ADAO 14th Annual International Asbestos Awareness and Prevention Conference
“Where Knowledge and Action Unite”
April 13 – 15, 2018
Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel
2018 Conference Info | Know Before You Go | Registration | Marriott Reservations | Events | Agenda | RSVP for Events | Newseum Tour and Causal Dinner | “Meet the Artists” Reception and Awards Dinner | Brunch | Honorees | Speakers | Speaker Information | Tributes | Sponsors | Media | 2017 Livestream Videos
2005 – 2017 Conference Infographic | 2005 – 2017 Conferences Honorees & Keynote Speakers
Posted on February 11, 2018
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is proud to present a weekly series “Meet the Speakers and Honorees,“ highlighting esteemed participants of our highly-anticipated 14th Annual International Asbestos Awareness & Prevention Conference! The ADAO conference, which will take place on April 13-15, 2018 in Washington, DC, combines 30 expert opinions, victims’ stories, and new technological advancements from 9 countries across the globe into one united voice raising awareness about asbestos. ADAO is the only U.S. nonprofit that organizes annual conferences dedicated solely to preventing asbestos exposure and eliminating asbestos-caused diseases. Register Here Today! http://bit.ly/2018ADAOAAPC
Honorees: Senator Jeff Merkley; Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici; Patrick J. Morrison; Jock McCulloch; Dr. Jukka Takala; Environmental Working Group (EWG); Daniel Pineda González; Eric Jonckheere; Annamarie Kearns; Rachel Shaneyfelt; Chris Graham & Michael Gillard.
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The Tribute of Hope Award Honoree – Oregon’s U.S. Senator, Jeff Merkley’s goal is to make Washington work for working Americans. Born the son of a millwright in Myrtle Creek, Oregon, the first in his family to attend college, and eventual Speaker of the Oregon House before his election to the U.S. Senate, Jeff has spent his career fighting to increase opportunities for working families. From leading the state legislature to increase education funding, pass landmark environmental and energy legislation, establish domestic partnerships, and crack down on predatory payday lending; to fighting in Washington to create living-wage jobs, improve college affordability, and push back on unfair trade policies that ship Oregon’s jobs overseas, Jeff continues to champion working families. Jeff serves on the Senate Committees on Appropriations; Environment and Public Works; Budget; and Foreign Relations.
The Tribute of Hope Award Honoree Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici represents the First Congressional District of Oregon, which comprises the Northwest portion of the state. Strengthening public education is one of Suzanne’s top priorities. As a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce in Congress, she is dedicated to giving educators and students the support they need to succeed. Suzanne serves as a member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and she is the top Democratic member on the Subcommittee on the Environment. From this position, she is working to address the causes and risks of global climate change, and to ensure that policy decisions are based on science. Suzanne graduated from Lane Community College, and the University of Oregon, where she earned her bachelor’s degree and law degree. Suzanne and her husband Michael have been married for more than thirty years. They have two grown children and a cocker spaniel named Charley.
The Tribute of Inspiration Award Honoree – Patrick J. Morrison, is the Assistant to the General President for Occupational Health, Safety and Medicine at the IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters), a union representing more than 310,000 professional fire fighters and paramedics in the United States and Canada. Mr. Morrison’s expertise is in the design and implementation of health, safety and wellness programs to improve fire fighters’ overall physical and mental health, address their medical needs and increase protections from the hazardous elements of firefighting. Prior to joining the IAFF, Mr. Morrison was a career fire fighter for 21 years with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Fairfax, Virginia.
Honored posthumously with The Dr. Irving Selikoff Lifetime Achievement Award – Jock McCulloch has worked as a Legislative Research Specialist for the Australian parliament and has taught at a number of universities. His principal interests are in the colonial history of southern Africa and the history of medicine in particular. He has done field work in Algeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Malawi and Kenya. Jock is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Social Sciences and the Australian Academy of the Humanities. Jock is co-author of the book Defending the Indefensible: The Global Asbestos Industry and its Fight for Survival.
The Dr. Irving Selikoff Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree – Jukka Takala, DSc, MSc, BSc, prior to joining the Singapore WSH Institute as the first Executive Director in 2011, he was the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) from 2006-2011. He was the coordinator of all EU regulatory agencies in 2010-11. He served the International Labour Organisation as the Director of the ILO’s Global SafeWork Programme until 2006, and earlier as an ILO Chief Technical Adviser in Africa and Asia, from 1978-1986. The ILO service period 1978-2006 included posts of the Head of the ILO’s Information Centre, and Chief of OSH Branch. He was in charge of all ILO processes related to safety and health at work and a member and chair of the ILO/WHO/UNEP/UNITAR/UNIDO/World Bank Programmes for Chemicals. Before joining the ILO in 1978 he worked at the OSH Administration in Finland.
The Tribute of Unity Award Honoree – Environmental Working Group (EWG), for more than two decades, (EWG) has been dedicated to empowering people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. EWG’s groundbreaking research has changed the debate over environmental health. From households to Capitol Hill, EWG’s team of scientists, policy experts, lawyers, communication experts and programmers has worked tirelessly to make sure someone is standing up for public health when government and industry won’t. Through their reports, online databases, mobile apps and communications and advocacy campaigns, EWG is educating and empowering consumers to make safer and more informed decisions about the products they buy and the companies they support. In 2004, EWG launched an in-depth report about asbestos with data, statistics, and internal industry memos that helped expose the asbestos industries’ decades’ long cover-up of the threat to human health.
The Alan Reinstein Award Honoree – Daniel Pineda González, Physicist, Master of Science in Geophysics, Specialist in innovation, new technologies and city management. Expert in digital marketing, and management of social networks. Together with his wife Ana Cecilia Niño RIPE, he was co-creator of the Colombia Sin Asbestos movement of which he is current leader, president of the Ana Cecilia Niño Foundation, coordinator of the national network of caregivers of patients with mesothelioma and the Latin America Without Asbestos campaign. As a lecturer he has received awards for his work in the fight against asbestos such as “National Award for Digital Social Mobilization” of the Ministry of Technology and Communications of Colombia. He was one of the 10 outstanding young leaders of the year 2017 highlighted by the International Junior Chamber organization. His favorite job: Driver of his daughter Ana Sofia.
The Alan Reinstein Award Honoree – Eric Jonckheere is a Belgian airline pilot. Asbestos is part of his everyday environment since 1937. His grand-father Paul was a key player in keeping the Eternit factories open during WW2. Pierre, his father, worked at Eternit as an engineer. He grew up in Kapelle, north of Brussels. It was paradise until the passing of Pierre due to mesothelioma in 1987. He was 59. Then his mother, Francoise, and brothers, Pierre-Paul and Stephane, suffered from the same cancer, respectively in 2000, 2003 and 2010. He became an anti-asbestos activist when he realized many families couldn’t speak up. The entire village suffers from extensive environmental exposure but the local politicians and union leaders are at the mercy of the plants owners. Since their victory in the Brussels court, they have moved the case-law and the knowledge of the dangers of asbestos to the general public. As president of ABEVA, it’s important to share experiences across borders.
The Alan Reinstein Award Honoree – Annamarie Kearns is a Mesothelioma Warrior from West Jordan, Utah. She was diagnosed in 2014 after she found herself unable to walk 5 steps without having to stop and catch her breath. Since her diagnosis with mesothelioma, Annamarie has faced several rounds of chemotherapy and aggressive surgeries. Annamarie is an active volunteer with ADAO, and shares her story in hopes of spreading awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure and to advocate for an asbestos-free future.
Honored posthumously with The Alan Reinstein Award – Rachel Shaneyfelt was in her first year of clinical rotations for nurse practitioner school when she started experiencing shortness of breath which lead to her diagnosis of mesothelioma. Rachel dedicated her life to helping others, from her career as a nurse to how she spent her personal time. Rachel was a fiercely dedicated activist fighting for an asbestos-free future, she couldn’t stand the thought of the evils of asbestos sickening other innocent people. She penned numerous letters to Congress, and even wrote to President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, imploring them to stand up for asbestos victims and to protect the health and safety of Americans. Because of Rachel’s incredible advocacy work and community involvement, ADAO is proud to honor her with the 2018 Alan Reinstein Award. This award typically goes to the most active and engaged advocates in our network, and anyone who interacted with Rachel knows she fit this bill precisely. With tender sadness, we will hold a brief tribute and moment of silence during our 2018 Conference Award ceremony where Rachel would have accepted this honor.
The Andrew Schneider Memorial Award Honorees- Chris Graham & Michael Gillard
Chris Graham is the publisher and editor of New Matilda. He is the former founding managing editor of the National Indigenous Times and Tracker magazine. Chris has won a Walkley Award, a Walkley High Commendation and two Human Rights Awards for his reporting. He lives in Brisbane and splits his time between Stradbroke Island, where New Matilda is based, and the mainland.
Michael Gillard is a roving freelance journalist writing about corruption, corporate misfeasance and organized crime. He is the author of two books and former member of The Guardian and Sunday Times investigation units. He’s also the winner of the prestigious UK Journalist of the Year, from 2013.
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Check back next week for the third installment of “Meet the Speakers and Honorees” featuring our 2018 conference Session I Speakers.
In unity,
Linda
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, does not make legal referrals.