IEC Safety Summit Speakers

Justin Azbill, Milwaukee Tool

Mr. Azbill was appointed Director - National EHS at Milwaukee Tool in July 2021, and is responsible for directing the design, implementation, and maintenance of environmental, safety, and health programs. Mr. Azbill provides oversight to ensure compliance with all applicable laws to exceed safety regulations.

He has over 28 years of experience in Safety and Risk Management, having held key management positions with Kiewit Power, Suffolk Construction, Cannistraro, and Callahan Construction. Throughout his career, Mr. Azbill has created a reputation of success by leveraging a collaborative leadership style which has helped him achieve consistent industry-leading results and build successful partnerships that continue to impact the construction industry.

Mr. Azbill has led companies to noticeable safety improvements and increased engagement in incident prevention, fostering a positive safety culture. Evident through his reduction of claims, incidents, and lost time, as well as increased involvement of subcontractor engagement, he has been honored with notable awards including the OSHA VPPP Star award in 2012 (the first time a VPPP Star award was awarded to a construction job in Region 1), MCAA Milwaukee Tool Safety Professional Award, ESGR DOD Patriot Award, Safety Excellence Award by the NSC, and STEP Award by the ABC.

Mr. Azbill holds several accredited safety certifications and licenses and attended Johnson County Community College, the University of Kansas, and Thomas Edison University. Mr. Azbill Is a sitting member on numerous safety advisory committees and serves as a Director at Large for the Construction Industry Alliance of Suicide Prevention

Timothy R. Fisher, American Society of Safety Professionals

Tim Fisher, CSP, CHMM, CPEA, ARM, FASSP, is Director of Standards and Technical Services. With ASSP since 1995, Fisher provides direction in the overall administration and operation of the technical aspects of ASSP-related standards programs and publications. During his ASSP career, he also served as Director of Practices and Standards and as Manager of Governmental Affairs Relations and Standards. Prior to joining ASSP, he was a safety, facilities, and operations manager in the insurance industry and is a veteran serving in the U.S. Air Force from 1983 to 1987 in fire protection and flight line search and rescue. A professional member of ASSP, Fisher holds an M.S. in Industrial Management-Safety and Industrial Hygiene from Northern Illinois University, an M.A. in Public Administration from University of Illinois-Chicago and a B.A. in Management from the University of Maryland, University College. Tim was elected as a Fellow of the American Society of Safety Professionals during May 2021.

Bill Fowler, Southwire/Condoit

Bill is a results-oriented professional with 21+ years of proven ability to exceed sales targets, improve business processes, develop new markets and products and manage projects. He is skilled at matching productivity solutions to business challenges with strong leadership qualities to motivate team members and mobilize cross functional support to deliver projects on-time. Bill has a diverse background which promotes trust, understanding from customers and proven solutions that achieve company goals and has been a champion of IEC for many years- providing resources and education to our members and apprentices.

Eric E. Hobbs, Ogletree Deakins

ERIC E. HOBBS chairs the 70-lawyer Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group at Ogletree Deakins, one of the nation's leading law firms representing employers in labor and employment matters. In his role as attorney and strategic advisor, Mr. Hobbs engages in a nationwide practice that includes the representation of employers in OSHA and MSHA enforcement and litigation, employment counseling and litigation, and traditional labor matters.

Mr. Hobbs is a Past Employer Co-Chair of the American Bar Association’s Workplace and Occupational Safety and Health Law Committee. He is a co-author of BNA/Bloomberg’s Occupational Safety and Health Law treatise, the “bible” for practitioners and judges in the area, and of the chapter on occupational safety and health law in the Wisconsin State Bar’s Wisconsin Employment Law treatise. Mr. Hobbs also writes and speaks frequently to employer groups, attorneys and judges around the country and has testified before Congress on OSHA issues of national interest. In 2014, in recognition of his long and distinguished career, Mr. Hobbs was elected as a fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Peers and business leaders also have recognized him as one of The Best Lawyers in America and as one of Chambers’ Leading Lawyers for Business in the areas of both OSHA law and labor and employment law.

In his leisure time, Mr. Hobbs enjoys training and competing in Tae Kwon Do, in which he holds a second-degree black belt, and singing in his community and church.

Jason Kerr, Federated Insurance

Jason Kerr is a Home Office Account Executive in the Association Risk Management Services department of Federated Insurance; responsible for managing Federated’s association and buying group partners.

Jason has been with Federated insurance since 2017, starting as a Risk Consultant in the Risk Management Resource Center for the Western Territories. In 2021 Jason was promoted to the role of Supervisor of the Risk Management Resource Center and in 2023 Jason took on his current role supporting our Affinity Partners.

For the past 7 plus years – Jason has obtained multiple designations including Associates in Risk Management and Enterprise Risk Management, completed OSHA 30 certifications, and focused on risk management practices with state specifics which helped earn the trust of hundreds of business owners.

Outside of work, Jason likes spending time with his family (wife Molly, daughter Bernadette “Birdie”) and 2+ rescue dogs. Jason plays a variety of instruments, loves going to concerts, and enjoys spending time either at the lake or fostering dogs; helping them find their forever homes through Pet Haven Animal Rescue in the twin cities.

Shelby Pennington, MSF Electric, Inc.

I have experience in aviation, oilfield, commercial and residential. From building Harrier engines in the USMC to being a rig mechanic offshore, I have built some really cool things. As an electrical safety professional, I have overseen datacenter builds, commercial space builds, hospital builds, residential builds and even a college football stadium. Unlike many safety people, I bring a “what really works” approach to implementing and maintaining procedures, policies, rules, regulations and codes. I have a safety degree, lots of misc. education, 5 certifications from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals and am a double CSHO working on my UTA Masters Certification. To put it simply, I hydrate and I know safety things.