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Lola Loustaunau

Lola Loustaunau, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Labor Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where their research and teaching examine contemporary workplace inequalities through an intersectional lens. As a sociologist and labor educator, Dr. Loustaunau investigates how gender, race, and migration shape workers' experiences of precarious scheduling, health and safety risks, and barriers to collective action. Their influential scholarship appears in top-tier journals, including Sociological Perspectives, ILR Review, and Labor Studies Journal.

At UW-Madison's School for Workers, Dr. Loustaunau bridges academic research and labor education by developing programs that equip workers and organizers with evidence-based strategies for workplace justice. Their engaged scholarship has informed policy campaigns addressing scheduling practices, occupational safety reforms, and worker protections, while their collaborations with unions, worker centers, and public health agencies demonstrate a deep commitment to translating research into practice. Dr. Loustaunau's worker-centered approach to knowledge production extends beyond the academy through partnerships with public agencies and employers to create more equitable workplaces. Their integrated research, teaching, and advocacy model reflects a profound dedication to democratizing labor knowledge and empowering worker voices.

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Marya Wilson

Marya is the Principal and Organizational Dietician for MW Advising. Marya has an extensive business and industry career in manufacturing, information management, telecommunications, ISP, and the Silicon Valley, CA semiconductor industries at the companies 3M, Imation, Pentagon Technologies, and various others. She is also an educator in higher education. She teaches organizational leadership and behavior, operations management, quality management, training and development, and sustainable management. Marya serves the manufacturing, service, higher education, non-profit, and government sectors. She brings first-hand knowledge to the learning experience and a clear understanding of the underlying emotional processes that drive behaviors and create individual and team success. She has a BA in Psychology, an MS in Management Technology, an MA in Human Development, and a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems.

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Mary M. Bauer

Mary is an Occupational Safety and Health Consultant and owner of Next Step Safety Consulting, LLC. Ms. Bauer has nearly 40 years of OSHA experience as a Compliance Officer for 20 years and Compliance Assistance Specialist for the past 20 years. She is a graduate of UW-Eau Claire and holds the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) certifications.

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Willie Henning

Willie is an EH&S Consultant working with the sixteen Wisconsin Technical College districts to support safety and health efforts across the workforce, student body, and visiting public. In his role, he provides OSHA 10- & 30-Hour training as a certified outreach trainer and assists with safety program development as well as providing guidance on safety compliance with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services.

Prior to joining DMI, Willie held the position of Public Safety Manager at Chippewa Valley Technical College where he oversaw safety, security, and risk management activities for the college and Factory Safety Manager for Nestle, responsible for employee safety and facility security.

Willie earned his Advanced Safety Certificate from the Wisconsin Safety Council and has had the opportunity to attend A.L.I.C.E train- the-trainer and Crisis Prevention Institute train-the-trainer courses. While holding a bachelor’s degree from Cardinal Strich University, Willie is also a U.S. Air Force Veteran, as well as an alumnus of both Chippewa Valley and Northeast Wisconsin Technical Colleges.

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Rich Stangl

Rich has over 16 years of occupational safety and fire/emergency services experience. Stangl spent nearly four years as the Safety Director at Global Finishing Solutions in Osseo, working extensively within the general regulations (29 CFR 1910) and construction industry (29 CFR 1926). He worked within the Army Corps of Engineers EM-385 regulations on various U.S. defense sites and managed fleet safety and driver qualification as applicable to the Department of Transportation Regulations (49 CFR). He has also coordinated all environmental activities relevant to the Wisconsin DNR and EPA Regulations.

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Lola Loustaunau

Lola is an Assistant Professor of Labor Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where their research focuses on how gender, race, and migration shape workplace inequalities. Through their work with unions, worker centers, and public agencies, Dr. Loustaunau bridges academic research and labor education to advance policies and programs that promote worker justice and safety.

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Jesse Henning

Jesse is a 17 year veteran with the Eau Claire Police Department. Jesse joined the Eau Claire Police Department in 2008. He has worked through the ranks as an Officer, Detective, Sergeant, and now serves as a Lieutenant of the Professional Standards Bureau. Throughout his career, he has served in several specialty areas of the ECPD to include, Honor Guard Commander, SWAT/Sniper, Special Operations Section, School Resource Officer, EVOC Instructor, Special Events Team Commander, and serves on the Wisconsin Honor Guard Association where he assists in funeral planning for fallen officers.

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Tony Biasi

Tony is a third generation firefighter and joined the Eau Claire Fire Department in 2002. He has worked through the ranks as a Firefighter, Paramedic, Engineer, Captain, and now serves as the Deputy Chief of Suppression Operations. Throughout his career, Tony has been selected be part of several specialized teams including the ECFD Dive Rescue Team, Western WI Type I Hazardous Materials Response Team, and WI Urban Search and Rescue Task Force.

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Matt Lind

Matt has experience creating and implementing company policies and procedures that meet government regulations and codes, including initial creation, updating, re-evaluating, pre-visit planning, post-visit action planning, and follow-up. Matt offers a background in chemical and hazardous materials and Department of Transportation regulations for drivers and vehicles.

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Liz Hilts

Liz is the founder of Safety Mindset, LLC, with over 20 years of experience in environmental, health, and safety in manufacturing and operations. Based in Altoona, WI, she specializes in total worker well-being, offering training in CPR/AED, First Aid, Mental Health First Aid at Work, and OSHA general industry programs.

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Savannah Runstrom

Savannah is a seasoned safety professional whose goal is to provide refreshed outlooks and approaches to the safety profession. She holds a Master of Science in Risk Control and Safety Management and is a Certified Safety Professional. Savannah started her career in construction safety and has continued her professional work in the manufacturing industry. She strives to connect with people in various industries to share information, build the profession, and advocate for safe work conditions for employees and employers. She does this through local outreach, volunteering, and educating businesses and business leaders on various safety topics.

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Melody Brennan

Melody holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota and is currently the director of educational technology. Previously, she was the interim associate dean for the Business, Arts, Sciences, and Academic Initiatives Division and a program director and instructor for the Foundations of Teacher Education program at Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC). Melody was an Assistant Professor and Program Director of Early Childhood Education in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Melody previously worked as an elementary and middle school teacher in the Wayzata School District in Minnesota and as a preschool teacher and director in Eau Claire, WI.

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Larissa Smith

Larissa is an instructional technologist at CVTC specializing in Canvas training, support, and using tools like DesignPLUS to enhance course design, accessibility, and engagement. Focused on creating consistent and compelling learning experiences across all modalities.

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Scott Gooch

Scott is a Physician Assistant (PA) in Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) employed by Marshfield Clinic Health System’s Occupational HealthWORKS in Eau Claire, WI, since 2020. He has been a PA for over 23 years, with the first 17 in emergency medicine and the past six in OEM. His previous position was the Medical Administrator for Medcor, operating an onsite medical clinic for the Fluor/Novo-Nordisk facility in Clayton, NC, over a 14-million-hour project to build a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical factory to produce diabetes medications. Besides providing onsite treatment of injuries and illnesses, he supervised the operation of the site's drug and alcohol testing program. In three years, he and his team conducted over 8,000 urine drug screens plus several hundred breath alcohol tests for pre-employment, random, annual, reasonable suspicion, and post-incident tests. He is strongly interested in community health and safety volunteering with Eau Claire County Emergency Management, the Northern Wisconsin All-Hazards Incident Management Team, and the Eau Claire County Medical Reserve Corps.

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Connie LeCleir-Meyer

Connie is an experienced leader with over 35 years of experience in electronics manufacturing, legal, health insurance, healthcare, education, and training. She has held leadership positions in human resources, customer service, production management, corporate training, and project management. Her skills include soft skills training, public speaking, facilitation and coaching, project management, team building, leadership development, and learning management. She has a bachelor's degree in organizational management and communication and a master's degree in Adult Education and Distance Learning.

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Dustine Hetke

Dustine Hetke is a Risk Manager at Miron Construction Co., Inc., with over a decade of experience in construction safety and workforce development. She brings a practical, people-first approach to safety, grounded in real project site experience and a deep understanding of what works in the field. Known for her honest, engaging style, Dustine helps safety professionals strengthen communication, build trust, and deliver training that truly connects. Her mission? To move safety beyond compliance and make it personal, so everyone goes home safe.

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David Ecklor

Inspector Ecklor has been with the Wisconsin State Patrol since 2016, bringing over two decades of public safety experience to his role. Before joining the State Patrol, he served as a Sergeant in Corrections within Wisconsin state prisons beginning in 2003. Inspector Ecklor holds multiple specialized roles, including background investigator, Master Physical Fitness Instructor, school bus inspector, Grenadier, and recruiter. His diverse expertise and commitment to service make him a valued leader and presenter in law enforcement.

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Jeremy Enger

Jeremy is an Electronics (AAS) graduate from Minnesota Southeast Tech College, boasting over 20 years of experience in the electronics maintenance field. Throughout his career, Jeremy has undertaken diverse roles, ranging from providing field service on office equipment to expertly conducting circuit board troubleshooting and repair in PCB manufacturing plants. Notably, he spent 12 successful years as a System's Technician at 3M in Menomonie before joining CVTC in March. At CVTC, Jeremy's expertise was focused on control systems, where he excelled in troubleshooting, optimization, and preventive maintenance. Not to mention, he actively contributed to technician training initiatives, nurturing the skillsets of aspiring professionals over the past couple of years.

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Julie Bates-Maves

Julie is a professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Wisconsin–Stout, with specialized expertise in trauma and substance use disorders.

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Jason Schmitz

Jason is a Business Management Instructor at CVTC and teaches a variety of leadership courses through Workforce Solutions. He has 25 years of experience in leading people, driving process improvement, and managing organizational change.

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Darrin Falk

With over a decade of experience in the distribution and service industries, Darrin brings practical knowledge to Industrial Steam Systems. For nine years, he's been shaping future professionals as an instructor in the Mechatronics department at Chippewa Valley Technical College. Darrin holds a bachelor's degree in Career Technical Education and Training and an associate's degree in Electromechanical Technology.