What’s happening in the ASSP Government Affairs Committee

Jim Thornton is the current Chair of the ASSP Government Affairs Committee (GAC).

The GAC represents the Society, member, and the professions interests in federal and state legislative and regulatory matters.

Jim will speak to us about the purpose and mission of the GAC and how it operates in an ever-changing and challenging environment.

The GAC comprises a very diverse committee and each member brings valuable perspectives that contribute to the development of ASSP positions on various government matters.

Jim will discuss the details of how all of this works for member benefit.

James R. Thornton, CSP, CIH

James R. (Jim) Thornton recently retired as Director, EH&S at Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). HII is the nation’s leading designer, builder and refueler of nuclear and non-nuclear aircraft carriers, submarines, and surface vessels. With 40,000 employees and $8B in annual sales, HII (Newport News Shipbuilding) was awarded the OSHA Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) STAR – the largest site in the Country. Jim held previous positions in safety and health at Research Triangle Institute in Research Triangle Park, N.C. and the Tennessee Valley Authority in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Thornton holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Auburn University, and an M.S. in Industrial Hygiene from Texas A&M University. He is a Board Certified as a Safety Professional (5442) and an Industrial Hygienist (1207). He has taught safety and health courses at Old Dominion University and Thomas Nelson Community College in Virginia.

Thornton is former Vice President of the Council on Professional Affairs Committee for ASSP, and is currently the Chairman of the Government Affairs Committee. He is a recipient of the Society’s Culbertson and President’s Award and is a Fellow of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). He served as Chairman of the OSHA Maritime Advisory Committee for Safety and Health (MACOSH), and is a recipient of the U.S. Department of Labor Distinguished Service Impact Award for his work with OSHA.

Thornton served as President of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and also Chairman of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene. He served as President of the Virginia Self-Insurers Workers Compensation Association, and Chairman of the Virginia Manufacturers Association’s Safety, Health, and Environmental Committee. He also is Past President of the Virginia Peninsula Chapter for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).