Ashok Garlapati, CSP, and the recipient of last year’s Edgar Monsanto Queeny SPY award has returned to PDC to further discuss international experiences as a safety professional in Kuwait.
In 2001, he moved from India to Kuwait and joined ASSE's Kuwait chapter. He describes this as an "eye-opening" experience that expanded both his knowledge of EHS and his networking opportunities. "When I joined ASSE, there were only 10 members," he says. "Today there are 350-plus members." As a chapter, this is one of our greatest accomplishments, he adds. It was not until his first PDC in 2004 that Garlapati truly saw all that ASSE had to offer. "There are so many benefits," he says. "There are professional development opportunities, job opportunities, recognition among peers and so much more." He completed his CSP at the time and encourages other members to do the same."If anyone comes to Kuwait as a safety professional, the first thing they hear about is the Kuwait chapter," he says, adding that becoming a member is proven to work.
At Safety 2012, Garlapati is spending a lot of time working with the global community. He spoke at the international session about how to get members to volunteer more. The seminar stressed the importance of leadership and how ASSE can contribute to building better leaders. As demonstrated through his professional safety success, Garlapati leads by action. How do you lead?
A Blog From the American Society of Safety Engineers