speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Ricky Rollins

Ricky grew up in Jefferson, SC, 50 miles southeast of Charllotte. He went to work for Nucor Steel, based in Charlotte and now the largest steel producer in the US, in 1980 as a Melting Department Clerk in Darlington, SC. Ricky held various hourly and management positions with Refractory and Steel companies, gaining a wealth of experience in steel operations. As his family grew Ricky became a key team player in the construction and start-up of Steel Dynamic, Inc. He held multiple supervisory positions and became Melting Manager in 2017, serving in this capacity until his retirement in January of 2017. Passionate about steel industry and its unique safety challenges he knows firsthand, Ricky searched for a way to give back and share his stories about the responsibility of safety that extends beyond one’s personal protection. He started Ricky Rollins Safety Speeches and though he calls South Carolina “home” he travels all around the county, inspiring people to think smarter about safety and how it can affect their circle of inter-personal relationships. Ricky is a storyteller with five different stories in his presentation, each with a different lesson. Ricky was a Top Five Speaker at the 2019 National Safety Council Congress and Expo and chosen for a Keynote presentation at the 2020 National Safey Council Congress & Expo. He has presented for organizations and companies such as, twice for NASA, The Department of Energy, Exxon, Amazon, Marathon and Kellogg’s.

Robert Emery, DrPH, CHP, CIH, CSP, CBSP, CHMM, CPP, ARM

Dr. Emory is the Vie President for Safety, Health, Environment, & Risk Management at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and Professor of Occupational Health at the University of Texas School of Public Health. He has over 40 years of experience in health & safety and holds master’s degrees in health physics and environmental sciences, and doctorate in occupational health. He is responsible for the health and safety of over 17,000 students, faculty, and staff in classrooms, laboratories, offices, and clinical care settings spread over an area equal to the size of the state of Texas. Bob is unique on that he possesses national board certification and registration in seven main areas of health & safety.

B.A. Environmental Sciences, University of NC Wilmington
M.S.P.H. University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
M.S.E.H. East Carolina University
DrPH University of Texas School of Public Health

Karen Caterino, MBA, ARM-P

Karen Caterino, MBA, ARM-P, Senior Vice President joined the Alliant Public Entity Specialty Group in 2021. In her role, Karen works with Alliant colleagues and clients, utilizing her knowledge and understanding of their unique risk and insurance needs to optimize risk management and brokering solutions. Her focus is on leading public entity, education and pooling business growth and development initiatives. She specializes in placing large/complex casualty and workers compensation programs. Her background in risk management and insurance, consultative sales leadership, innovative program development and client team management is helping Alliant develop deeper client relationships while delivering excellence to the client experience.

Karen has been in the industry for over 24 years in various positions in healthcare, risk management and insurance. Prior to joining Alliant, Karen worked at a global insurance brokerage as the Center of Excellence Leader for the western region public sector and higher education practice. Karen also spent 8 years in public service, serving as a city benefits/risk manager and as a state risk manager. She is an active member and presenter with PRIMA and STRIMA and hosts a podcast series “Igniting Next Gen” for careers in risk and insurance.

Karen graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Roanoke College, Salem VA and from University of Phoenix with her MBA. She has an Associate in Risk Management-Public Entities (ARM-P), is a Certified Public Manager®(CPM) and Certified Government Benefits Administrator (CGBA) and is currently a CPCU® candidate. Karen was awarded the LexisNexis® Most Notable Person in Workers Compensation and is a published author and presenter. She has received two Outstanding Achievement Awards from PRIMA for her work on Cardiac Wellness Program for Public Safety and Workforce Pandemic Flu Planning. She is a licensed Property/Casualty broker.

Outside of work, Karen is an avid golfer and fly fisher, enjoys volunteering and a proud mom of her daughter, Gigi, who works in London as a wholesale insurance broker.

Dennis Padgett

Dennis Padgett is a seasoned safety professional with over 25 years in frequency management, ergonomic planning, fleet safety, property protection, and compliance. He has spent 25 years at Coca Cola Consolidated, the largest independent US bottler, and held roles from Safety Specialist to Sr. Director of Risk Control. Dennis leads safety across plants, distribution centers, warehouses and vending centers. Dennis values helping people and believes this core value is essential for successful safety leaders. He enjoys fostering collaboration, diverse thinking, and innovative approaches to achieve success. Dennis is married with four adult children and two grandchildren. He plays in a regional band, enjoys golf, holds a MESH certification and is part of the servant leadership team at Coca Cola Consolidated.