Ucciferro elected National Safety Council board chair

Joseph J. Ucciferro, president and chief executive officer of Philadelphia-based Day & Zimmermann’s Commercial and Public Sector, was elected chairman of the board of directors for the National Safety Council at the council’s 95th annual Congress & Expo being held in Chicago. Ucciferro succeeds Ather Williams Jr. of Johnson & Johnson to the two-year term.

Ucciferro, who graduated from Drexel University with a B.S. and M.S. in civil engineering and a Ph.D. in applied mechanics, is known for his personal commitment and passion for corporate safety and health practices, a philosophy he developed over more than 30 years in senior executive, technical and project management positions.

“The National Safety Council is a great organization, with a great history and an even greater vision for a safer world,” Ucciferro said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to serve the council as board chairman and help set a course for further reducing injuries here in the U.S. and internationally.”

For the past 13 years, Ucciferro has had two primary, concurrent responsibilities at Day & Zimmermann – driving a business transformation as president of his own business unit and then later for many businesses as a CEO, and leading the company’s safety programs and initiatives for all businesses, ranging from munitions production to the construction and maintenance of nuclear power stations.

Alan C. McMillan, president and CEO of the National Safety Council, praised Ucciferro’s combination of business and safety leadership. “Joe’s contributions to the National Safety Council have been considerable since he first became a board member six years ago,” he said. “His experience as a successful business leader with an exceptional commitment to a strong 24/7 safety culture are qualities that will serve the Council, our volunteers, our membership and our chapter network well as we address emerging and urgent safety and health issues in a 21st-century world.”

Ucciferro joined the National Safety Council’s board in 2001 and was elected vice chairman in 2005. An active member of the board’s Strategic Planning Committee for six years, Ucciferro has also served on the board’s Finance & Audit, Personnel & Compensation, Nominating, Development and Executive committees.

The National Safety Council also announced the election of Michael F. Henderek, safety program manager for Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corporation, a two-year term as vice chairman. In this position, Henderek assumes chairmanship of the council’s 60-member board of delegates

The council’s board of directors is its principal governance body and provides oversight over fiduciary and strategic affairs. The council also has a board of delegates to provide direction on safety and health policy issues, and a Board of Trustees to oversee development and fundraising activities.

The National Safety Council is a non-profit, non-governmental, international public service organization dedicated to educating and influencing people to prevent accidental injuries and deaths. Members of the NSC include more than 50,000 businesses, labor organizations, schools, public agencies, private groups and individuals. Founded in 1913 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953, the primary focus of the NSC is promoting safety and health in the workplace, in transportation, and in homes and communities.