Susan Jordan Sikes may be relatively new to the Voluntary Protection Program Participants Association (VPPPA), but she’s had 27 years of experience in occupational safety and health.

Before stepping into the position of executive director at VPPPA, Sikes served 21 years at OSHA, as a regional training and grants officer, compliance safety and health enforcement officer, safety and health programs management expert and regional VPP manager. After leaving OSHA in 2006, joined Plexus Scientific Corporation, where she assisted the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army in establishing the Department of Defense (DoD) Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Center of Excellence to support the Secretary of Defense's goal of reducing injury and illness rates.

Sikes says she and the national VPPPA staff are excited about their vision for continuous improvement. "I look forward to the endless opportunities before me and to serving multitudes of passionate and professional people who share the vision of achieving occupational safety and health excellence.

She succeeds R. Davis Layne, who retired from his position as executive director in July and is now serving the association as senior advisor.