Gary Higbee was recently awarded the Gary Hawk Safety Award. The award is given by the state of Iowa to individuals who have exhibited outstanding skills and dedication to the field of safety. Named after the late, long-time OSH Advisory Council member Gary Hawk, it was formerly known as the Governor’s Safety & Health Conference Safety Award.

It’s no wonder that Gary was selected as the recipient of this award, as his safety background speaks for itself. Gary is a senior safety consultant with SafeStart, and president and CEO of the full-service safety consulting firm Higbee & Associates, Inc. He backs all that up with over 50 years of working experience that include high-level safety positions at John Deere, Maytag, Electrolux and Budd Company.

Gary has an EMBA from the University of Iowa and is a board-certified safety professional. He regularly publishes articles on safety and he is an internationally known speaker on safety and health. If that isn’t enough, he also co-authored the book Inside Out: Rethinking Traditional Safety Management Paradigms.

This isn’t the first time Gary’s been recognized for his safety efforts. In 2010, he received the NSC’s Distinguished Service to Safety Award, which is the organization’s highest individual award. He is also a past recipient of the Safety Professional of the Year Award for Region IV of the ASSE.

Gary has the ability to keep a room hooked for an entire presentation with his vast knowledge and sense of humor. Congratulations on the well-deserved recognition, Gary, and keep up the great work in safety!