Course Listing - by Instructor

Bill Abney is a retired Assistant Professor in the Fire and Safety Engineering Technology Program at Eastern Kentucky University. He has a B.S. in Industrial Technology and an M.S. in Industrial Technology, both from Eastern Kentucky University. With over 30 years in safety education, Mr. Abney specializes in safety management and research; fire, arson, and explosives investigation; OSHA compliance; ergonomics; and hazardous materials.

James Bastin is currently the Assistant Chief of Operations at the Blue Grass Army Depot Fire Department. Mr. Bastin comes from a diverse military background serving as EMT, Firefighter, Fire & Life Safety Inspector among other duties. Mr. Bastin is also a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, Fire and Safety Engineering Program.

Tom Edwards has over thirty-two years safety and health experience and is the owner of Edwards & Associates, LLC, a safety and industrial hygiene consulting and training firm, which he started in 2003. The company provides a variety services to various clients, especially during construction activities in the steel making, petrochemical and power generation industries. Prior to 2003, Mr. Edwards practiced industrial hygiene for the Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health Program for over 26 years, serving as an Industrial Hygiene Compliance Officer, a Safety and Health Specialist, and ultimately as the Industrial Hygiene Program Manager for the Division of Education and Training. He previously served as a part-time Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Health Science at Eastern Kentucky University teaching industrial toxicology and industrial hygiene. Mr. Edwards holds a B.S. degree in chemistry from Eastern Kentucky University and a M.S. degree in industrial hygiene from the University of Central Missouri. He is certified in Comprehensive Practice by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene and is a Certified Industrial Hygienist.

Gary Foltz is a Senior Manager with the Cincinnati Bell Telephone Company responsible for Corporate Safety and Industrial Hygiene. Gary graduated from the University of Cincinnati's Department of Environmental Health with a MS in Environmental Health/Industrial Hygiene. He also has a BA in Biology and a MBA from Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Ky. He is a Certified Industrial Hygienist and a Certified Utility Safety Administrator and has worked in the medical, chemical, nuclear, and telecommunications industries. He is a member of the KY-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team responding to disasters nationwide. In addition, Gary has over 35 years of volunteer fire and emergency service experience and is currently an EMT and Assistant Fire Chief with the Crescent Springs/Villa Hills Fire & EMS Department.

Ron Hopkins is a retired Associate Professor in the Fire and Safety Engineering Technology Program at Eastern Kentucky University. He has a B.S. in Industrial Education and an M.S. in vocational and Technical Education from Murray State University. Mr. Hopkins is a consultant to industry in a number of technical areas including fi re protection and OSHA-related areas of hazardous material, confined space, respiratory protection, industrial emergency response and all levels of safety management.

Bryan Makinen is the Director of Environmental Health Safety at Eastern Kentucky University He has a B.S. in Fire and Safety Engineering Technology and an M.P.H. from Eastern Kentucky University. Mr Makinen's work has been focused in industrial safety, environmental, security, and occupational medicine.

Bob Peebles is the President of Peebles Safety Consulting, LLC working with employers to protect their most valuable resource, their employees. While working with Peebles Safety Consulting, LLC, Mr. Peebles has partnered with clients to provide continuing education training courses approved by the state of Kentucky for Plumbing, HVAC and Electrical contractors; worked with the United States Marine Corps by conducting a risk assessment of equipment for machine guarding hazards; and worked with Governmental Contractors, Construction Contractors and Manufacturers by providing OSHA 10 & 30 Hour training courses, compliance audits, developing safety manuals, policy development and other required training. Mr. Peebles graduated from Murray State University with a B.S. and Masters Degree in Occupational Safety and Health. Mr. Peebles is a Veteran of the United States Army who was proudly stationed at Ft. Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska. Mr. Peebles is married with two beautiful little girls.

Jonathan Pennington is President of Health and Safety Sciences, LLC. He has a B.S. in Occupational Safety and Health and an M.B.A. in Public Administration from Columbia Southern University. Mr. Pennington's areas of expertise include lock out/tag out, respiratory protection, confined space, hazardous materials response, and industrial emergency response, among others. He is a Certified Safety Professional, Registered Professional Industrial Hygienist, and Chief Fire Officer Designate.

Randy Shaw has over 35 years of safety expertise and has been employed by various companies in the areas of General Industry and Construction, Refining, Mining, and Maritime Industries. He has experience as an adjunct faculty instructor, lockout/tagout, confined space entry, OSHA compliance and regulatory standards, and incident investigations, among others.

Mr. Shaw holds professional certifications as a Certified Safety Professional and a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager at the senior level. Mr. Shaw is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, and the American Waterways Organization. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Security and Safety from Eastern Kentucky University and an M.S. in Safety Management from Marshall University. He joined the EKU OSHA Training Institute Education Center in 2011.

David H. Stumbo is the Safety Program Manager within the Labor Cabinet's Division of Occupational Safety and Health Education and Training. Over his thirteen years of service for the Labor Cabinet, he has held the positions of Compliance Officer, Industrial Hygiene Consultant, and Health Standards Specialist. He has earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Murray State University, Master of Public Administration from Kentucky State University, and Master of Safety, Security and Emergency Management from Eastern Kentucky University. He is a Kentucky Safety and Health Network Board member, and Certified Occupational Safety and Health Technologist (OHST).

Phillip Williams has worked in the safety, environmental and risk management profession for over 12 years. Mr. Williams has worked in the public and private sectors as a safety and risk management professional and has served in a managerial capacity in both the construction and general industries. He specializes in regulatory compliance, loss control, emergency planning and workers compensation management.

Gary Yurt has 27 years of experience in the fire protection and emergency response service field as well as in safety and health within the private industry sector in manufacturing, chemical and power generation.  Gary has extensive experience in all phases of safety management and is known for enhancing safety by management and employee involvement in the overall safety culture.  Additionally, he has expertise in regulatory compliance, corporate EHS auditing, behavior-based safety, and business continuity planning.  Mr. Yurt holds a M.S. Degree in Loss Prevention and Safety Administration from Eastern Kentucky University and is a member of the National Fire Protection Association and American Society of Safety Engineers.