Tamia Boyer

Please tell us about your career path so far, starting with your first job after graduation and leading to where you work now.

I continued as an ORISE fellow after graduation from UW in 1997 as an ORISE intern with US Army Center for Human Health and Preventive Medicine as an Environmental Scientist. While In this position from 1996 - 1998, I provided Clean Air Act compliance support to Army and Air Force military installations worldwide. From 1998 - to the birth of my only child, Leonard Robinson, III in June 1999, I was an industrial hygienist for the University of Maryland. In January 2000, I began balancing motherhood and work as the first Safety Officer of Alexandria, VA. In this role, I developed and implemented the first formal employee health and safety program for 2500 employees across 18 departments. Within 3 years, I reduced work comp costs at 25% saving the city approximately $275,000. I worked in this position for 6 years. In April 2006, I made a geographical relocation to Texas to address some family health matters. While in Texas, I worked as Environmental Health and Safety Manager for a metals foundry named ECS Refining of Terrell, Texas from 2006 - 2007. I was Safety trainer/consultant for KJ Safety LLC of Forney, Texas from 2007 - 2009. From 2009 - 2011, I was Corporate Environmental Health and Safety Manager for Quest Diagnostics/AmeriPath in Addison, TX. Family health matters changing allowed me the opportunity to return to the East Coast and work as an independent consultant doing business as Environmental Education Consulting Services providing EHS compliance assistance to various companies within the Washington DC/Baltimore, MD area. For the next 5 years from 2011 - 2016, I provided EHS compliance support through safety program/policy development, training, risk management, audits/inspections, and environmental sustainability. I worked in various industries; public and private to include healthcare, construction, and academia. In July 2016, I began my present position as Senior Safety Consultant with the National Safety Council. In this role, I am working with a pioneer company within the safety industry organized and founded in 1913. I provide workplace training and consulting to our members and non-members for the `purpose of saving lives and incident prevention'.

How did your degree prepare you for your career?

It gave me the skills, knowledge, and abilities to develop a career (not just a job) that would take me into various industries and opportunities to fully utilize my safety skill set.

Did you go on to a graduate or professional program after leaving UW?

Yes, I'll complete an EdD in Educational Leadership in 2020

What do you like best about your current position?

The opportunity to provide subject matter expertise support to a number of companies and industries world wide.

Any advice for current students who are considering Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences?

Keep an open mind and an open willingness to learn all you can about EOSH in order to diversify yourself and your career!