MEET THE SPEAKERS
Jeff Rafferty
Aviation Safety
Flight Standards, Office of Safety Standards
Assistant Manager, SMS Program Office, AFS-910
“Part 5 SMS and Positive Safety Culture”
The presentation will include a brief overview of 14 CFR Part 5 focusing on applicability, the compliance process, compliance timeframes, and validation of compliance by Aviation Safety Inspectors. What an SMS is and isn’t will be discussed. Additionally, the importance of a positive safety culture in an organization and how safety culture impacts an SMS will be presented.
About Jeff Rafferty:
Currently serving as Assistant Manager of the Safety Management Systems (SMS) Program Office within the Flight Standards Division of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Safety Standards, Jeff Rafferty leads and actively contributes to multiple initiatives aimed at shaping SMS regulations and policies. His work includes developing SMS oversight tools, creating resources for SMS and safety culture education for Aviation Safety Inspectors, and leading industry SMS outreach efforts. He also represents Flight Standards in several international safety management collaboration forums.
Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management and an FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license. Before joining the FAA in 2015, he accumulated over 20 years of aviation experience across various sectors, including aircraft manufacturing, flight testing, air carrier and charter operations, Part 147 A&P instruction, technical writing, and large OEM repair station maintenance and inspection.
Corey Jones
Owner
Safetyman Consulting LLC
“Proactive Strategies for Crisis Management and Safety”
This presentation provides essential guidance for organizations aiming to enhance their preparedness and resilience in the face of potential crises. This approach emphasizes the importance of planning and prevention over reaction, equipping teams with tools to identify and mitigate risks before they escalate. By focusing on early detection, clear communication, and comprehensive response strategies, proactive crisis management helps organizations reduce the impact of incidents on operations, reputation, and safety.
This strategy involves training staff to recognize warning signs, develop situational awareness, and respond calmly and effectively under pressure. With proactive planning, companies can protect both their people and assets while minimizing disruptions. Prioritizing proactive safety measures fosters a culture of readiness, builds confidence among employees, and strengthens organizational stability, making it a vital component of any robust risk management program.
- Pre-conflict mitigation, planning, and physical security concerns
- Recognizing signs of potential danger
- Aggressive vs. Assertive behavior
- Determining motivation
- Partnering with local resources—1st responders
Workshop:
- De-escalation and Crisis Intervention Techniques
- Active Shooter (violence) (Run-Hide-Fight) 3 D’s
- Recognizing and removing barriers to De-escalation
- Personal and organizational response plans
About Corey Jones:
I am a distinguished subject matter expert in the use of force and a seasoned media analyst with over 27 years of experience as a law enforcement officer. Notably, I was involved in the high-profile arrest of a sitting government official, which underwent comprehensive review by the New Jersey Attorney General’s office. My team and I received exemplary ratings, successfully winning both cases.
Throughout my career, I have overseen the arrest of thousands of individuals, with none resulting in any sustained criminal or civil violations against myself, my agency, or my team. As a Master of Ceremonies, I bring a wealth of public speaking and event coordination expertise. With 25 years of service at the Mt. Laurel Police Department, including 15 years as commander of the County Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, I have refined my skills in leadership, communication, and crisis management. My responsibilities have included conducting routine and advanced training, public information dissemination, community policing initiatives, internal affairs investigations, and serving as incident commander for critical events, successfully managing numerous life-threatening incidents and managing over a thousand emergencies.
In addition to my robust law enforcement background, I have collaborated with multi-billion-dollar companies (Royal Farms, Jefferson Health Systems / University and Annie Mac Mortgage) through Safetyman Consulting, offering vital instruction in conflict avoidance strategies, safety measures, and Tactical Communications training. I provide firearms and less-lethal tools training for private citizens, security personnel, and law enforcement officers. I specialize in readiness response coaching for businesses, schools, houses of worship, and daycare centers, particularly in active shooter prevention and recovery. Furthermore, I equip first responder agencies with essential skills in Incident Command and Crisis Management.
Beyond my professional pursuits, I am committed to community engagement, frequently speaking with youth to educate them on navigating police encounters while safeguarding their lives and rights. I am also actively involved in media appearances, sharing valuable insights on safety, security, and survival.
With a dedicated passion for fostering a culture of safety, resilience, readiness, and professionalism, I aim to leverage my extensive training and experience to contribute to your organization’s success. I look forward to discussing how my skills and experiences align with your needs, and I appreciate your consideration.
Media Appearances: FOX29 Philadelphia, NBC10, 6ABC and CBS3
Jenn Trallo Schreiber, MSN, MBA, RN, CPPS, CPHQ
DrPH Student, University of Illinois, Chicago
Quality and Safety Consultant, Quality Insights, LLC
“A Systems-Thinking Approach to Workplace Violence Prevention: Emerging Lessons from Healthcare”
Workplace violence encompasses a spectrum of threatened or actual physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or disruptive behavior occurring at work and impacting employees, customers, and visitors. Workplace violence contributes significantly to work-associated trauma, injury, and even death, making prevention a high priority for employers and workers alike.
Most workplace violence prevention education focuses on the important process of identifying and mitigating drivers of workplace violence incidents. However, in complex organizations operating in highly regulated environments, this training likely exists within a portfolio of safety training modules. For example, in hospitals, employees are responsible for learning safety plans related to patient care and handling, ergonomics, workplace violence, infection prevention, fire safety, and more. The amount of distinct high-priority information is overwhelming.
What if, instead of teaching employees what to do, we taught them how to think? What if employers collaborated with employees to design systems and processes that help organizations become resistant to workplace violence? Healthcare organizations and researchers are beginning to coalesce around the idea of total systems safety, applying safety science and change concepts across disciplines, departments, and risk types. This systems-thinking approach acknowledges that leaders and employees who understand and consistently apply safety principles will reduce risk across the board, including risks related to workplace violence.
This presentation and workshop will focus on the following safety science concepts as they relate to workplace violence prevention:
- Safety culture
- Systems thinking
- Individual and systems factors and failure modes
- Human-centered design
About Jenn Schreiber:
Jenn Schreiber is a passionate advocate for patient and workforce safety as a key driver of population health and equity. She is a collaborative, creative problem solver and systems thinker who thrives through helping teams succeed. Jenn has extensive experience as a hospital and health system quality, safety, and risk management leader where she was responsible for improving patient outcomes, ensuring staff safety, educating clinical staff and executives, maintaining highly reliable operations, and patient advocacy. Now, she leverages that experience on various consulting projects with federal and private clients, in which she conducts quantitative and qualitative analysis on a broad array of clinical and operational healthcare topics to support healthcare policy development, performs environmental scans, coordinates collaborative learning networks, provides practical solutions to improve processes, and develops briefings for various audiences.
Jenn is currently a Doctor of Public Health student at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from New York University, an MBA in Healthcare Administration from Wilmington University, a Master of Science in Nursing from Wilmington University, and a post-graduate certificate in Safety, Quality, Informatics, and Leadership from Harvard Medical School. Jenn is also a Certified Professional in Patient Safety and a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality. She has been invited to speak at Harvard Medical School, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and for the New Jersey Hospital Association, among others.
Jenn is a Principal Healthcare Analyst for Ripple Effect and is also available for consultation through Quality Insights, LLC. She can be contacted via LinkedIn.
Rick Thompson, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
A Better You Counseling Services
“Mental Health in the Workplace”
Rates of anxiety, depression, social isolation, and job burnout rose dramatically between March 2020 and 2022. This presentation will be addressing the importance of understanding mental health and how it can affect the workplace. When people feel anxious or depressed, the quality, pace, and performance of their work tends to decline.
We have the power to help make our workplaces more aware of mental health needs and being supportive. Doing so will help employers help employees make space for their lives outside work and support long‑term professional growth. Organizations that prioritize mental health by decreasing stigma around accessing mental health support can have many benefits. These organizations that focus on worker well-being have reported higher productivity and retention rates. A healthy workforce is the foundation for thriving organizations and a healthy community.
Workshop: “Thriving at Work: Building Your Mental Wellness Toolkit.”
You will learn simple tools to fill your Mental Wellness Toolkit so you can manage your thoughts and emotions better so you can be your best you. Participants will be equipped with practical tools and strategies to promote their own mental wellbeing and support others experiencing mental health challenges.
About Rick Thompson:
Rick Thompson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been working in the mental health field since 1997. He graduated from Brigham Young University Idaho in 1998 with his Associates Degree, received his Bachelor’s of Social Work degree from Brigham Young University-Hawaii in 2001, and received his Master’s degree in Social Work from Boise State University in 2003. He started his career in 1997 by working with youth in group homes, detention centers, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, and residential programs in Idaho and Hawaii. Rick has been doing individual, marriage, group, and family counseling since 2003 with children, teens, and adults. Rick has treated individuals with emotional and behavioral issues including depression, anxiety, anger, PTSD, self-mutilation, sexual abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual addictions, as well as marital and family issues.
Due to his clinical experience, he was asked to provide crisis counseling for the 2017 Las Vegas Shooting and spent three weeks helping those devastated by the Maui fires in 2024. He has been asked to present to organizations on leadership, communication, crisis intervention, and mental health issues in the workplace. Rick and his family moved to St. George, Utah in 2016 so Rick could further his career and currently helps with mental health needs internationally. He married his best friend and beautiful wife Michelle in 2000 and they have three amazing children together.
Neal Arnold
Cybersecurity Advisor Law Enforcement Liaison
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Integrated Operations Division – Region 4
“Phone Security After Salt Typhoon”
Jeremy Barclay
Managing Director of Safety
SkyWest Airlines
“Safety Culture and SMS Continuous Improvement”
Safety culture is shaped in many ways. When safety leaders understand their role as a “linchpin” in establishing a strong safety culture, it becomes clearer how to positively impact safety performance and continuous improvement at all levels of the organization. During this presentation, we will review the key components of a strong safety culture, including tools and resources to respond to failure in a way that enhances organizational learning and improvement. We will also discuss safety culture measurements, including key actions and indicators to implement in an organization.
About Jeremy Barclay:
Jeremy Barclay became SkyWest Airlines’ Managing Director of Safety in May 2021. In this role, Jeremy oversees SkyWest’s Safety Department, including the Safety Management System (SMS), OSHA and Environmental Programs, Dangerous Goods / Hazardous Materials (DG/HM), Emergency Response, Internal Evaluation Program (IEP), Investigations, Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA), Line Operation Safety Audit (LOSA), Corporate Technical Publications & Standards (CTPS) and Security program.
Jeremy started at SkyWest in 2003, working as an airport operations agent in Salt Lake City, Utah. He joined the Airport Operations Standards and Training team in April of 2004, where he promoted to Manager with oversight of all Airport Operations regulatory training and standards. He joined the Safety department in April 2011, where he served as Director Safety Evaluation and Security, Director Safety Policy and Security, Director Safety Programs, and Director Safety Assurance.
During the past 12 years, Jeremy has been involved in all aspects of SkyWest’s safety and security programs. He was a key leader in SkyWest’s SMS implementation and certification process. Jeremy holds a bachelor’s degree in aviation management and a master’s in business administration (MBA). Jeremy and his wife, Mary Ann, live in Layton, Utah with their two sons and daughter.
Tiffany Whilden
Director of Safety
Ryan Air, INC. Alaska
“Scalable and Simplistic SMSs Based on Emphasizing Purpose, People and Performance”
- Enhancing current operational statuses to meet SMS requirements.
- Updating current documentation and dissemination processes.
- Employee buy-in/participation leading to an evolving safety culture.
- Employee engagement at all levels of the organization.
- Employee reporting: lessons learned/just culture.
- Building trust and boosting morale.
About Tiffany Whilden:
Tiffany Whilden is the dedicated Director of Safety at (part 135 operations) Ryan Air, INC. Alaska. She brings 16 years of experience in aviation with 14 of those years going strong focusing on safety. Her journey in aviation began over twenty years ago. She started in ground ops, worked in admin supported multiple departments then transitioned into safety. Tiffany earned her Certificate of Aviation Safety Management Systems from the University of Southern California and her Certificate of Management in Aviation Safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Throughout her various roles in aviation, her passion for safety flourished. She was instrumental in a team that implemented the first part 121 regional airline’s SMS to be accepted and approved by the FAA in the United States. In her present role, Tiffany is currently leading the implementation and continuously enhancing Ryan Air’s SMS at all intricate levels. Her commitment to inspiring and empowering the team leads to a transformative shift in the safety culture and day-to-day operations. With Tiffany at the helm, safety is not just a priority – it’s a way of life.
Robin Schelling
CEO and Founder
Nexus Software Systems
Melvin Rodriguez
CEO and Founder
Nexus Software Systems
“The Vital Role of Safety Professionals in Drug and Alcohol Testing and Awareness“
The importance of drug and alcohol testing in Safety initiatives and highlighting the role of safety professionals in promoting awareness and compliance.
About Robin Schelling:
With over 25 years of experience in workplace safety, health, drug testing and DOT compliance, Robin L. Schelling is a dedicated professional whose work has significantly impacted the field. She holds a Master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, a graduate certificate in contemporary theory of addictive behavior, and bachelor’s degree in occupational safety and health.
Robin isa CSP, STS, National Certified Counselor, Addiction Counselor, DOT SAP, and Nuclear Substance Abuse Expert. As the founder and CEO of SAP Safety & Consulting and Robin Leah Counseling, Robin combines her expertise in occupational safety and mental health to foster safer work environments. In her role as Global Substance Prevention Program/ DOT Compliance Manager at Chevron Corporation, she has been at the forefront of developing strategies that ensure compliance and address the gaps between physical and psychological safety. Robin’s previous roles at Chevron include Fitness forDuty Process Advisor, IncidentInvestigation and Reporting Specialist, and Field Safety Specialist. She serves on the Safety, Fire & Health EmergencyResponse Team and spent 6 years as anHSE recruiter.
Aaron Fettig
Aviation Safety Specialist
University of North Dakota
“Struggles and Successes of Collegiate ASAP Facilitation”
As flight training providers work to keep up with demand for pilot hiring, more and more collegiate flight training programs are adopting FAA-approved safety initiatives such as SMS and ASAP. These programs can offer great benefits to flight training providers, but often come with their own set of challenges as flight schools adapt program frameworks created for air carriers to the unique environment of pilot training. This presentation will highlight some of these challenges, a few lessons learned, and the benefits the program can offer to the schools who are creating the next generation of aviation professionals.
About Aaron Fettig:
Aaron Fettig is an Aviation Safety Specialist at the University of North Dakota’s John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, one of the largest FAR Part 141 collegiate flight training programs in the country. He serves as manager for UND’s Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), and assists the Director of Aviation Safety with Safety Risk Management and Safety Assurance processes within the framework of UND’s Safety Management System.
Aaron graduated from UND in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics. Prior to joining UND’s safety office, he spent 12 years in various aviation roles, including time as a flight instructor, corporate and part 135 pilot, and flight training manager. In addition to his safety role, Aaron still teaches both on the ground and in the air, serving as an adjunct lecturer for various academic courses in UND’s aviation curriculum as well as teaching flight instructor applicants in the airplane.
Leah Botkin
ASAP Manager
Fuzion Safety, WBAT & SMS Experts
ASAP Facilitation Services
About Leah Botkin:
Leah joined the aviation field in 2013 when she obtained her FAA Dispatch License. She worked for the same 121 carrier from then until she joined UTRS in 2024. She was a part of the team that began the SOC department and then moved to IEP. She was invited to create and manage a new department of CASS and Tech Ops Safety Assurance. After completing training with the FAA at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center and A&P school, she accepted the position of Manager of SMS.
FUN FACTS: Leah received her first aviation degree from Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of aviation, and she continues to return there to speak and participate in curriculum-building exercises. Her grandfather, father, brother, and uncle have all had some degree of aviation career. She enjoys motorcycles, drag racing, and all things that go fast.
Meet the Speakers
