New Leadership Team for Childhood Agricultural Safety Network

Tuesday, August 16th, 2022 -- 10:00 AM

-The Childhood Agricultural Safety Network, a coalition of organizations and individuals established in 1999 through collaboration between the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, the Progressive Agriculture Foundation and Farm Safety 4 Just Kids, has named its first-ever leadership team.

 The six-person leadership team was drawn from more than 170 organizations and individuals who comprise the Childhood Agricultural Safety Network. They were introduced June 13 at the CASN annual in-person meeting in Fort Collins, Colo.

Leadership team members are:

• Cheryl Beseler, associate professor, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center;
• Marsha Cheyney, evaluation and outreach coordinator, Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health, University of Iowa;
• Jana Davidson, program manager, Progressive Agriculture Foundation;
• Melanie Forti, Health and Safety Programs Director and Children In the Fields Campaign Director, Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs;
• Whitney Pennington, outreach program coordinator, High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety, Colorado State University;
• And David Sullivan, director of programs, Ag Health & Safety Alliance.

Team responsibilities include helping with the selection of topics and content for CASN campaigns, identifying potential collaborators, helping to lead strategic planning for the network, and engaging members in the CASN Online Community.

More frequent formal interactions, in addition to utilizing the new CASN Online Community, should enhance one of CASN’s long-time strengths: sharing members’ resources for the benefit of all members and for CASN campaigns.

The first major campaign with the new team in place will feature all-terrain vehicle and utility-terrain vehicle (ATV/UTV) safety. The National Children’s Center is a program of the National Farm Medicine Center, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute.

It is one of 11 agricultural health and safety centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.