We’re excited to share that the Columbia Willamette Chapter is launching a new Member Engagement Passport for the 2026-2067 Chapter year. All chapter and section members are eligible to participate!

Get rewarded for participating in chapter and section activities throughout the year. Earn points for attending events, networking, volunteering, professional development, leadership activities, and more throughout the year and earn prizes, raffle entries, and a chance to be recognized as one of our most engaged members.

Learn more and start earning points: CWC Member Engagement Passport

Naomi Hernandez Parada named 2026 Safety Professional of the Year

Naomi Hernandez Parada, ASP, exemplifies the qualities recognized by the Columbia-Willamette Chapter’s Safety Professional of the Year (SPY) Award through her outstanding professional contributions, chapter leadership, community involvement, and commitment to safety education and advocacy.

As a Senior Safety Management Consultant at SAIF, Naomi draws on nearly 20 years of experience in workers’ compensation and occupational safety and health to provide risk management guidance, safety leadership training, and hazard prevention strategies throughout Oregon. She is widely recognized as a safety advocate and influencer, particularly for Hispanic and Latino workers.

A dedicated ASSP member for more than a decade, Naomi has served both the Cascade and Columbia-Willamette Chapters, most recently as Treasurer, while also leading membership engagement and special events efforts. She has been instrumental in advancing the Hispanic Safety Professionals (HSP) and Women in Safety Excellence (WISE) communities, helping launch ASSP’s first National Hispanic Heritage Month events and expanding virtual member engagement.

Within SAIF, Naomi founded the organization’s first Latinx affinity group, which evolved into its first Employee Resource Group. Her work has expanded access to culturally responsive, Spanish-language safety training and ergonomics education, helping reduce workplace injury risks among underserved populations. Her achievements have earned numerous recognitions, including the 2021 HSP of the Year Award and SAIF’s 2024 Cheers for Peers Award.

Naomi and her family at the Officer Installation Event where she was presented with the Columbia Willamette SPY award.

Thank you to our nominees and to the members who participated in the written vote at our May 14 chapter meeting. Please join us in congratulating Carmen Julia Castellon Mercado on being elected as our next President-Elect!

Thank you for your continued engagement and support of our chapter.

The Columbia Willamette Chapter is holding a Special Election to fill the role of President-Elect for the next chapter year.

Voting will take place in-person at the May 14th CWC Membership Meeting. An electronic ballot will not be sent for this special election.

Register for the meeting here: ASSP CWC May 2026 Membership Meeting – ASSP Columbia Willamette Chapter

Nominees

Carmen Julia Castellon Mercado, ASP

Carmen is a senior Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) leader with over 15 years of experience advancing safety culture, regulatory compliance, and risk management across manufacturing, utilities, government, consulting, and service operations. She is recognized for building scalable EHS management systems, strengthening compliance frameworks, and partnering with executive and operational leaders to reduce risk and drive continuous improvement.
Carmen holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Mayor de San Simón in Cochabamba, Bolivia, where she was born and raised. She is an Associate Safety Professional (ASP), certified by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. She brings deep expertise in OSHA standards, ISO 14001, workers’ compensation programs, environmental compliance, and enterprise safety management systems. A bilingual English/Spanish professional, she is also an accomplished facilitator known for delivering engaging in-person and virtual training to diverse workforces.
An active leader within the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), Carmen has
served in executive, advisory, and governance roles, including Past President of the Greater
Chicago Chapter. She has contributed to leadership development at the national level through nominations, conference planning, and scholarship review. She is also committed to advancing inclusion and professional growth through her involvement with Hispanic Safety Professionals (HSP) and mentoring in the Women in Safety Excellence (WISE) community.
She lived in Chicago, Illinois for over two decades before relocating to Oregon in 2025. Outside of her professional work, Carmen enjoys spending time in nature and hiking, which inspires her passion for safety and provides space for reflection and clarity.

Jill Jones, CHST, CRIS

Jill Jones is a dedicated safety professional and long-time member of the American Society of Safety Professionals, having first joined as a student member in 1999. She is a candidate for the President-Elect position and brings extensive leadership experience within the chapter, including serving as Past President (2010–2011), Treasurer/Elect multiple times, Secretary, House Delegate, and Delegate at Large.

Jill has over a decade of diverse experience in the safety profession, including her current role with Hoffman Construction at Portland International Airport, as well as previous work in insurance risk control with BITCO and safety positions with Harder Mechanical and Cherry City Electric. She has also provided third-party safety consulting services at Intel. She earned her CHST certification in 2014.

Known for her strong leadership, industry connections, and natural mentoring abilities, Jill is deeply committed to advancing the safety profession. She is well-prepared to fulfill the responsibilities of President-Elect and to continue supporting the growth and impact of the chapter.

We congratulate our 2026-2027 Columbia-Willamette Chapter Board! Thank you to everyone for submitting nominations and voting in this important process.

Vice President: Peche Barteaux

Peche Barteaux is a fourth-year student at Columbia Southern University pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Health and Safety and has over eight years of experience in environmental health and safety. She currently serves as a Safety professional at Portland Community College, supporting campus-wide safety and health initiatives.

Peche has been an active member of the ASSP Columbia-Willamette Chapter since 2017 and has served in multiple leadership roles, including Student Liaison to Oregon State University, WISE Committee member for three years, and Sunshine Committee Chair for the past two years. She currently serves as Treasurer, focusing on financial stewardship, transparency, and chapter sustainability.

Peche is passionate about helping people and fostering a culture of safety, collaboration, and well-being within the profession and the community.

Secretary: Caity Benston

Caity is gearing up for her third year as an ASSP member and fourth year in the safety industry, currently acting as Partner Marketing Manager for safety software and consulting company, KPA. She lives in Milwaukie, OR with her husband Brian, her daughter Evelyn, their cat Cookie, and their dog, Princess Pants. Caity also serves as President-Elect for the Ardenwald Elementary Parent Teacher Organization. When she isn’t busy with work or parenting (ha!), she enjoys reading, horror movies, cooking, hiking, and travel.

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Treasurer Elect: Kerry Byun

Kerry is delighted to be running for the CWC-ASSP Treasurer Elect position. As an active member of CWC-ASSP since 2013, she is eager to contribute to the leadership team. As a safety professional, Kerry has a diverse background spanning the consulting, manufacturing, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical sectors. Her work experience and technical qualifications, which include CIH, CSP, and CHMM certifications, provide the knowledge and leverage to be an effective member, contributing significantly to the organization’s strong safety culture and ongoing initiatives.

Outside of her professional commitments, Kerry enjoys giving back to her community by volunteering for various organizations, exploring the Northwest with her family, reading fiction novels, and cooking.

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Advisory Group: (Two Positions Available)

Advisory Group Member: Nicole Helms

Nicole Helms is a people-first safety professional with ten years of experience helping organizations turn safety from a requirement into a shared value. She currently supports the City of Portland’s Loss Prevention Department, after previously building and leading the safety department for a recycling and plastics manufacturer and Washington County’s Facilities, Fleet, and Parks. Nicole is known for her collaborative approach and her passion for creating safer workplaces through trust, engagement, and a proactive safety culture.  A culture that supports both the people and the work they do.  

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Advisory Group Member: Anthony Barrueta-Digesti

Anthony Barrueta-Digesti is a Business Development Manager with Forensic Analytical Consulting Services (FACS), supporting clients throughout the Pacific Northwest. His work focuses on connecting organizations with industrial hygiene and environmental health solutions, including hazardous building materials assessments, indoor air quality investigations, exposure assessments, and compliance-driven consulting.

In his role, Anthony regularly collaborates with safety officers, facilities teams, construction managers, and EHS leaders across healthcare, public sector, manufacturing, and commercial construction to help identify risk, navigate regulatory requirements, and implement practical solutions. He works closely with Certified Industrial Hygienists and technical teams to ensure projects are scoped appropriately and aligned with regulatory and stakeholder expectations.

Anthony is actively engaged in the local safety community and looks forward to contributing strategic insight, trend awareness, and collaboration in support of the Columbia Willamette Chapter and the broader safety profession.

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Delegate at Large: (Two Positions Available)

Delegate at Large: Lauren Allen

Lauren is a seasoned construction safety professional with more than 20 years of experience in occupational health and safety, emergency medical services, and regulatory compliance. She has led regional safety operations across the PNW & beyond, overseeing training, audits, and risk management for major construction, restoration, and utility firms.  Known for her proactive approach and collaborative leadership, she is committed to fostering a culture of safety and continuous improvement on every job site.

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Delegate at Large: Vanessa Curtis

Vanessa Curtis, CSP is a Senior Safety Management Consultant with SAIF, and has over a decade of experience supporting occupational safety and health across public sector, healthcare, and diverse industries. She is passionate about fostering strong, healthy safety cultures and believes the foundation of effective safety work is built on relationships and trust. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and trying new coffee shops.

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Positions Automatically Succeeding

President: Kyle DeHart

Kyle DeHart is an Industrial Hygienist with SAIF Corporation and has been working in the fields of occupational health and safety and environmental management since 2014. In the past, Kyle has served as Chapter Advisory Group Member, Co-Chair/Chair of the Membership Committee, Vice President, and is your current President-Elect . Along with his service to ASSP, Kyle has been active in recent years with the GOSH Program Planning Committee, as well as the Northwest Occupational Health Conference Planning Committee. Kyle holds a Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene from Montana Tech and is a Certified Industrial Hygienist, OSHA 500 Authorized Outreach Trainer, and BCSP Certified Safety Professional. In his free time, Kyle enjoys cycling, playing guitar, listening to his extensive collection of vinyl records, and spending quality time with his wife, son, and friends. Having been a Columbia Willamette Chapter Member since 2018 he is excited to continue serving the Chapter and its community of members.

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President Elect: Position Open – Special Election Currently Open

Special Election Announcement: President-Elect – ASSP Columbia Willamette Chapter

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Treasurer: Deb Bridges

Deb Bridges, ASP, CIT, is an Occupational Safety and Health Consultant for Safety Northwest, where she has worked for almost 8 years.  Prior to joining the SNW team, she worked for 17 years in the contract restaurant field as a unit director, as well as conducting safety training and compliance for new and existing accounts both locally and regionally. Deb grew up in Oregon, then studied at the University of California Davis, where she received a BA in History and later received a Certificate in Project Management from Oregon State University. When she is not being a safety nerd, Deb enjoys scuba diving, including working as a volunteer diver at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, competitive racewalking, as well as hiking and camping. 

Since joining Safety Northwest 8 years ago, Deb has sought out opportunities to increase her knowledge, connect with other safety professionals, and have found ASSP, both at the national and local level, to be a significant factor in my ability to learn, access training, and grow professionally. Now, I want to give back and do my part to support the Columbia Willamette Chapter, and am excited about serving as the treasurer. 

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1^st Past President (Elections)

Nichole Guilfoy is an experienced Total Worker Health practitioner and consultant, Nichole has over 20 years of expertise in human resources, safety, well-being, organizational development, and communication. She provides evidence-based education, coaching, and strategic support to organizations across the Pacific Northwest. Nichole has a Bachelor of Science degree from Portland State University where she focused her studies on public health and Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

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2^nd Past President (Bylaws): Brittany Johnston

Brittany has been actively involved with the ASSP Columbia Willamette Chapter since 2016 and has experience serving in almost all executive positions. She is currently serving as the 1^st Past President, overseeing next term’s elections, Membership Committee Chair and Website Chair. Brittany was Chair of the 2025 GOSH Conference and has volunteered with the GOSH Program Planning Committee since the GOSH 2019 Conference. 

Brittany is a Safety & Health Services Adviser at SAIF Corporation, where she collaborates with and supports SAIF’s safety and health leadership and safety consultants across the state. Prior to the role as Adviser, Brittany was a Senior Safety Management Consultant at SAIF for 10 years. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Linfield College, a Master’s in Business Administration from Portland State University, and is a BCSP Certified Safety Professional. Outside of work, Brittany enjoys golf, watching football, scuba diving in warm destinations, and wine tasting in the Willamette Valley.