Organization
PRESIDENT
SUNNI CHRISTON
Sunni Christon is the HR Manager for Ash Grove Cement – A CRH Company at the Hunter Plant in New Braunfels. She has been at Hunter since February 1998. Sunni has prided herself on building relationships; with her co-workers, the local communities, MSHA and the Department of Labor and the national mining community. While her primary responsibilities are in HR, her company has supported her involvement with the South Central Joint Mine Health and Safety Conference and local and national Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association for decades. As an integral part of her responsibilities, Sunni co-chairs the interactive Annual Training and trains new hires in safety and orientation. She has facilitated and/or produced departmental safety meetings with a humorous twist.
VICE President
Mary Ann Pritchard
Mary Ann recently retired from the Oklahoma Department of Mines after 44 years of service, the last 25 as agency director. The agency’s programs include health and safety, land reclamation, mining and non-mining blasting, and the Oklahoma Miner Training Institute. As director, she also represented Oklahoma on the Interstate Mining Compact Commission, an organization of mining states. In 2021, she joined the SCJMHSC board of directors, and has continued serving as the vice president since 2022.
Originally from Arkansas, Mary Ann first moved to Oklahoma to attend the University of Oklahoma in Norman.
She has two children and two grandchildren, all in Oklahoma City.
TREASURER
DENNIS D. JOHNSON
32 years experience in mine safety and health, 10 years as a member of the planning committee for the Conference. Full-time Safety Compliance Manager for United States Lime and Minerals overseeing processing plants throughout the South Central US.
SECRETARY
Damir Hasanovic
Damir Hasanovic is a Program Coordinator at the University of Texas at Austin Health and Safety Training Center. Damir has over seven years of experience in mine safety and health. He has served as President and Vice president on Texas Holmes chapters, He is also on the committee for the National Holmes. Has been involved with SCJMHSC since 2016.
DIRECTOR
Brittanie Phillips
Brittanie Phillips is the Senior Field Trainer at the University of Texas Health and Safety Training Center.
She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Occupational Health and Safety, as well as her associates in Applied Science Oil and Gas Production. Brittanie has over 10 years of experience in the safety sector and is a certified MSHA, OSHA, and First Aid Instructor. She serves as the current Vice President of the Hill Country Holmes Chapter. Recently, she was the Executive Producer of a documentary about the mining industry titled “We Are Miners”. Brittanie is married with 4 children and in her free time enjoys coaching them in their various youth sports and traveling the world with her family. Her husband is an Athletic Director and Coach at the small Texas school her children attend.
DIRECTOR
MONTY TOLBERT
Currently Co-Owner of MT Mine EHS Consulting, LLC. I Have been a member of the SCJMSHC Planning committee since 2012. 46 years mining experience in Industrial Sand and Crushed Stone. 37 years experience in Mine Safety & Health. Married and has 6 Children and 12 Grandchildren. Enjoy family & outdoor activities.
DIRECTOR
Brenda Powell
Brenda Powell is the Safety/Health/HR
Director for McGeorge Contracting’s Highway, Excavation and Concrete Divisions. She started with the McGeorge Associated Companies in 1986 at their Granite Mountain Quarry Division in Little Rock, AR. Where she worked the first 10 years at the quarry, promoted to Executive Admin, and has been in the Safety/Health/HR department for the past 12 years.
She has served on the Arkansas MSHA Conference Committee for the 5+ years. During the last 2 AR MSHA Conferences, she rallied the silent auction for Kids Chance of Arkansas raising record proceeds.
During 2019, assisted on the 2020 SCJMHSC sponsorship planning committee.
She has been on the Board of Directors for the National Association for Women in Construction Little Rock Chapter, member of Arkansas Asphalt Pavement Association Safety Committee, and the ACIG ( American Contractors Insurance Group) Infrastructure Safety Peer Group.
Brenda has a Degree from Arkansas State University- Beebe in Health Science. She is an American Heart Association CPR/1st Aid/AED Instructor, Certified MSHA Instructor, and has multiple certifications in Safety.
She has been married to her wonderful husband, Greg, for 29 years. 3 grown Children and 5 adorable grandchildren.
Her hobbies are International Traveling, spending time at their lake property, and Arkansas college sports.I am currently the safety director for Provence Recycling In Arkansas an independent contractor who performs various maintenance and production work in aggregate industry.
DIRECTOR
Walter Simpson
Walter has focused his career the development and training of safety initiatives. He is skilled in design and implementation of: 1) Human Resources policy and procedures; 2) behavioral safety initiatives; 3) site specific and company-wide leadership development; and 4) effective communications. He received his undergraduate degree from Troy University in Alabama and his Master’s in Psychology from Walden University in Minnesota. He holds certifications from the Society for Human Resources Management and the International Society of Mine Safety Professionals.
DIRECTOR
SUZY PATE
Suzy Pate, is the Safety Training, Compliance and HR Director for Premier Industrial Services, LLC., a heavy industrial maintenance servicing contractor. She has over 10 + years’ experience in the industry. With an extensive background in compliance. From the start-up of a new company’s safety program, assisting with the over-all operations, conducting safety training and orientation for new hires, annual refresher safety training for all Premier Industrial Services employees and it’s subcontractors, while maintaining compliance in all aspects of the company business. Suzy has previously served on the conference committee and as Secretary. When Suzy’s not busy maintaining Premier’s safety and compliance, you can find her enjoying life at one of her son’s baseball tournaments or on the lake with her husband, 4 kids and 3 grandchildren.