Mary Armstrong, vice president of Environment, Health and Safety for Boeing, has been named one of the “100 Women, Making a Difference in Safety” by the American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Women in Safety Engineering (WISE) Common Interest Group.

The Seattle-based Armstrong was singled out for her dedication to protecting people, property and the environment and for “going above and beyond to make a difference.” According to the ASSE.

She joined the Boeing Company in 1984 as a process engineer for manufacturing research and development, and steadily ascended the chain of command during the last two decades.  Armstrong earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, and a Master of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Rochester, NY.

Since she began her current position with Boeing in 2007, the company established aggressive environmental performance targets for 25 percent improvements in energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions intensity, hazardous waste generation, water consumption and recycling rates by 2012.  Armstrong has also spearheaded efforts to help Boeing establish a target to improve workplace safety by 25 percent between 2009 and 2013.

In addition to her many professional accomplishments, Armstrong also serves on The Nature Conservancy’s International Leadership Council, the board of governors for Argonne National Laboratory, the executive committee for The Conference Board Chief EH&S Officers’ Council and as vice chair of the board of directors for the World Environment Center.  She also serves on the board of directors for IslandWood, a Bainbridge Island, WA, school inspiring environmental and community stewardship, as well as on the University of Washington Chemical Engineering advisory board.

The ‘100 Women, Making a Difference in Safety’ project honors women who, throughout history and today, have dedicated their careers to promoting innovation in safety, health and environmental issues.  The valuable contributions of women to the SH&E profession have been recognized through this project and later this year WISE will consolidate the profiles of all 100 honorees into a single publication, titled 100 Women, Making a Difference in the Safety, Health and Environmental Profession as part of ASSE’s (1911-2011) 100^th anniversary.

About WISE

WISE was established to foster the advancement of women in the SH&E profession.  The group provides professional development opportunities, evaluates the ongoing state of women in SH&E, mentors women in the profession, provides opportunities for women to obtain professional certifications and promotes the development and peer review of written material related to issues specific to women in the SH&E workplace.  For more information about WISE and upcoming events, please visit www.asse.org/practicespecialties/wise/mission.php.