SafeLand Leadership
SafeLand Inc
Organization
There are 3 levels of organization that are integral to the success of SafeLand Inc. Described below is the organization, responsibilities, and relationships between the SafeLand Advisory Group, Accrediting Organizations, and Training Providers.
Accrediting Organizations
SafeLand Executive Team
Bill Walker
Sr Director of Environmental Health and Safety, Batallion Oil Company
William A Walker IV (Bill) has over 25 years of experience in Health, Safety, and Environmental management and is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) since 2000 and Certified Industrial Hygienist since 2011.
Bill has been responsible for the design and implementation of several comprehensive Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) compliance programs in the upstream and midstream segments of the Oil and Gas Industry.
Bill has a passion for championing the philosophy of Prevention through Design (PtD) and Serious Incident & Fatality (SIF) prevention for workers in the Oil and Gas industry.
Bill has established Management Systems to improve worker safety and mitigate risk. Meeting the requirements of ANSI Z10, ISO45001, and ISO 14000
Developed and implemented Contractor Safety programs including a contractor safety management systems, field, and desktop auditing process
Bill currently participates in several industry standards committees including:
• ANSI/ASSE – Z390.1 Accepted Practices for Hydrogen Sulfide Safety Training Programs
• ANSI/ASSE Z117 Safety Requirements for Confined Spaces.
Bill has a B.S. in the Occupational Health and Safety Track / Industrial Technology, from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, and a Master of Engineering (M.Eng.), in Advanced Safety Engineering and Management (ASEM) from the University of Alabama, Birmingham.
Mike Borgschatz
COO, Estvold Oilfield Services, Inc
Michael Borgschatz, the chief operating officer for Estvold Oilfield Services, Inc., is a proven leader in the oil & gas industry in both the operational and occupational safety and health spaces. Under his leadership, Estvold Oilfield Services has risen to be one of the most respected and utilized oilfield contractors in the Bakken Shale region due to the company’s quality and safe work practice. Rising from a project manager at Estvold, Mike understands the challenges workers face in meeting production deadlines and doing so safely. Prior to joining the Estvold team, Mike served in the combat zone during the Iraq war as part of the base life support (BLS) management team, for Kellogg Brown and Root’s Logistics Civil Augmentation program (LOGCAP). After combat operations ceased, Mike led the transition from military operations support to that of the U.S. Department of State through the termination of the program. During the base closure phase, Mike made significant contributions to ensure the mitigation of hazards and protection of the environment. Mike is considered by his peers to be an expert in civil construction, transportation, and oil & gas upstream and midstream operations. Mike began his career in 2002 as a maintenance consultant in multiple industrial settings and plant maintenance shutdowns where he was responsible for project management, including the safety of those entrusted to his care.
Scott Long
Scott has 23 years of experience in project development and program management; the last 9 years with Kinder Morgan. He leads their contractor safety program enterprise wide. Scott received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Truman State University and his Masters’ in Business Administration from William Woods University (both schools in Missouri). Scott is active in various industry and safety related groups. When not working, you will find Scott on the golf course, tennis court, or watching his favorite Chicago sports teams. He lives in Klein, Texas with his wife of 25 years, Molly and their youngest daughter Georgia.
Board of Directors
Our Board of Directors serves as the governing body charged with providing oversight of matters related to, and specific to, SafeLand Inc.
Joey Long
COO, Mariner Gulf Consulting & Services, LLC
Joseph D Long, CSM, CSA, SIT, COSS is a practicing safety professional consultant and the vice president of Mariner-Gulf Consulting & Services, an internationally recognized boutique occupational safety and health consulting firm. Mr. Long has served in this position for the past twelve years. His duties include managing field operations, global account management teams for third party verifications, trainers, technical writers, and incident investigation teams.
Prior to assuming his duties at Mariner-Gulf, Mr. Long served as the HSE Director for PEC Safety Management for over a decade. Mr. Long was responsible for developing and implementing instructor audit programs to prove the integrity of the PEC SafeLand and SafeGulf programs. Under his leadership, the foundational development and implementation of a nationwide Train-The-Trainer program was accomplished. Focusing on training development, Mr. Long management the writing team for PEC producing PEC Basic Orientation and PEC Core Compliance. His efforts in developing and operating the PEC standardized safety questionnaire greatly reduced redundant pre-qualifications and is the foundation for which current third-party verification systems operate.
Chief among his many professional accomplishments, Mr. Long was instrumental in securing the contract to provide training for oil spill workers in response to the Deepwater Horizon incident. Working with industry leaders, Mr. Long and his team developed the training program within two weeks of the incident, qualified and managed over 125 instructors and trained 150,000 responders in the first 90 days post incident and 300,000 by incident’s end.
Mr. Long developed and designed the nationally recognized and acclaimed Battlefields to Oilfields (B2O) to train post 9/11 veterans in over 50 certifications for placement in various positions in the oil and gas industry.
Mr. Long lives in Madisonville, Louisiana with his fiancé, an avid outdoorsman, and volunteer youth baseball coach.
Nicholas Tarquinio
Director of Safety Opearations, Holloman Corporation
Nick has worked in a HSE role since 2010 and has been Holloman Corporation’s Director of Safety Operations since 2019. He holds multiple professional certifications and degrees including the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) via the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) and a Masters in Safety Management from West Virginia University. In addition to SafeLand, Nick is an active member of the American Society of Safety Professionals and is committed to protecting the health, safety, and environment of employees, customers, and the general public.
Steve Sorensen
Senior Specialist – HSE
T.D. Williamson
Steve Sorensen is a Senior HSE Specialist at T.D. Williamson. Steve has 24 years of HSE Experience, with the last 16 years at T.D. Williamson, helping ensure energy is delivered safely through pipeline infrastructure services. Steve is a Certified Safety Professional and holds a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety and Health. He is an authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer for General Industry, Veriforce/PEC SafeLandUSA and H2S Clear for Energy Instructor, and Certified in Lean Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis, and Fall Protection. Steve also serves as a Board Member on the Veriforce Strategic Advisory Board.
Tiffany Rice
Assistant Professor, West Virginia University, Safety & Health Extension
Tiffany Rice is an Assistant Professor with West Virginia University and serves as the Director of the National Resource Center, OSHA Training Institute Education Center. She has 20 years of safety and health experience focusing on oil and gas safety leadership, orientation programs, training young workers, and job safety analysis. Tiffany co-authored the OSHA ATV/UTV e-tool for oil and gas workers and has served as Principal Investigator of several OSHA Susan Harwood Training grants. She additionally serves as an advising board member of the Appalachian STEPS Network.
Winston Renfro
HSE Contractor Safety Management Lead at Surge Energy
A Safety, Environmental & Human Resources Professional with 20 years of operational safety and regulatory experience in the Oil & Gas and Energy sectors inclusive of exploration, production, pipeline, refining and government regulatory affairs. Experience includes working with and supporting Corporate and Contractor organizations in conformance with Health and Safety requirements.
Zach Mangum
Health & Safety Director, Continental Resources
Mr. Mangum has been the Health and Safety Director at Continental Resources for over five years after being promoted from Northern Region Manager. In his prior life Zach worked as law enforcement officer in New Mexico which led him to his career in HSE. He has a passion for coaching and mentoring individuals, employees, and co-workers in all facets of life whether personal or professional. On his personal time he enjoys welding projects, golf, and off-road activities with his Razor. Zach has over twenty years of experience in HSE and related fields, which has taken him to many different places in the Lower 48 and to the North Slope of Alaska.
Advisory Board of Directors
Hunter Hawa
Hunter Hawa, CEO of the Safety First Group of Companies, is a seasoned leader in the safety and health industry with over 32 years of experience. He laid the foundation of his businesses in 1996 with the establishment of Safety First, Inc. Over the years, Hunter has expanded his operations, evolving into the Safety First Group of Companies. This group encompasses Safety First, Inc., Safety First Security & Investigations, SFG Industrial, LLC, and Safety Anywhere LLC, each contributing uniquely to the realm of safety and health services.
Residing in Alvin, Texas, Hunter balances his professional accomplishments with his role as a father to four children and his passion for training cutting and sorting horses. His commitment to societal well-being is evident in his position as the founder and Chairman of the Alliance for Missing and Exploited Children. Hunter’s journey from the inception of Safety First, Inc. to overseeing a diverse group of companies demonstrates his expertise and dedication to enhancing safety standards across industries.
Jessica High
Meet Jessica High, a seasoned safety and compliance leader with over 18 years of experience in the oil and gas industry. As the QHSE & Regulatory Director at WaterBridge, Jessica is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of safety, environmental stewardship, and regulatory compliance. She takes a hands-on approach to her work, from managing complex safety initiatives to immersing herself in field operations and conducting training to ensure company-wide adherence to best practices. Jessica has a true passion for training, always striving to empower teams with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in maintaining safety and compliance standards.
Jessica’s career journey began at the age of 21, and since then, she has built a reputation for her relentless commitment to safety. Her expertise spans across quality, health, safety, and environmental management, project management, and process improvements. With a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Human Resource Concentration from McNeese State University, she is a certified Yellow Belt in Lean Six Sigma and holds multiple industry certifications in safety and environmental compliance.
Outside of her professional life, Jessica is an active community volunteer, regularly participating in the National Charity League with her daughter and dedicating time to her kids. She is passionate about maintaining a healthy work-life balance, which includes staying active through fitness competitions, hiking, and traveling. Jessica is also an avid reader, constantly seeking to expand her knowledge and grow personally. These activities fuel her commitment to living a balanced life, allowing her to bring energy and focus to her professional endeavors.
Kevin Schuster
Kevin Schuster is the Managing Director of Field Operations for Chord Energy with 36 years, and counting, of oil and gas operations experience. Kevin holds an Associate of Science in Heavy Equipment Systems from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology.
After graduating from Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology, Kevin joined Conoco’s Natural Gas and Gas Products division in 1988. Kevin commenced his professional career working the Maljamar Unit in Southeast New Mexico as a company roustabout and maintenance technician. From 1988 to 2004 Kevin worked in all aspects of mid-stream/upstream field operations holding various positions working his way to up to Superintendent. Continuing with ConocoPhillips, 2004 through 2011, Kevin held Superintendent positions in the Upper Texas Gulf Coast BU, the Mid-Continent BU, and the Rockies BU including upstream operations in Utah and fledgling DJ Basin operations near Denver Colorado. Kevin joined Chord Energy in North Dakota, in 2011, working various positions supporting the Williston and DJ Basins managing teams supporting growing production operations, ~3,800 oil wells, mid-stream operations, and a 35-rig workover program.
Kevin strongly believes that the safest operations are the most efficient operations. The oil and gas we produce has been in the ground for millions of years, taking an extra day to extract it safely is not a factor.
Accrediting Organizations
In order to provide a consistent orientation for the onshore oil and gas industry, SafeLand Inc has developed a method of accrediting safety orientation programs to ensure minimum requirements are satisfied. These organizations (Accrediting Organization) endorsed by the SafeLand Inc board are responsible for ensuring that the Training Providers delivering their organizations training comply with the aforementioned requirements.
For more information on becoming a SafeLandUSA Accrediting Organization, please e-mail: info@safelandusa.org.
Training Providers
Training Provider work under the endorsement of an Accrediting Organization. Therefore, it is required that all training providers deliver an accredited orientation from an Accrediting Organization endorsed by SafeLandUSA.
Training Providers may include, but are not limited to the following:
Contractors (In-house Programs)
Service Companies
Third Party Training Organizations
Technical Schools
Safety Councils
Operators & Contractors Supporting SafeLandUSA
The Operators and Contractors listed below support the SafeLandUSA Orientation, with the goal of reducing the number of accidents in our industry’s journey to zero accidents.
Participating Operators & Contractors include, but are not limited to:
3000+ TRAINERS
The orientation is delivered by over 3000 nationwide trainers meeting
the present and future needs of Energy industry workers.
Accredited Organizations
Veriforce®, comprised of the Veriforce and PEC organizations that merged in 2019, is a recognized leader in delivering comprehensive, integrated, supply chain risk management solutions that help bring workers home safely each day.
Phone: +1 800-892-8179
WVU Safety and Health Extension, a nonprofit unit of the West Virginia University Extension Service, provides quality safety and health education, technical services and applied research for the energy industry in Appalachia and across the nation.
Phone: +1 304-293-3096
Email: WVUSafeLand@mail.wvu.edu
The Energy Training Council (ETC) is a non-profit 501 c (3) organization with a primary goal of providing quality, oil and gas specific training to the oil and gas industry through member companies and affiliated educational institutions.
Phone: +1 405-422-2311
Email: etc@cvtech.edu
