panelists:

TBD

Wednesday, Jun3 17 | 10:30 -11:20 a.m. PST

OSHA Super Session

Moderator:

Jennifer McNelly

Panelists:

David Keeling

Chet Brandon

Linda Tapp

Wednesday, June 17 | 2:30 p.m. PST

A Message from Crystal Washington

Closing Keynote

The AI-driven future of work is here, and generative AI is rapidly becoming a vital tool for achieving business success. Technologies like ChatGPT are no longer just optional productivity boosters—they are transforming how professionals work, innovate, and compete. If you’re not leveraging AI effectively, your competitors already are. In this highly engaging keynote, Crystal Washington will reveal the latest breakthroughs in generative AI and how you can safely harness them to drive efficiency, innovation, and competitive advantage.

A Message from Liz Bohannon,

Closing Keynote Speaker

We’ve all heard “It takes a village!”—but where do you actually find that village? Liz Bohannon, a leading workplace connection expert, believes you don’t find it—you build it. Drawing from her experience as a Top 1% VC-Backed Female Founder, Bestselling Author, and Internationally Renowned Speaker, Liz equips teams to design workplaces that prioritize human connection, empowering people to go faster and further together. Through her innovative framework, The Community Quotient™, Liz offers actionable strategies to create authentic, relationship-driven organizations where every member feels valued and supported.

Liz’s passion for fostering connection has earned her recognition as a Forbes Top 20 Public Speaker and accolades from B Corp as a leader in building community. She is also the bestselling author of Beginner’s Pluck and host of the Plucking Up podcast, where she explores how vulnerability and collaboration lead to greater fulfillment and impact. With a refreshing perspective that disrupts conventional organizational thinking, Liz inspires teams to unleash their full potential through the power of connection.

A Message from Kyle Scheele

Closing Keynote Speaker

Meet Kyle and find out more about the message he’ll share with our attendees to close out our time together at Safety 2024.

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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.

General Sessions

A Message from Dan Chuparkoff