
MHSA Annual Member Appreciation Event and Industry Update
Weds, October 8th 2025 in Calgary
Hotel Blackfoot | Calgary South
Calgary Speaker Lineup | 9am-3pm
Production Pressure vs. People
Brandy Zimmerman, Mental Health Strategist | Thriving Workplaces
Brandy Zimmerman gets it – you're tired of choosing between meeting production demands and supporting your people's wellbeing. As founder of Thriving Workplaces, she helps manufacturing teams figure out how employee mental health and operational performance can actually become great teammates instead of bitter rivals. With her background as Alberta's former Associate Minister of Health and lived experience navigating ADHD, anxiety, and burnout, Brandy has the expertise to tackle workplace stress from all angles. She's worked with 45+ organizations to turn mental health theory into practical actions that actually stick when production deadlines are looming, shifts are demanding, and safety is paramount. Her superpower? Making workplace wellbeing work on the manufacturing floor, not just in theory.
WCB Alberta Industry Updates
Grey Leslie, Industry Specialist | Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board
Using Language to Support Diversity
Tamara Jorgic, Executive Director | AWES
AI Applications to Improve Safety Performance
Glyn Jones, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., CIH, CRSP, Principle Engineer | EHS Partnerships Ltd.
Glyn is the Principal Engineer at Bravo Target Safety. Based in Calgary, he leads a team of 50 consultants working in the EHS Consulting Division of Bravo. The EHS Consulting Division is an OHS consulting group with over 50 employees and offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Ottawa. Glyn is a chemical engineer by training and is a Professional Engineer. He completed a master’s degree specializing in occupational health and safety. He has over forty years of experience as an OHS consultant and he is a CIH and a CRSP. He is a very involved conference speaker and provides curriculum oversight and teaches occupational health and safety at the University of New Brunswick.
Creative Sentencing & Industry Peer Forum
With guest Jason Gillen, Senior Manager | Glenmore Fabricators Ltd.
Ben Rushton, Investigation Specialist | Alberta Jobs, Economy & Trade
Ben joined Alberta OHS in May 2024 after relocating from Ontario, where he served as a police officer in various positions for a combined 17 years with the Hamilton Police Service and Ontario Provincial Police. With Hamilton Police Service, Ben led several initiatives to enhance safety for members and the public. He is currently part of Alberta OHS’ Investigation Resolution Unit, implementing creative sentences, enhanced regulatory supervision, and liaison for next-of-kin and injured workers.
Rigging, Hoisting & Lifting Safety, Strategic Industry Panel
With a hand-selected panel of Rigging, Hoisting & Lifting industry specialists
Dr. Thomas O’Neill, B.A.Psych, PhD, M.S. IO Psych, Principle Engineer | University of Calgary
Tom is the principal investigator for the Hoisting, Rigging, and Lifting Creative Sentence. Tom graduated from Western University and is Professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the University of Calgary. He is the Arts-Engineering Chair in High Performance Teamwork and Engineering Education and Head of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. His interests are in socio-technical systems, specifically the intersection of culture, technology, leadership and management, and behavior in team contexts. He teaches in Executive Education at the Haskayne School of Business and has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and partnered with organizations extensively. He created ITP Metrics, which is a software platform for assessment, diagnostic, and development of high-performing teams in organizations with over 900,000 assessments taken worldwide.
MHSA Updates and Annual Safety Award Presentations
MHSA Southern Regional Support Team
Jim Hedrick | Regional Manager
Joachim Schubert | Safety Advisor and Crane & Rigging Specialist
Melanie Flynn | Safety Advisor
Katie Fielding | Safety Advisor
Crystal Wood | COR Administration Lead
Susan Baines | COR Administrator
Maggie Schell | Administrative Assistant
Daryl Friesen | Safety Advisor