In honor of his lifetime commitment and outstanding contributions to the safety, health and environmental (SH&E) profession, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently named longtime member Rixio E. Medina, CSP, CPP, CMIOSH, of Corpus Christi, TX a Society Fellow.

Medina received the award during ASSE’s annual Professional Development Conference (PDC) and Exposition – Safety 2012 in Denver, CO, in front of close
to 4,000 of his peers.

 

The Society Fellow is the most prestigious honor granted by ASSE, recognizing professional members who have displayed life-long leadership and excellence in the occupational safety and health community.

 

With more than 34 years of experience in the SH&E profession, Medina, a member of Region III’s Coastal Bend Chapter, is the general partner of Rixio Medina and Associates, L.P., an international safety and security consulting firm specializing in the petroleum, refining and
petrochemical industries.

 

Prior to that, he was vice president of health, safety, security, environmental protection and shared services of CITGO Petroleum Corporation in Houston, TX, where he oversaw the company’s health services, safety, information and corporate security, environmental protection,
information technology, procurement, and corporate service functions.

 

Throughout his career, Medina has maintained a long and diverse history with ASSE, serving in leading capacities on the chapter level with the Coastal Bend Chapter and Region IV’s Imperial Calcasieu Chapter.

 

On the national level, Medina has served ASSE in many capacities as a trustee for the ASSE Foundation (ASSEF), a member of the Global Committee, Standard Development Committee, Diversity Committee, Bylaws Committee, Professional Conduct Committee and Management Symposium Task Force, as Vice President of ASSE’s Council of Professional Affairs and a member of the Board of Directors.

 

One of Medina’s most notable accomplishments has been his efforts to develop a rapport and inroads to Latin America, and for his contributions to ASSE’s Safety Professionals and the Latino Workforce (SPALW) common interest group.

 

Included in this initiative is his sponsorship of the ASSEF Hispanics in Safety Scholarship and the Gabriel Alvarado Professional Education Grant.

 

In addition to his contributions to ASSE, Medina also serves as the Vice President of the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP).

 

Medina’s expertise in the SH&E field have led to several government appointments including as a member of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) during the Clinton Administration, and has since been reappointed to the committee under both
the Bush and Obama Administrations.

 

Medina was appointed by President George W. Bush with Senate review and consent, as a board member on the United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board in Washington, D.C in 2003.