SHIP Advisory Committee

The department created an advisory committee consisting of representatives from labor, business, and workplace safety and health expertise. Members are appointed to serve three-year renewable terms. The advisory committee will provide assistance to the department, making recommendations regarding funding priority areas and recommending applications that merit funding.

Comittee Members

Labor Representatives

Rebecca Johnson: Rebecca is the Government Affairs Director for the Washington State Labor Council and works with their affiliated organizations and community coalitions to improve the lives of Washington’s working families by ensuring that their voices are heard in Olympia. Rebecca focuses on public policy impacting working people, with special emphasis on increasing their voice at work through greater organizing and collective bargaining rights, improving their health care system, strengthening workers' compensation and unemployment insurance, and providing for Washington ’s future through workforce training and apprenticeship programs. Rebecca serves on a number of other boards and committees, including: the Unemployment Insurance Advisory Committee, the Labor and Industries Curriculum Review Committee, the WISHA Advisory Committee, the Young Worker Advisory Committee and the Unemployment Law Project Board.

Terry Tilton: Terry is Assistant Executive Secretary of the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council and is a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Tacoma Local 612. Terry is an apprentice graduate with 25 years experience in heavy highway and building construction. Terry currently serves as co-chair of the Construction Advisory Committee for L&I Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

Sharon Ness, RN: Sharon is a Union Representative and Political Liaison for UFCW, 141, United Staff Nurses Union. She previously worked for the Washington State Nurses Association. As a Registered Nurse Sharon works weekends at Lakewood’s St Clare Hospital. Sharon has advocated for safety in the workplace for many years and currently serves on the Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board and the WISHA Advisory Committee.

Business Representatives

Grant Nelson: Is Governmental Affairs Director of Environmental Policy for the Association of Washington Business (AWB). He represents AWB members on issues related to air quality, water quality, toxics, and climate change. He previously worked as legislative staff in the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives.

Gary Smith: Gary Smith is the Executive Director of Independent Business Association (IBA) of Washington State. IBA is one of the largest state-based small business organizations in the nation. Gary has advocated successfully on behalf of small businesses on major policies and issues in Washington State and nationally for 35 years.

June Nailon: As vice president of Holaday-Parks, Inc June developed their current corporate safety program and is credited with reducing the firm’s experience modification rate to below industry average. As a result, Holaday-Parks, Inc. received the Safety Excellence Award for outstanding safety performance from the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association in 2006.

Safety & Health Expertise

Dave Kalman, PhD: Dave is professor and chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington (UW). A chemist by training Dave has worked in the fields of industrial hygiene and public health for 30 years. He directed the UW industrial hygiene lab for nearly 20 years and has had much collaboration with L&I, employers, and labor groups related to occupational hazards.

Michael (Mike) Bonkowski: Mike is a Compliance Assistance Specialist for OSHA Region X, covering the states of Oregon, Washington, and Alaska for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U. S. Department of Labor. He provides training and technical support services to employers, workers, and federal agencies located in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Mike served 36 years as a safety and health compliance officer, with experience in shipyards and marine as well as general construction industries.

Meeting Minutes

In Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format.

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Labor & Industries (L&I), Washington State

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