Our Team

John works as the Safety Director for Choate Construction in Charlotte, NC. John has been in Construction his whole life and started as a Carpenter and worked his way up through the Superintendent ranks. John has now spent approx. the last 16 years in Safety. John was hurt once himself and was out of work for 2 1/2 years which is what really drives his passion. He also enjoys presenting on that topic for all who will listen, The Ripple Effect.

Outside of work John is married and has five children. He enjoys all types of outdoor activities including hunting, fishing, camping, and tinkering with old cars.

Joseph Lee is employed with American Chrome and Chemicals in Castle Hayne, just outside of Wilmington, NC. Joseph has spent most of his adult working career in the chemical manufacturing business in various roles. Joseph’s passion for safety comes from seeing too many senseless accidents in the workplace; having lost his father in a workplace accident.

Outside of work Joseph is married, has two children, one grandchild and a special four-legged baby. He and his family enjoy pool time, camping, and yard work.

Donna Daniel is employed with Clean Harbors Reidsville which is a Hazardous Waste Transfer, Storage, Disposal Facility. Donna has been employed with Clean Harbors for 25 years and has had the opportunity to work in various positions within the Reidsville plant. Currently, Donna is a Facility Operations Supervisor with Clean Harbors.

Donna is a Certified Star Special Team member and enjoys working on evaluations with NCDOL. Donna lives in Northwest Greensboro and has one grown daughter. Donna also has a four legged grand baby named Lily Grace.

In her spare time Donna enjoys reading, camping and spending time with family and friends.

Sharon Drescher is a Corporate Regional HSE Manager with Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC in Greensboro, NC. Sharon has over 35 years of experience in the areas of Health, Safety, Environment, and Security. Sharon has been with Syngenta for 21 years and other legacy companies prior to Syngenta supporting several business units within the company. Sharon has RMP and PSM experience and really enjoys the R&D portion of the business. Sharon is a certified Star Special Team Member and is currently serving as Secretary on the Board.

Sharon is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a degree in Chemistry.
Outside of work, Sharon spends time with her husband Steve, who is retired, and Tyler dog and visiting the children and grandchildren whom all live far away. She enjoys swimming, playing handbells and singing in the church choir.

Doug Wilkinson is a Corporate EH&S Manager for Cambrex, a contract Pharmaceutical Development and Manufacturing company. Doug has worked at the Cambrex Durham site for the past 19 years where he worked as a senior research chemist for the first 11 years and as Corp EH&S Manager the last 8 years. Doug has over 30 years of experience as a laboratory chemist during which time he has been actively involved with laboratory and site safety programs. He received his BS in Chemistry from the University of Central Florida and his MS in Chemistry from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Doug was an avid surfer for much of his life but is now content to just relax on the beach when he can get there and maybe do a little fishing.  He has lived in Wake Forest for the past 17 years with his wife Cathy, son Cody and daughter Sierra.

Jennifer Pastern recently joined as an EH&S Analyst with TE Connectivity in Greensboro, NC. Jennifer’s journey with Star began in 2009 with a previous employer working with the team to become certified. Jennifer became a Health & Safety Coordinator in 2020 within another legacy Star site, earning her M.E.S.H Certificate in 2022. Jennifer is a Special Star Team Member and served as Team Lead of the Safety Squad in the past. Jennifer has a passion for bringing creativity, fun, and challenging improvement adventures to her programs and teams. 

Jennifer is a native of Long Island, NY, but currently resides in Lexington with her partner, Shawn and daughter, Emily.

Outside of work, Jennifer spends time with her family and friends, enjoys cooking, and traveling.

Joy Gantt is employed with Pfizer in Rocky Mount, North Carolina as a QC Sr Technical Documentation Specialist. She has been with Pfizer in the Chemical Quality Department for over 18 years holding several positions. She started participating as a leader in safety soon after her employment began.

She serves as a Laboratory Safety Facilitator, Chemical Hygiene Officer, Emergency Response and HAZWOPER Team Member.

She also has an accreditation in Office Ergonomics.

Joy attended her first Carolina Star Safety Conference in 2013 and has served as Team Lead for the Safety Gators in the past.

Joy has an Associate in Science Degree, Medical Laboratory Certification (ASCP), and a Bachelors in Environmental Science

In her spare time she loves spending time with her granddaughters Lyla, Lille, and Laila.

Mark Logue is the Environmental, Health, and Safety Manager for Kellogg’s in Cary, NC.  He has been with Kellogg’s since 2018 and practicing in the EHS field for over 20 years.  He earned his BS in Biology and Masters in Environmental Management from Florida Atlantic University.  He as been an SSTM member since 2019. 

Mark currently resides in Holly Springs, NC with his three children.  He is looking forward to his two oldest to start heading off to college and excited to see what they can achieve.  He plans to enjoy spending more time with his youngest before she starts high school next year.  In his free time he likes being on the lake, fishing, diving, and just about anything to do around the water. 

Rich Gerber AKA “Gerb” has been employed with Mt. Olive Pickle Co.  Mt. Olive, North Carolina for the last 25+ years serving roles in CMMS, Safety, and Public Relations.  Rich is a native Jersey boy but has chosen North Carolina as home and where he plans to someday retire.

Rich is a past President of the Carolina Star Safety Conference Board of Directors, currently having responsibilities in Registration.

Rich along with his wife Lisa enjoy Dancing, Halloween, anything scary, shoes (anything fashion related), and most outdoor activities.  Together they have three children, two dogs, a cat, and an extended family of close friends who they love spending time with.

Christina is employed with the NC Department of Environmental Quality as the Laboratory Safety and Training Coordinator.  She has been working for the NC Government for 10 years as a safety officer and Chemist.  She has MESH Certificates in General Industry and Construction and is a certified trainer in First Aid/CPR/AED and Wilderness First Aid.  Christina enjoys traveling around the state to train on ways to work safely.  She has been a Special Star Team member since 2023. 

Christina resides in Sanford, NC with her four children.  She enjoys knitting, sci-fi, and comic conventions.  She also enjoys visiting museums and aquariums with her kids.

Jennifer is the EHS Site and Security leader for GE Aerospace Wilmington. She has been in the area for 4 years pervious to that she was in the Kentucky/Ohio area. Between GE Aerospace, and previous companies she has been in a safety role for over 15 years. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a bachelor’s degree in occupational safety and a minor is fire science.

She as functioned as co-lead and lead for the Safety Sharks and has been part of that since joining the GE Aerospace Wilmington team 4 years again.

Outside of work Jennifer enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with family and friends.

Brian Houser is a production Supervisor at Milliken and Company. Over 35+ years with the company, he has held various roles in the Safety process at the plant. He is a SSTM for the NCDOL and is a member of the Safety Stars. He lives in Casar, NC and is married to his wife Kristy. They have two grown daughters Chelsea and Kaitie, as well as two grand dogs Rhett and Hank.

In his spare time, he enjoys working on projects, and volunteering at his church.

Barbara Lytle is a Project Executive for LeChase Construction.  She started in construction in 1987 as a timekeeper for McDevitt & Street Company and has worked her way up thru the ranks, through three acquisitions, (McDevitt & Street to Bovis to Lend Lease to LeChase) for a total of 42 years.  She currently works as a Safety Manager for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools Program Management Project where she has been for the last 13 years.  She married her high school sweetheart Rick, has 2 children Kellie & Chad, and has five grandchildren, Katelynn, Vivienne, Madison, Abel, and Leo.  She likes to go camping and spend time with her pets, 3 rescue dogs, Bailey, Bella and Milo, one rabbit Pete-Pete and 3 tanks of fresh-water fish.

Stephen Kelly is the EHS Manager at Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. in Greenville, North Carolina, where he has been driving a culture of Safety Excellence since 2021. He holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Health and Safety Management and has maintained his Certified Safety Professional (CSP) credential since 2016. Stephen is a dedicated member of the Safety Gators regional team, striving to uphold the highest standards of workplace safety.

Originally from Iowa, Stephen and his family embraced an exciting new chapter by relocating to North Carolina in 2021. As a proud transplant, he appreciates the dynamic mix of people and experiences that make the state such a wonderful place to call home.

Outside of work, Stephen is a passionate foodie and traveler who treasures quality time with his family. Whether hiking, scuba diving, camping along the tranquil Pamlico Sound, or relaxing on the beach, he embraces every opportunity to immerse himself in the great outdoors.

LaMont D. Smith is a native of Lexington, Kentucky. He is a proud graduate of Mississippi Valley State University where he was awarded a full football scholarship and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Subsequently, LaMont received a Master of Science Degree in Public Health from the University of Kentucky.

Currently, LaMont is a Program Manager for the North Carolina Department of Labor – Occupational Safety and Health Division (NCDOL OSH). He oversees the Carolina Star Program which is one of the nation’s most prolific OSHA Voluntary Protection Programs. In addition, LaMont oversees one of the most recognized safety awards programs in the state of North Carolina. LaMont has been employed with the North Carolina Department of Labor since 1993, and he has several years of professional experience in both the public and private sectors. During his tenure with the NCDOL, LaMont has served in a management/supervisory role since 2001. Additionally, LaMont has served as an advisory board member for the Carolina Star Safety Conference, Inc. since 2003.

Outside of professional responsibilities, LaMont enjoys community service work and traveling with his wife.

Carlene Harris is a Safety/Star Program Consultant for the Carolina Star Program. She has been employed with the NCDOL since 2013 and was previously employed as a Safety Compliance Officer for almost 20 years with the USDOL – Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Virginia and Rhode Island. She is an Advisory Board Member on the Carolina Star Board that oversees the annual Carolina Star Conference. She is a native of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and graduated from Northeastern University with a B.S. in Communications. She currently resides in the Raleigh area with her husband and enjoys traveling.

Michelle is a Safety/Star Program Consultant for the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL), OSH Division and has been employed with the NCDOL since 2012. Michelle was a Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO I and CSHO II) for four years, before transferring to a Star Program Consultant. Michelle lead and assisted her previous employer to reach Carolina Star and Rising Star status at two NC locations. These past years have been full of experiences that included adventures, personal growth and accomplishments. Being able to get back involved in the Carolina Star Program has been challenging and rewarding. As quoted by Joseph Joubert “We must respect the past, and mistrust the present, if we wish to provide for the safety of the future.”

Morgan is an Industrial Hygiene Star Program Consultant with the North Carolina Department of Labor. She is a native of Ramseur, North Carolina. Morgan graduated from East Carolina University in May 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health Science and again in December 2017 with a master’s degree in Occupational Safety. May 2019, Morgan earned the Certified Safety Professional certification from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. Morgan holds a Part 107 certificate from the FAA and serves as a drone pilot for the NCDOL drone team. Morgan currently resides in Asheboro with her daughter – Monroe, cats – Zoey and Cheddar Beau, and Yorkie – Delilah.

When she isn’t chasing Monroe around, she enjoys yoga, shopping, and pampering herself. Morgan is passionate about being the best mom she can be and guiding workplaces to build stronger safety cultures.

Tyrone Taylor is a Star Program Safety Consultant. He spent 22 years with the MN OSHA Compliance Program, beginning as a Safety Investigator in 1999. Tyrone was promoted to Supervisor in 2005 and then to his most recent position of Director with the MN OSHA Consultation Program in 2015. Tyrone received his B.S. in Industrial Technology from Iowa State University in 1997 and earned his M.B.A. from the University of MN’s Carlson School of Management in 2009. Tyrone also served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve as an artillery gunner from 1990 until receiving his honorable discharge at the rank of Corporal in 1998.

Chris is an Industrial Hygiene Star Program Consultant with the North Carolina Department of Labor. He is a native of Kentucky and a graduate of Murray State University with a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Safety and Health Engineering / Industrial Hygiene. Chris has vast experience in chemical, blown-film web handling, lithium processing and electric co-operative industries ranging from single-site to global management responsibilities in ESH, Quality and Manufacturing roles. Chris is passionate about the implementation and growth of Safety and Health, Environmental and Quality Management Systems, especially the significant positive impact of organizational discipline, continuous improvement and safety culture outcomes provided. Ultimately driving significant improvements in worker safety and health, as well as business success.