NATE Welcomes Kathy Stieler as Director of Safety, Health & Compliance
For Immediate Release:
June 16, 2021
NATE Welcomes Kathy Stieler as Director of Safety, Health & Compliance
(Watertown, SD.) – NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announces the hiring of Kathy Stieler as Director of Safety, Health & Compliance, a new staff position established by the Association. Kathy officially begins her duties with NATE today.
Stieler, a long-time industry subject matter expert and safety professional, joins NATE after serving as Director, ERI Installations and Safety since 2012. During her tenure at ERI Installations, Kathy’s leadership was instrumental in managing the company’s tower crews through a safe and successful broadcast repack transition.
As the NATE Director of Safety, Health & Compliance, Stieler will be tasked with directing, developing and overseeing the general health and safety policies and procedures of the Association to ensure its safety materials and best practices documents are in compliance with OSHA and other applicable state and local regulations and standards. In her new role, Stieler will also be available to provide technical subject matter expertise to the Association’s member companies, as well as helping these businesses navigate the oftentimes onerous compliance onboarding process.
“Today, I get to embark on an amazing journey that will allow me to work alongside the NATE staff and to work for the Association’s member companies whom I respect so much,” stated Stieler. “I am excited and honored to have this opportunity to assist the NATE membership as we work toward our common goals to ensure the continued well-being of tower and communications infrastructure personnel, and to progress toward safer standards and practices within the industry. My passion for safety is well known by all who know me. I hope to pass that passion along to everyone as we work side by side,” Stieler added.
“NATE is elated to welcome Kathy Stieler to the team,” said Chairman Jimmy Miller from Gulfport, Mississippi. “Through the establishment of this Director of Safety, Health & Compliance position, NATE is doubling down on safety and investing directly into our growing membership of companies. Kathy will be a tremendous asset and I encourage member companies to leverage her expertise to enhance their respective safety cultures,” added Miller.
Please help us welcome Kathy Stieler to the NATE family! Kathy can be reached via email at [email protected]. Visit www.natehome.com to learn more about NATE.
Kathy Stieler Biography
Kathy is a graduate of Purdue University in 1979, earning a Bachelor of Science from the School of Management. Kathy’s focus of study was Labor Relations with a Minor in Psychology.
Kathy was hired directly out of Purdue by Swanson-Nunn Electric Company in Evansville, Indiana to be their first Personnel and Safety Director. Kathy was the first female construction safety and health director in the Evansville area. She engaged with the organizations leaders to integrate an effective safety and health culture into a successful business, meeting the needs of the business and having a positive impact on retention and workforce development. Her duties included the human resource functions, as well as safety and health. This included a proactive approach to equipment inspections, record keeping, OSHA logs, risk mitigation/management, safety pre-qualifications, DOT compliance, and OSHA relations. During her tenure, she worked with the team to reduce the corporate EMR factor from 1.39 to .70 and impacted the operating cost of the business in a positive manner.
Kathy instituted a program to train and develop a union workforce that worked in 28 states. This workforce varied from 300 to 500 employees, all needing to meet the safety, health, quality, and productivity requirements of the business. The success of this program was recognized by others and she was hired by the IBEW / NECA Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee to teach the OSHA 10 course to all 700 IBEW Local 16 electricians.
The program that Kathy developed for Swanson-Nunn was recognized nationally and was highlighted in the National Electrical Contractors magazine for an effective corporate safety and health program.
Kathy subsequently purchased Reddinger Constructors, Inc., RCI. RCI’s work included industrial plant maintenance, lock and dams, and new “big box” development. Kathy developed a corporate safety and health program that reduced RCI’s experience mod factor from 1.03 to .59. Kathy’s corporate safety and health program at RCI was awarded the Business Roundtable Superior Corporate Safety Recognition.
In 2011 Kathy had the opportunity to work with Electronics Research and became the Corporate Safety and Health Director in July of 2012. The telecommunications industry was experiencing explosive growth at this time and it was essential that organizations had business centric safety and health programs in place. Engaging with the business needs Kathy was able to support the existing resources and enhance the sub-contractor pool for the FCC’s Broadcast Repack
In March of 2013, Kathy took over the role of Director, ERI Installations and Safety. Her workforce included 3 crews and 12 primary subcontractors. Projects included installation of towers from 250’ to 2000’, installation of modifications on towers from 250’ to 2000’, antenna installations at all elevations that include top mount antennas and antennas on candelabras, and antennas removed and installed by helicopter. Kathy currently holds a Tower Specialty Contractor License in Florida, and recently passed the NASCLA exam which is used by state contractor licensing agencies to test commercial general building contractor candidates who are applying for a contractor’s license in multiple jurisdictions. All of this led to the support of the FCC’s broadcast repack which had an aggressive schedule established by the FCC and concern was high that this work be done safely while meeting the schedule. It was a success for ERI, the in-house workforce working with the sub-contractor pool allowed them to meet the goals for the FCC and their clients while protecting the teams
Kathy is active as a member of the A10.48 Standard for the telecommunications industry. In addition, Kathy is an editor for the Telecommunications Industry Foundation’s planning advisory notices and white papers. Kathy led the contractors working group working with federal OSHA, carriers, tower owners and others to create the white paper.
Kathy is also currently serving on the American National Standards Institute for Construction and Demolition Operations Committee (A10) as an alternate and as a formal observer representing the NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association. She contributed to the Tower Foreman Task Force NWSA (National Wireless Safety Association) Committee and is currently participating on the TIRAP (Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program) Resource Development Committee.
Kathy and her husband Mick have been married for 40 years and have three daughters and six grandchildren (Michelle Buchanan, husband Jason and children Tysia, Tavian, Piper, Lilah and Stella; Christine Williams, husband Jesse and daughter Tara and daughter Kari Stieler and fiancé Kevin Gannon).
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About NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association is a non-profit trade association dedicated to providing a unified voice for companies in the diverse tower and communications infrastructure construction, service and maintenance industries. Today the Association boasts over 1,070 member companies located throughout the United States, Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, China, Guam, Israel, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Trinidad and the United Kingdom. For additional information on NATE, please visit natehome.com.
Contact: Todd Schlekeway
(605) 882-5865
