The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has bestowed its highest honor – the Society’s Fellow distinction – upon five trailblazing members whose lifelong dedication has profoundly shaped workplace safety and health. Felix Nakpodia, Tim Page-Bottorff, Lawrence Schulze, Leslie Stockel, and Christine Sullivan join a distinguished list of only 152 Fellows since ASSP’s founding in 1911.

“Our Fellows are an elite group of influential safety leaders who are the architects of safer tomorrows,” said ASSP President Pam Walaski, CSP, FASSP. “They are highly respected experts who have broadly improved work environments to save lives while fundamentally advancing the safety and health profession.”

Each of these inspirational leaders brings a unique and powerful legacy to the safety and health field:

•  Felix Nakpodia, FISPN, FCILT, FIMS, FIET: Known as “the walking encyclopedia of safety,” Nakpodia has more than 50 years of experience that spans government, oil and gas, military, and public transport. He is an environmental health and safety (EHS) consultant manager at Feknak Safety Advisers in Nigeria and a founding member of ASSP’s Nigeria Chapter. He has recruited over 900 professionals and was instrumental in shaping Nigeria’s landmark Institute of Safety Professionals Act, which improved working conditions across diverse industries. His pioneering work in road safety methodologies continues to minimize incidents globally.

•  Tim Page-Bottorff, M.S., CSP, CIT: A former U.S. Marine, Page-Bottorff is an award-winning speaker and safety trainer regarded as an expert consultant, educator, mentor, and author. He is a senior director at JLL and a partner with SafeStart. Throughout his nearly 30-year career, Page-Bottorff has developed innovative approaches to prevent serious injuries and fatalities. He is a subject matter expert on psychological safety. He conducts approximately 100 sessions a year that enhance the skills of safety professionals while empowering them with strategies to solve real-world safety challenges. He was ASSP’s 2018 Safety Professional of the Year.

•  Lawrence Schulze, Ph.D., P.E., CPE: The academic innovator is an associate professor and director of the Process Safety Certificate Program at the University of Houston. He brings more than 35 years of experience in worker safety, ergonomics, and human factors engineering. His influence extends from space shuttle systems and space station design to critical safety consulting projects involving petrochemical processing, medical equipment, construction, railroad maintenance, food processing, furniture manufacturing, and laboratory services. He has guided more than 400 student research projects that have addressed widespread worker safety challenges.

•  Leslie Stockel, Ph.D., CSP, SMP: Oklahoma State University’s associate professor of professional practice is cultivating the next generation of safety leaders. Stockel is the faculty advisor for an ASSP student section, which recruits students to pursue degrees in safety and health. She speaks at national conferences and writes for peer-reviewed journals. Her 40 years of experience have significantly influenced the safety profession, particularly in the chemical and pulp manufacturing industries. Stockel’s supervision of undergraduate research, from nuclear power plant incidents to aerospace hazardous materials, broadens her impact on emerging professionals.

•  Christine Sullivan, CSP, ARM: Celebrated for championing and mentoring emerging safety and health professionals, Sullivan is executive vice president and head of risk control, North America, at Sompo. With her 35 years of experience in worker safety and health, she built a loss control operation that now has a global footprint. Sullivan’s influence extends to promoting women in safety and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the EHS community. She speaks at national conferences and has written articles to advance worker safety, including authoring a book chapter that provides practical guidance on the insurance aspects of total worker health.

The new Fellows will be honored at ASSP’s Safety 2025 Professional Development Conference and Exposition, held July 22-24 in Orlando. The honor of Fellow recognizes a member’s lifetime commitment, achievement, and leadership in preventing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on the job. Nominees must have a history of major contributions to the profession for at least 15 years. Find a complete list of Society Fellows on the ASSP website.