My career in Disability Management began in 1986, while still in college. Fast forward some 30 plus years, I’ve managed Workers' Compensation, Disability Management (FMLA/ADA), Safety and other Risk Management programs for companies such as Liberty Mutual, AIG, PG&E and AAA. As a client-focused, results-oriented professional, I have dedicated my career to being a client-driven expert in claims, supervision, and training.

 

While Ergonomics has always been a part of my disability management world, in 2012, I began to holistically look for a way to combine my skills, talents, and education to help make a difference in the lives of the individuals and companies I served. Since I had an innate understanding of the study of Ergonomics and had read countless med-legal reports, journals, and periodicals to understand the framework of the body and how applying reasonable improvements to our workspace can mitigate the likelihood of discomfort and increase productivity, I felt compelled to incorporate ergonomics into my training and provide preventative measures to my clients, company, and community.

 

For the next two years, I read everything I could find about the study of ergonomics. As the leader of my company's Workers' Comp team, I took a deeper dive into the ergonomic reports that came my way and asked questions of our vendors. My newfound goal was to transport myself into the ergonomic evaluation itself and understand the “what, when, where, why and how" of the risks the evaluator was assessing. During this time, I also completed the required additional education needed to become proficient in the field. I am now an Accredited Office Ergonomics Evaluator (AOEE) as well as a Certified Ergonomics Assessment Specialist (CEAS) I/II.