The Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association, Inc. (VPPPA) is pleased to announce that the former director of the Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Steven Witt joined the VPPPA National Office staff on July 11, 2011. Steven will serve as senior advisor on major policy issues concerning government affairs, cooperative programs and federal agency safety and health.

 As director of the Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs at OSHA, Steven was responsible for the agency’s voluntary and cooperative programs, including Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), partnerships, alliances, state-plan-state programs and consultation. Prior to that position, he served as the director of the Directorate of Construction Programs until March 30, 2008, and worked as acting deputy assistant secretary of Labor for OSHA from January 2005 until October 2006. Steven received the 2007 Presidential Rank Award for meritorious Senior Executive and retired on December 31, 2010, after 37 years of federal service.  

Steven initially joined the Department of Labor in the Office of the Solicitor in 1972 after receiving a B.A. from Hofstra University in biology and chemistry and a Juris Doctor Degree from Boston University School of Law in June 1972. He is a member of the New York State Bar.

 

Steven was an attorney in the Department of Labor’s Office of the Solicitor from 1972-1983. In 1983, he joined OSHA and served as special assistant to the assistant secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. In 1990, he was appointed executive assistant to the assistant secretary and held that position until 1993. Other roles include director of the Directorate of Technical Support, director of the Directorate of Health Standards Programs, acting director of the Directorate of Safety Standards Programs and director of the Directorate of Standards and Guidance.

 

VPPPA, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is dedicated to promoting advances in worker safety and health excellence through cooperation among communities, workers, industries and governments. The more than 2,100 VPPPA member sites primarily consist of worksites that have been approved, or are seeking approval, into VPP as administered by OSHA, state-plan OSHA and the Department of Energy.