2026 Summit Agenda
VPPPA Region VIII 2026 Safety Summit Agenda
May 12th – 14th, 2026
Denver, Colorado
Tuesday, May 12th, 2026
7:00 am Registration Opens: Aqua
7:30 to 8:00 am Continental Breakfast (Workshop Attendees): Periwinkle
8:00 am to Noon VPP 101 / Application Workshop: Teal
Noon to 1:00 pm Lunch (Workshop Attendees): Periwinkle
1:00 to 4:00 pm VPP 101 / Application Workshop, Continued: Teal
Wednesday, May 13th, 2026
7:00 am Registration & Vendor Hall Open: Citrus Ballroom
7:30 am Breakfast: Citrus Ballroom
8:30 am Opening General Session and Annual Business Meeting: Citrus Ballroom
9:00-10:15 am Keynote Speaker: Leaving a Safety Legacy – Wylie Davidson: Citrus Ballroom
10:15 to 10:45 am Expo Introduction and Vendor Welcome: Citrus Ballroom
11:00 to 11:45 am Breakout Sessions -
The Marshmallow Challenge: Mike Courouleau, Cajun Safety: Teal
Time Management: Philip Tanzilo, Business Training Works: Periwinkle
VPPPA Update: Terry Schulte, VPPPA National Board of Directors: Sepia
Effective Training Techniques (ADDIE): James Day, WCF Insurance:Chartreuse
Slip and Fall Simulator: Bill Thorne, InBiodyne: West Parking
Noon to 1:30 pm Lunch and OSHA Award Presentations: Citrus Ballroom
1:45 to 2:30 pm Breakout Sessions -
Making Safety Stick – Using Games and Microdosed Learning to Boost Retention: Mike Courouleau, Cajun Safety: Teal
Considerate Communication: Philip Tanzilo, Business Training Works: Periwinkle
Train Dogs, Facilitate Adults: Gary Lietz, GS Lietz & Associates: Sepia
It’s Bigger Than Safety: Pete Susca, OpX Safety: Chartreuse
Slip and Fall Simulator: Bill Thorne, InBiodyne: West Parking
2:45 to 3:30 pm Breakout Sessions -
NFPA Essentials - What Every Facilities Team Needs to Know About Arc-Flash and Maintenance Safety: Chris Griego and Rueben Wahab, Sturgeon Electric/MYR Group: Teal
Managing Stress: Philip Tanzilo, Business Training Works: Periwinkle
Can YOU Start a Fire?: Lane Miller, Work Site Safety, Inc.: Sepia
Creating Predictive Metrics: Pete Susca, OpXSafety: Chartreuse
Slip and Fall Simulator: Bill Thorne, InBiodyne: West Parking
3:45 to 4:30 pm Breakout Sessions -
The Energy Wheel - Revealing the Unseen Hazards: Chris Griego and Dan Hart, Sturgeon Electric: Teal
Communication Jungle: Philip Tanzilo, Business Training Works: Periwinkle
Safety Programs - Does Yours Cut the Mustard?: Lane Miller, Work Site Safety, Inc.: Sepia
Do You Have a Fatality Risk Blind Spot?: Pete Susca, OpX Safety: Chartruese
Slip and Fall Simulator: Bill Thorne, InBiodyne: West Parking
5:00 to 7:00 pm Exhibitor & Networking Social — Enjoy great food and drinks while socializing with others from our Region. Meet your old friends and make new ones! Take time to stop and chat with our exhibitor partners who help us along the path to achieving and sustaining VPP status. Citrus Ballroom
Thursday, May 14th, 2025
7:00 am Registration & Vendor Hall Open
7:30 to 8:30 am Breakfast: Citrus Ballroom
8:45 to 9:30 am Breakout Sessions -
Human Performance Improvement (HPI), Common Error Traps, and HPI Tool Use: John LaFrance, Idaho National Laboratory: Teal
Building a Workplace Mental Health Program: Daniel Rector, RK Industries: Periwinkle
Unique Solutions for Welding Fume Management During Containment Vessel Construction: Shell Shortes, EnergySolutions: Sepia
Why VPP? Here’s Why!: Brad Baptiste, Cardinal CG: Chartreuse
Slip and Fall Simulator: Bill Thorne, InBiodyne: West Parking
9:45 to 10:30 am Breakout Sessions -
Safety & Health Programs – Methods that Work: Evelyn Partner, UT OSHA: Teal
Enhancing Workplace Safety and Health Through VPP: Bob Dunton, Highway 89 Safety & Environmental: Periwinkle
Nuclear Decommissioning in the Modern Age: Shell Shortes, EnergySolutions: Sepia
Building a Solid VPP-level Performance Management and Appraisal System: Brad Baptiste, Cardinal CG: Chartreuse
Slip and Fall Simulator: Bill Thorne, InBiodyne: West Parking
10:45 to 11:30 am Breakout Sessions -
Safety & Health Programs – Methods that Work (Repeat): Evelyn Partner, UT OSHA: Teal
Reset & Reclaim - Lessons Learned From a 1-year Conditional Status: Daniel Rector, RK Industries: Periwinkle
Human Performance Improvement (HPI), Common Error Traps, and HPI Tool Use (Repeat): John LaFrance, Idaho National Laboratory: Sepia
VPP - Enhancing Your Recognition and Credibility: Robert Dunton, Highway 89 Safety & Environmental: Chartreuse
Slip and Fall Simulator: Bill Thorne, InBiodyne: West Parking
11:45 am to 12:45 pm Closing and Boxed Lunch: Citrus Ballroom