VPPPA Announces 2020 Award & Scholarship Winners

The Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association (VPPPA) officially announces the winners of its 2020 Annual Awards and Scholarships.

Every year, VPPPA bestows three annual awards to member sites and individuals who go above and beyond in their efforts to improve safety and health for the workforce. VPPPA also provides four scholarships to VPPPA employees and their children who are pursuing degrees in the safety, health and environmental fields.

Stacy Thursby, VPPPA National Board of Directors member and Chair of the Awards Committee, said, “We were blown away by the talent and innovation of this year’s nominees for both our awards and scholarships. While 2020 has been a challenging year for all of us, seeing the dedication and commitment to safety that our award winners bring to this industry is inspiring.”

Thursby went on to say, “Our scholarship winners offer a great sense of hope to the future of the safety and health fields. Congratulations to all of our winners.”

The 2020 VPPPA Scholarship winners are:

June Brothers Scholarship Winner: Provided to a student seeking a career in Occupational Safety and Health

• Karsyn Suhadolnik, Kennewick, WA; Senior in Environmental and Occupational Safety – VPP Star Site: CH2MHill Plateau Remediation Company, A Jacobs Company

Sergeant Safety Scholarship Winner: Provided to a student with ties to Department of Defense/Energy

• Lindsey Wooley, Kennewick, WA; Senior in Occupational Safety and Health – VPP Star Site: CH2MHill Plateau Remediation Company, A Jacobs Company

Stephen Brown Scholarship Winner: Provided to a student pursuing a trade

• MacKenna Kalin, Lincoln, NE; Sophomore in Nursing – VPP Star Site: Nucor Cold Finish

William “Sully” Sullivan Scholarship Winner: Provided to a current employee that is furthering the ideals and success of VPP at their site

• Kristen Denney, Carrollton, GA; Grad Student in Masters in Occupational Safety and Health – VPP Star Site: Southwire Utility Production Plant

The 2020 VPPPA Annual Awards winners are:

VPP Innovation Award Winners:

• General Electric Healthcare – Electric Avenue, GE Healthcare, West Milwaukee, WI
  • Hazard Heat Map strength and defense; using the project management risk matrix and applying to safety and health with proven incident/illness reduction over years
• Oak Ridge Environmental Management Cleanup Project, Case Management Approach, UCOR, an Amentum-led partnership with Jacobs, Oak Ridge, TN
  • New and innovative methods for the effective and efficient application of worker injury/illness case management.

VPP Outreach Award Winners:

• Chevron Phillips Chemical – Cedar Bayou Plant, Company Award: Chevron Phillips Chemical, Baytown, TX
• Marsha E. Bevins, Individual Award: Portsmouth Mission Alliance, LLC, Piketon, OH

VPPPA Safety & Health Outreach Award Winners:

• Michael Horton, Individual Award: Portsmouth Mission Alliance, LLC, Piketon, OH
• Portsmouth Mission Alliance, LLC, Company Award: Portsmouth Mission Alliance, LLC, Piketon, OH

To learn more about the VPPPA Annual Awards and Scholarships, please visit the VPPPA website at www.vpppa.org.