USMWF strives to connect with families across the nation that were affected by a work incident, illness or disease across all industries. Each is eager to share the voice and face of lessons learned to prevent similar incidents from occurring.

To request a speaker at your upcoming safety conference/event go to our Special & Event page for more information. 

Tammy Spivey, USMWF Founding President & Assistant Director

Tammy (Miser) Spivey resides in Kentucky and became involved in workplace safety after losing her 33-year-old brother, Shawn Boone in 2003. While working as a maintenance worker he suffered burns over 90 percent of his body in an aluminum dust explosion.Tammy shares her experience as a family-member victim who, like thousands of others across the U.S., suffer profoundly because of our nation’s inadequate regulatory system to protect workers’ fundamental right to places of employment that do not cause death, injury or disease.  Using her account she tells why it is so important to have a safe workplace by learning from the past. 
Ms. Spivey has also been interviewed and quoted in local and national newspapers and magazines, including The Nation, Chemical & Engineering News Finally, the CBS news magazine, 60 Minutes .

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Tonya Ford, Executive Director

Tonya Ford calls Nebraska her home and became an active volunteer for USMWF in 2009 after her 51-year-old Uncle Robert (Bobby) Fitch was killed while failing over 80 feet off of a belt operated man-lift.  She was later hired to help run USMWF alongside Tammy Spivey in 2015.

Tonya speaks out and shares the incident that fatally injured her Uncle. She shares the powerful work and impact of USMWF while connecting with families.  USMWF offers support, guidance and resources while assisting families to be the voice and face of lessons learned.

Tonya wants to become the next conversation at the dinner table, gaining a connection to our target audience such as family members/occupations/incidents and preventing work related incidents, illness or diseases.

Tonya has spoken at the National Safety Council of Nebraska, South Dakota Kiwanis, Congressional Hearings, OSHA Listens, hosted the first Worker Safety Awareness Expo in NE and hosted a longstanding Workers Memorial Day Vigil.

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Rena Harrington, USMWF Family Member and Board Member

Rena Harrington resides in Massachusetts and became an active volunteer for USMWF in 2019 after the loss of her son, Justin Harrington, 27 after working on the excavation of a basement when he became caught between the backhoe and an I-beams that had been supporting the house. She is working hard to turn her tragic, unexpected loss into something positive and has become the voice of our fallen workers.

She has gained awareness to the impact such a loss has on those that are left behind and has helped and discussed the best way to communicate with the families that were impacted by the occupational incident, illness or disease.

Rena has joined the cause and participated in Region 1 OSHA's New England Round Table Series on Safety, has spoken on USMWF's Striving for Safety Conference and also their Worker Memorial Ceremony, has been interviewed by NBC News on work place safety and testified at the Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development on a workplace safety bill and other important meetings and is ready to continue her efforts and help reach USMWF's mission