George
Swartz
Class of 2002
Background:
Mr. George Swartz was raised in western Pennsylvania during
the era of big steel. After he graduated from high school,
he was employed as a steel worker by Jones & Laughlin
Steel. He then served three years in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper.
George received his BA in Social Sciences at the University
of Pittsburgh(1972), an MS in Safety (1979) and a C.A.S. (1980)
from Northern Illinois University. In 1996 he attended Northwestern
University where he received an MS in Managerial Communications.
Professional
Experience:
Mr. Swartz was employed by Pittsburgh & Iron in Rochester,
Pennsylvania as a factory worker from 1964 to 1971. He was
then promoted to Corporate Director of Safety at PB&I
until 1974. George then went to the Buell Division of Envirotech,
Lebanon, Pennsylvania until 1977. In 1977 he moved to Chicago
to take a position as Corporate Director of Safety with Midas
International, until the year 2000. Mr. George Swartz is also
an accomplished professional consultant and writer.
Career
Highlights:
During his 31 year career in safety, Mr. Swartz has accomplished
the following: he has authored 5 books,more than 100 articles,
has been interviewed for more than 50 articles, has made more
than 135 speeches on a variety of subjects, and has provided
safety service to 18 organizations. He has received the Distinguished
Service to Safety Award from the National Safety Council,
been recognized as a Fellow by the American Society of Safety
Engineers, received the ASSE’s Charles V. Culbertson
Outstanding Volunteer Award, and was selected to be the Safety
Professional of the Year by the ASSE Management Division.
