The 50 Most Influential EHS Leaders

They say things are easier the second time around. That's not true in the case of the 50 Most Influential EHS Leaders.

In 2008, when we first began the daunting task of trying to name 50 (living) EHS leaders, I was worried that we would have difficulty coming up with that many names. Soon, we realized that we easily could name 100 leaders or more, particularly if we opened it up to international representatives.

This year, because of recent (national and international) events, we found it even more difficult to narrow the playing field and once again, we went over our goal of 50 EHS leaders. Even so, this list isn't perfect. We can argue about the names found here and their influence, but I think when looked at as a whole, this group is a fine representation of the people who are moving EHS in new directions.

Our list includes government appointees (such as OSHA Administrator David Michaels), academics, union EHS leaders, legislators, the presidents of professional associations, litigators, safety industry leaders and safety “gurus.” Some could be placed in several categories, so we tried to choose the category that best represents their current work.

Every person on this list — through their advocacy, teaching, research, mentoring, legislating, litigating or rulemaking — plays a role in steering the course of EHS.

• THE GOVERNMENT APPOINTEES
• THE GURUS
• THE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENTS
• THE INDUSTRY LEADERS
• THE LITIGATORS
• THE INTERNATIONALS
• THE UNION EHS LEADERS
• THE RESEARCHERS AND ACADEMICS
• THE LEGISLATORS

THE GOVERNMENT APPOINTEES

More has been heard from President Barack Obama about occupational safety and health than his five predecessors combined. Obama is the first president to issue a presidential proclamation in honor of Workers Memorial Day. The proclamation comes on the heels of a particularly deadly period for U.S. workers, with four incidents with multiple fatalities occurring in the past several months. From his appointment of EHS advocates to key positions at NIOSH, OSHA, MSHA and EPA, to his eulogy at the service for the 29 West Virginia miners who perished in April, it's obvious that Obama is having an impact on workplace safety and health.

David Michaels, PhD, MPH, assistant secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, is an epidemiologist and a nationally recognized leader in the scientific community's efforts to protect the integrity of the science on which public health and environmental policies and regulation are based. Before coming to OSHA on Dec. 9, 2009, he was professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, directing the department's Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy. From 1998 to 2001, Michaels served as assistant secretary of energy for Environment, Safety and Health.

Jordan Barab joined OSHA as deputy assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health on April 13, 2009. He previously served as special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA from 1998 to 2001, when he helped the agency promulgate the ergonomics workplace safety and health standard that was repealed by Congress in March 2001. Barab was senior labor policy advisor for health and safety for the House Education and Labor Committee from 2007 to April 2009, and worked on workplace safety issues for the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board from 2002 to 2007. He also created and wrote the award-winning blog, Confined Space, from 2003 to 2007.

Dr. John Howard served as the director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) from July 2002 through July 2008, when his 6-year term ended without being renewed in a controversial decision that brought criticism from safety and health stakeholders. Reappointed to the position of NIOSH director on Sept. 3, 2009, Howard also currently serves as the World Trade Center Programs coordinator for the U.S. Department of Health Human Services.

Thomasina V. Rogers is chairman of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, which adjudicates workplace safety and health disputes between the Department of Labor and employers. Having been confirmed three times to the review commission, Rogers has served the second-longest tenure in the agency's 38-year history. She remains the first woman to be designated as chairman — a distinction she achieved in 1999 under President Bill Clinton — and she also is the only African American to serve on the commission.

Lisa P. Jackson, confirmed by the Senate as the EPA administrator on Jan. 23, 2009, leads that agency's efforts to protect the health and environment of Americans. She and a staff of more than 17,000 professionals are working across the nation to usher in a green economy, address health threats from toxins and pollution and renew public trust in EPA's work. As administrator, Jackson has pledged to focus on core issues of protecting air and water quality, preventing exposure to toxic contamination in our communities and reducing greenhouse gases. Jackson is the first African-American to serve as EPA administrator.