Safety professionals honored for advancing workplace safety globally.
DENVER –The National Safety Council has honored five individuals with the Distinguished Service to Safety Award, the highest award given to safety professionals by NSC. Recipients were honored at the 2025 NSC Safety Congress & Expo in Denver.
After reviewing nominations from the general public and NSC members, NSC Division Committees recognized the following safety leaders:
Kevin R. Cannon, Senior Director, Safety, Health & Risk Management, Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)
Kevin is a recognized safety leader who plays a pivotal role in driving national improvements in construction safety. With over three decades of experience, he leads advocacy, education and risk management strategies for the foremost commercial construction trade association in the U.S., positively impacting the health and safety of thousands of employers and workers.
Shaun Carvalho, Chief Safety Officer, Shawmut Design and Construction
As Chief Safety Officer responsible for the safety of over 60,000 workers annually, lost workday incident rates saw a 47% reduction since 2019 under his leadership. Shaun has created a strong culture of care focusing on total worker wellness and implemented innovative safety strategies that have helped maintain zero OSHA citations over the last nine years, an impressive feat for high-risk construction sites.
Dr. Jay R. Harf, Vice President, Global EHS, Xylem Inc.
As a globally recognized EHS executive with over 30 years of leadership experience in high-risk industries and Fortune 500 companies, Jay has introduced impactful safety initiatives for thousands of employees worldwide while fostering cultures of care, accountability and operational excellence in Safety.
William "Jack" Jackson, Senior Consultant, SafeStart
A prominent safety thought leader and top-rated speaker, Jack has spent decades transforming the safety culture of some of the most dangerous industries. He has maintained himself as a prominent mentor in the field, empowering over 90,000 professionals worldwide while being ranked in NSC’s Top 10 speakers for nine consecutive years.
Dr. Veera Kumar Mohan, Internal Quality Assurance Specialist – Health, Safety and Environment, Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute (ADVETI)
Dr. Veera has been recognized as a global trailblazer in occupational health and safety education, with over two decades of experience in safety leadership in manufacturing, construction, engineering and education. He has developed revolutionary curriculum including VR-based safety training, helped establish national and global qualification standards and directly trained thousands of safety professionals.
“The 2025 Distinguished Service to Safety Award recipients demonstrate what it means to be a true safety leader and hero,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC CEO. "Their lifelong commitment to making our workplaces safer has helped prevent countless injuries and save lives.”
Launched in 1942, the award has honored safety professionals whose work has advanced injury prevention worldwide. For more information about the Distinguished Service to Safety Award and other NSC awards, visit nsc.org/awards.
About the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council is America’s leading nonprofit safety advocate – and has been for over 110 years. As a mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the workplace and roadways. We create a culture of safety to not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace so they can live their fullest lives.
For media inquiries, please contact media@nsc.org.
With a century-long legacy, the National Safety Council is a global center for safety expertise. Let's work together to align resources. We look forward to learning about ways we can join efforts to expand safety everywhere!
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