Voting will open June 26^th (60 days from today) and the ballot will be distributed to the chapter.

President

Dan Weekly, CSP

Dan Weekly has served as the Safety Director for Price Electric in Robins since 2011. He is a Certified Safety Professional with more than a decade of experience in safety training and management, specializing in NFPA 70E and apprentice education.

As a journeyman electrician, Dan approaches electrical safety with a practical and realistic perspective, ensuring workers are equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to stay safe in a high-risk industry.

Dan lives in Alburnett, Iowa with his wife and three children. Outside of work, he enjoys coaching youth sports and collecting retro video games.

Vice President

Kirk Dighton

Kirk Dighton, a Northeast Iowa ASSP member, is the safety manager for D. C. Taylor Co. since February of 2017. He has a Master of Science in Occupational Health and Safety from Columbia Southern University and is a retired Paramedic in the state of Iowa. Kirk has a diverse safety background with experience in emergency medicine, construction, general industry, agriculture and the wind industry. Kirk is a competent person instructor in fall protection and an authorized instructor for OSHA 10 and 30-hour general industry and construction specialty. He is an adjunct safety instructor for Kirkwood Community College, a contracted instructor for NICC Community College and an Authorized trainer for The OSHA Training Institute.  In addition to his Safety Manager role at D. C. Taylor, he is the owner and consultant of Imperial Safety Solutions LLC. Kirk has an established track record of safety success stories through both ventures and a known passion for safety and people.

Secretary

Vacant

Treasurer

Paul Blocklinger, CSP

Paul holds a B.S. in Occupational Safety from Illinois State University and has been an ASSE/ASSP member since 1992. With 35 years of safety experience, he has worked for major employers including Sony, Stanley, Procter & Gamble, Bayer, and Ingredion.

His background spans manufacturing, chemical, and agricultural industries, with technical expertise in:

• Combustible dust
• PSM and Highly Hazardous Materials
• Management Systems
• Lead Auditing

Advisory Group Member

Kristy Ryan

Kristy is a Loss Control Executive serving The Baldwin Group’s Mid-Atlantic Region. She collaborates with clients and internal teams in developing programming on OSHA & DOT compliance and safety & workers’ compensation best practices with the goal of reducing risk and saving businesses on the overall cost of their insurance program. She has been consulting on risk management and safety with commercial insurance clients in all sectors since 2013.

Kristy is an OSHA 10 and 30-hour Authorized Trainer (Construction). She is an OSHA instructor at Kirkwood Community College, serves on the planning committee for the annual Midwest Women in Safety Conference and you’ll find her speaking at area safety conferences. Kristy has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Northeast Iowa chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and the Iowa Illinois Safety Council, a chapter of the National Safety Council. She has OSHA Specialist in Safety in Health (SSH) and Certified Safety and Health Official (CSHO) certificates.

Specializations:
•    Loss Control / Safety / Injury Prevention
•    Safety Training
•    Return to Work Programs
•    Construction / Manufacturing

A big thank you to IFF Cedar Rapids, Iowa for hosting a tour of the Northeast Iowa Chapter of ASSP. Jacob Larsen, Adam Britton and Russel McCallister were awesome tour guides. Thank you for your work in Safety! 

The Northeast Iowa ASSP Chapter is holding a Special Election to fill key leadership positions within the chapter. Your participation is essential in helping guide our chapter’s direction and supporting the growth of our professional community.

A 15-day notice will be sent via chapter email with voting instructions and the official ballot. Please watch your inbox for details.

Candidates

President – Kirk Dighton

Kirk Dighton, a Northeast Iowa ASSP member, is the safety manager for D. C. Taylor Co. since February of 2017. He has a Master of Science in Occupational Health and Safety from Columbia Southern University and is a retired Paramedic in the state of Iowa. Kirk has a diverse safety background with experience in emergency medicine, construction, general industry, agriculture and the wind industry. Kirk is a competent person instructor in fall protection and an authorized instructor for OSHA 10 and 30-hour general industry and construction specialty. He is an adjunct safety instructor for Kirkwood Community College, a contracted instructor for NICC Community College and an Authorized trainer for The OSHA Training Institute.  In addition to his Safety Manager role at D. C. Taylor, he is the owner and consultant of Imperial Safety Solutions LLC. Kirk has an established track record of safety success stories through both ventures and a known passion for safety and people.

Secretary – Dan Weekly, CSP

Dan Weekly has served as the Safety Director for Price Electric in Robins since 2011. He is a Certified Safety Professional with more than a decade of experience in safety training and management, specializing in NFPA 70E and apprentice education.

As a journeyman electrician, Dan approaches electrical safety with a practical and realistic perspective, ensuring workers are equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to stay safe in a high-risk industry.

Dan lives in Alburnett, Iowa with his wife and three children. Outside of work, he enjoys coaching youth sports and collecting retro video games.

Advisory Group Member – Paul Blocklinger, CSP

Paul holds a B.S. in Occupational Safety from Illinois State University and has been an ASSE/ASSP member since 1992. With 35 years of safety experience, he has worked for major employers including Sony, Stanley, Procter & Gamble, Bayer, and Ingredion.
His background spans manufacturing, chemical, and agricultural industries, with technical expertise in:

• Combustible dust
• PSM and Highly Hazardous Materials
• Management Systems
• Lead Auditing

Next Step

Watch for the special election email, which will be distributed with at least 15 days’ notice before voting begins. Your vote is important to ensure strong leadership and continued success for the Northeast Iowa ASSP Chapter.