The occupational safety, health and environmental practitioner members of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) elected new members recently to its board of directors including those from Missouri, Michigan and California, according to an ASSE news release.

Close to 25 percent of the membership voted.

C. Christopher Patton, CSP, of MO, current president-elect, and Darryl Hill, CSP, of MI, current senior vice president, will succeed to the offices of president and president-elect, respectively, July 1, 2009, while ASSE Region I Vice President Terrie S. Norris, CSP, ARM, CSPI, of CA, was elected to serve as senior vice president for the 2009-2010 year.

Patton will succeed Warren K. Brown, CSP, ARM, CSHM, of Fairborn, OH, as ASSE president July 1.

Patton is a principal safety, health and environmental engineer for Covidien’s Imaging Solutions and Pharmaceutical Divisions where he supports occupational safety and health efforts at several manufacturing, administration, and research and development facilities across North America. He was the ASSE region V vice president and chaired the annual ASSE future safety leaders’ conference. Patton received his B.A. in biology from the University of Illinois at Springfield. Patton has received the ASSE Safety Professional of the Year (SPY) honor in 2004 and the ASSE Charles V. Culbertson Outstanding Volunteer Service honor in 2008.

Hill is safety and health officer for ABB North America, in Auburn Hills, MI, where his responsibilities include safety and occupational health management for multi-plant, service and project locations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. He is also on the ABB Group task force providing safety and health strategy for more than 150,000 employees and contractors. Hill has a B.S. in occupational safety from Iowa State University and an M.S. in hazardous waste management from Wayne State University. He is an adjunct instructor and Ph.D. candidate at Oakland University majoring in educational leadership. Hill has received many awards including the ASSE Edgar Monsanto Queeny SPY honor.

Norris, risk control manager for Bickmore Risk Services, Long Beach, CA, has more than 20 years experience in safety, health, and environmental management in recycled paper, rubber and plastics, and metal forming industries, insurance and consultation. She graduated sum cum laude from Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, MI and from Gull Lake High School in Richland, MI, and is serving her second term as region I vice president. Norris has served as Orange County chapter president, president-elect, treasurer, and delegate. While chapter president, the chapter received an ASSE chapter achievement award. Norris has also served ASSE as member and regional affairs’ council deputy chair; diversity committee chair; on the strategic planning committee; the compensation committee; the 100-year anniversary committee; women in safety engineering advisory committee; as management practice specialty webmaster; and, as the chapter stars task force chair. An ASSE Foundation champion donor, she helped develop and fund the society diversity committee scholarship. Norris also assisted in the development of safety specifications for public playground equipment as a member of ASTM (once known as the American Society for Testing and Materials); was honored with the manager of the year recognition from Poms and Associates; regional and chapter ASSE SPY awards; and, received the ASSE Culbertson honor.

Elected to fill additional board seats include Vice President, Council on Professional Affairs Thomas F. Cecich, CSP, CIH, president TFC & Associates, Apex, NC, a safety, health and environmental management consulting firm and was vice-president EHS Global Business Support at GlaxoSmithKline; Vice President, Council on Professional Development Patricia M. Ennis, CSP, ARM, director of workplace safety at the Denver Zoological Foundation, Denver, CO, and former ASSE region II vice president; Region I Vice President (AK, CA, OR, HI, WA and Western Australia) Martin P. Jeppeson, CSP, ARM, director of regulatory affairs for California Ammonia Company (CALAMCO), Stockton, CA; Region III Vice President (AR, OK, TX and Ecuador) Gregory L. Smith, CSP, president, Construction Safety and Health, Inc., (CSHI) of Austin, TX; Region V Vice President (IL, IA, MO, MN, NB, WI and Egypt) Maribeth A. Anderson, corporate safety manager – operations, Sears Holdings Corporation, Hoffman Estates, IL, and former Greater Chicago chapter president; and Region VII Vice President (IN, KY, MI, OH, TN, WVA and Nigeria) Stephanie A. Helgerman, CSP, senior safety representative, BGB, Columbus, OH.