GAP Connections announces 2015 board of directors

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — GAP Connections, a nonprofit organization supporting best practices in agriculture, has added eight new members to its board of directors: 

•Wayne Crawford, U.S. Tobacco Cooperative, SVP, Leaf Acquisitions 

•Matthew Drake, Universal Leaf of North America

•Kim Goble, U.S. Agro Logistics, operations manager

•Linda McMurtry, Hail and Cotton

•Xinglin Ou, TH Int’l Tobacco Co., president

•Al Pedigo, Burley tobacco grower

•Tim Yarbrough, Tobacco Grower Assoc. of North Carolina, president

•Jie He, China Tobacco International (North America), vice president

Each new board member will be serving a three-year term, joining the nine remaining board members, who include Ward Anderson, JTI; Frank Geovannello, Altria; Jeff Griffin, Alliance One International; Randy Henderson, Swisher International; Bill Maksymowicz, Burley Stabilization Corp.; Chuck Neeley, Gallatin Redrying and Storage; Robbie Parker, R. J. Reynolds (chair); Pat Raines, Burley Tobacco Growers Co-op; and Dennis Springs, United Tobacco Co.

Satterly honored as insurance Safety Director of the Year

MOORESVILLE, Ind. — Jim Satterly came to a career in workplace safety by accident – his own unfortunate industrial accident.

In 1971, Satterly, safety director at Equipment Technologies, suffered an eye injury while operating a lathe at the North Carolina company where he was working. “I was running that piece of machinery and a part broke,” he said. “A piece of steel came through my safety glasses and went into my eye.” Doctors were not able to save Satterly’s eye.

In later years, however, Satterly has saved many co-workers – including employees at Equipment Technologies, a farm machinery manufacturer – from serious injuries. Satterly’s outstanding work as a safety manager has earned him the 2015 Safety Director of the Year award from Gregory & Appel Insurance, Equipment Technologies’ insurance carrier.

Satterly was selected from among dozens of award nominees representing Gregory & Appel’s nearly 1,300 business clients. He received the award in late March during a ceremony at Gregory & Appel’s Indianapolis offices. 

Satterly, of Monrovia, Ind., began his Equipment Technologies (ET) career in the company’s Quality Control department and was promoted to safety director in 2008. He established a safety program that includes pre-hiring drug screenings, a return-to-work process for employees who’ve suffered on-the-job injuries and monthly online safety training modules for all ET personnel.

He also investigates and records all workplace accidents and injuries, maintains ET’s compliance with U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Safety regulations, and works with Gregory & Appel on employee injury issues and claims.