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Thursday, August 30, 2012

VPPPA Appoints New Executive Director

The Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association (VPPPA) National Board of Directors has appointed a new executive director: Susan J. Sikes. She succeeds R. Davis Layne, former VPPPA executive director, who retired from the position in July.

"In our search for a replacement for Davis Layne our attention quickly turned to someone all of us have known for numerous years, but who also brings great experience and knowledge along with her passion for VPP," says VPPPA Chair Mike Maddox.

Sikes has 27 years' experience in occupational safety and health, including 21 years with OSHA where she worked as a regional training and grants officer, compliance safety and health enforcement officer, safety and health program management expert, and regional Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) manager. Sikes joined Plexus Scientific Corp. in 2006, where she assisted the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army in establishing the Department of Defense VPP Center of Excellence.

"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," says Sikes. "The national VPPPA staff and I are committed to achieving OSHA VPP Star approval in our headquarters and to working diligently to increase and promote VPPPA member services. We will continue to work closely with our partners in OSHA, labor, private industries, federal and state agencies and other countries to grow VPPPA and to provide assistance in our collective efforts to reduce occupational injuries, illnesses and deaths."