About Us
United Support & Memorial for Workplace Fatalities (USMWF) established in 2007 is the only grassroots, family based, national, not-for-profit organization that offers support, guidance and resources to families that have been affected by work-related incidents, diseases and illnesses. We know and understand first-hand the devastation that takes place in the mind, body and soul after such a tragic, unexpected death. Recognizing the overpowering emotions one has during the stages of grief. It is important that no one should feel alone during these times.
Our Board
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Tammy (Miser) Spivey
Board President
Ms. Spivey resides in Lexington, KY and is the Assistant Executive Director of USMWF. Ms. Spivey started USMWF in 2003 after her 33-year-old brother, Shawn Boone, was killed at Hayes-Lemmerz in Huntington, Indiana. Tammy has appeared on 60 Minutes, been interviewed and quoted in local and national newspapers and magazines, given numerous congressional testimonies, given feedback to OSHA on several occasions, spoke in many forums, given training and received multiple awards for her grassroots efforts. |
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Tonya Ford
Board Vice-President
Ms. Ford resides in Lincoln, NE and is the Executive Director of USMWF. Ms. Ford became an active volunteer for USMWF in 2009 after her 51-year-old Uncle Robert (Bobby) Fitch was killed at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Company in Lincoln, Nebraska. Tonya has testified at Congressional Hearings, OSHA Listens, hosted the first Worker Safety Awareness Expo in NE and hosts a longstanding Workers Memorial Day Vigil. July 2021 Ms. Ford was honored to be appointed as a Public Representative on The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) |
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Wanda Engracia, ESQ
Board Secretary
Ms. Wanda Engracia resides in Edison, NJ and is the Board Secretary of USMWF. Ms. Engracia became an active volunteer for USMWF after her 30-year-old husband Juan Pablo Morillo was killed in January 2005 while working for Acetylene Service Company in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He was killed in an acetylene explosion. Two other men were also killed. Wanda testified at the first OSHA Listens. She is a Senior Recruiter at HilleBrand and her job responsibilities include: Onboard and train new employees, New Hire Processing Personnel status changes, Interview potential employees, Accurately maintain employee files, Implement company culture, values, and policies, Provide management with requested reports and documents. |
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Kelly Bollwahn Meissner
Board Treasure
Ms. Meissner resides in Muskego, WI and is the Board Treasure of USMWF. Ms. Meissner became an active volunteer for USMWF in 2004 after her 36-year-old Husband Scott Heilert was killed at Custom Structural Inc. (iron worker) in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. He died after being struck by a vehicle on a construction site. She is a Financial/Accounting Professional by trade and responsible for Strategic Analysis, Financial Analysis, Audit Review Procedures, Cost Analysis, Statistical Analysis, Financial Reconciliation, General Ledger, Record and Systems Automation and Financial Research. |
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Karen Burkhalter
Board Member
Ms. Burkhalter resides in Brillion, WI. She became involved with USMWF in 2008 after her 50-year-old Husband, Derrick, was killed on Highway 114 while on duty in a work zone for the Calumet County High Department. She is now a strong advocate for work zone safety and reaches out gaining awareness about following the speed limit, not driving distracted, and moving over for emergency or maintenance vehicles through work zones. She has held her current jobs for 16 years. Karen has a BS in Child development and Family Life Education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, WI. and she is currently enrolled at Fox Valley Technical Collage in Appleton WI for Business management. Karen has worked for 16 years at works at Para Professional, Chilton Public School District. Working with students and assisting them as needed throughout the day. Creating and maintaining needed materials for adapted classroom instruction. She has also worked as a GM Support Manager, Wal-Mart for the same amount of time. |
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John Newquist
Board Member
Mr. John Newquist, Board Member, resides in Chicago, IL and has had 29 years in Health and safety. Mr. Newquist became an active volunteer for USMWF in 2012 but had worked beside family-member victims for years previously. Among a few accomplishments John is was a Assistant Regional Administrator OSHA, founding Member of ANSI Z359 Fall Arrest Standards, Certified Safety Professional and Fire Inspector, created the OSHA Fall Arrest Course 3110 and OSHA PSM Classes 3300 and 3400. John was also as a proud member of the US Navy Atlantic Intelligence Command with an Honorable Discharge. |
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Christopher A. Callihan
Board Member
Mr. Christopher A. Callihan, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No. 265 Business Manager, resides in Lincoln, NE and has worked closely with USMWF for the past several years simply because he believes in the cause. Mr. Callihan has over 15 years’ experience in the construction industry as well as previous experience in the retail business industry. His most resent accomplishments are: he managed and Planned the Annual NECA/IBEW Local 265 Charity Golf Tournament, was the 2015 Al Bauer Award Recipient from Lincoln Central Labor Union and is a Lincoln/Lancaster County Public Building Commissioner, and Citizen At Large. |
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Micki Siegel de Hernández, M.P.H.
Board Member
Ms. Micki Siegel de Hernández, M.P.H. resides in New York, NY. Ms. Hernández is the National Deputy Director of Health and Safety for the Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO since July 2019. The CWA represents 700,000 members in the public and private sectors including telecommunications, manufacturing, healthcare, printing and publishing, broadcasting/media, education, state and local government, and airlines. Prior to her current position she was the health and safety director for District 1 of the CWA in the northeast region since 1999 and has worked in the field of occupational health and safety for over 30 years. Micki started her professional life as an elementary school teacher in the town of Erving, Massachusetts. During her tenure at CWA, Micki has worked with all CWA sectors providing health and safety related technical assistance, program and strategic planning, and training to eliminate hazards, improve workplace conditions, and prevent member injuries and deaths. Micki has worked with CWA’s union leadership, staff, organizers, and health and safety activists across the country, on a multitude of projects including ergonomics, prevention of workplace violence, lead exposures in telecommunications, prevention of infectious diseases, and airline safety. She has led the Union’s health and safety response to major disasters including the 9/11 attacks, Superstorm Sandy, and now the COVId-19 pandemic. |
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Susan L Martin
Board Member
Ms. Susan L Martin resides in Lincoln, Nebraska. Sue is the President/Secretary-Treasurer State AFL-CIO, which represents 23,000 members across the state of Nebraska. She was elected at the Nebraska State AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention in September, 2015 and re-elected for another four year term in September, 2017. Martin, the first woman to serve as Nebraska State AFL-CIO’s President/Secretary-Treasurer, has served on the Nebraska State AFL-CIO executive board from September, 2004 to September, 2015. Sue received the Nebraska Labor Leader Hall of Fame award in 2015. Martin retired after 26 years with the Nebraska Department of Education when elected to the President/Secretary-Treasurer position with the Nebraska State AFL-CIO in 2015. During her employment with the state of Nebraska, she was an applications developer working with K-12 schools on data collection and research. Martin has been a member of NAPE/AFSCME Local 61 since 1996. During her time with AFSCME, she served on the Executive Board as Secretary, then Treasurer, resigning that position in 2015. She was also a delegate to the Lincoln Central Labor Union, serving on the Executive Board as Treasurer from 2008 to 2015. In 2013, Martin received the Al Bauer Labor Leader award through the LCLU. Martin’s involvement in the Labor Movement began when meeting her future husband who was President of CWA 7470 in Lincoln, Nebraska. His passion for working men and women’s issues was infatuating and engaged her immediately. Recognizing that the Labor Movement has a great opportunity for strength, Martin has made a focus on involving young workers in the Labor Movement, building our future leaders and tackling issues that face all working men, women and their families. Sue and her husband Denny live in Lincoln, Nebraska. |
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Steve Sallman
Board Member
Mr. Steve Sallman Director, United Steelworkers (USW) Health, Safety and Environment Department. Mr. Sallman has worked in the USW Health, Safety and Environment Department for over 17 years and has 29 years of safety and health experience. He has investigated many fatalities and life-altering incidents, provides assistance to local unions and works closely with other unions and employers’ safety and health staff. Mr. Sallman serves as a labor representative on the NFPA’s 652 Technical Committee on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust and served on the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health as a labor rep from 2019-2021. June 2020 Mr. Sallman was honored to be appointed as a Board Member with United Support & Memorial for Workplace Fatalities, the only grassroots, family based, national, not-for-profit organization that offers support, guidance and resources to families that have been affected by work-related incidents, diseases and illnesses. He was a former Safety and Health Consultant from the Iowa Division of Labor-OSHA for almost five years. Steve also worked for the USW represented Bridgestone/Firestone Plant in Des Moines, Iowa, for 13 years; where he served as the full time Safety and Health Committee Chairman for Local #310 for eight years. |
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Rena Harrington
Board Member Ms. Rena Harrington resides in Danvers, Massachusetts. She has been in Human Resources since 2006 mostly in healthcare, recruitment/hiring Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Certified Nursing Assistants for Home Care, Hospitals, Long term Care Facilities and Group Homes. Rena currently works for the largest hospice agency in Massachusetts as their Talent Acquisition Business Partner. Ms. Harrington became a strong workplace safety advocate after the loss of her son, Justin Harrington in January 2018 due to a construction incident. Rena started volunteering for USMWF in 2020 after seeing a post about a worker killed and is a strong voice for change and prevention of occupational incidents, illnesses and diseases. |
