Joined the ASSP Columbia Willamette Chapter within the past year? We’re hosting two casual virtual New Member Meetups on November 16 and December 4 to help newer members connect, meet chapter leaders, and learn more about getting involved.

Registration: New members should have received an email invitation with details. Reply to that email to RSVP and receive the meeting link. If you recently joined and didn’t receive an invitation, contact Brittany at membershipchair@cwc.assp.org.

Details: Virtual New Member Meetups! – ASSP Columbia Willamette Chapter

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.