Name: Michelle Gerke
Company Name: Goodwill Industries of Central Ohio
City: Columbus, OH
Number of Employees: 800+

Nomination Essay

It is my pleasure to nominate Michelle Gerke, Human Resources Manager of Occupational Safety & Special Projects, from Goodwill Industries of Central Ohio (DBA Goodwill Columbus) for your 2009 Saxcies award for Safety Hero of the Year. Michelle has been with Goodwill Columbus for over 4 years and has made great strides in improving the safety culture for the employees at Goodwill and the clients they serve. She has received accolades from the entire company when she received the 2008 President’s Spirit Award. This is an award given and chosen by Goodwill’s President & CEO (Margie Pizzuti) for someone who represents the heart & soul of Goodwill. The President described Michelle as a “self proclaimed Safety Geek” and with her “what more can I do to help” attitude, she touches so many of us within the Goodwill family day in and day out. Margie also had the following to say about Michelle, “Michelle is energetic, full of enthusiasm and is passionate about her career and radiates that feeling throughout Goodwill. This special star has made it her mission to make safety a top priority at work and at home”.

Within the first year of being at Goodwill she was recognized by the Vice President of Finance as saving the company over $300,000 in Workers Compensation costs in one year. She has also led the company to a 25% decrease in the number of employee reported incidents since she started at Goodwill. Numbers aside, she has changed the culture of safety by implementing a full safety program including monthly safety training topics, a monthly safety newsletter, an at home safety program, a company-wide safety committee (S.T.A.R.S-Safety, Training, Action, Response & Solutions), the WRIST committee (Workplace Rehabilitation & Injury Support Team), Safety Star (the company’s safety incentive program) and implemented numerous programs including workplace & domestic violence programs and most recently a companywide pandemic influenza plan. As you can see this is quite an accomplishment for a company that has over 800 employees and provides services for over 3,000 in the central Ohio area. Goodwill provides services for individuals with MRDD, including day programs and a full time ICFMR (full time residential services), and has numerous contract services including security, janitorial and assembly & fulfillment programs. All of these services along with Goodwill’s retail stores, attended donation centers and auto auction present a diverse workforce to keep safe.

Coupled with her drive for safety is her compassion for her fellow employees. Michelle is the head of Project CARE, an employee helping other employees experiencing severe, unforeseen, financial hardships, is the Secretary of the company’s Health & Wellness Committee, oversees the annual employee recognition awards ceremony and headed a successful 2008 United Way campaign.

On many occasions I have heard Michelle working during the evenings and weekend, whether it’s ensuring tornado warning evacuations are run correctly, counseling Supervisors on after hour’s accidents and injuries or prepping for safety training or educational pieces such as the most recent swine influenza outbreak. Since receiving her Masters in Occupational Safety & Health she has focused her life on creating a safe environment for those around her (trust me-I’ve gotten my fair share of safety lectures for working unsafely at home!). For Michelle it’s not about saving money (which is important), but it’s keeping people safe, sending them home to their families in the same condition they arrived to work in. She is often referred to as the “safety police” or when she hears “you better not let Michelle see you do that” she’s proud that she has had such an effect on the people around her.

Michelle recently shared with me that an ex-employee called her to thank her for the job she does at Goodwill. This employee at the time did not understand how valuable safety was until he left the company and was exposed to another company’s safety culture. Michelle was thrilled that this employee took 2 minutes out of his day to call and say thank you, and I knew this was one more life impacted by my “safety geek”.

Respectfully submitted,

Steven S. Gerke (husband)
Human Resources Manager-Franklin County Court of Common Pleas