Sara Diaz: VPP Region IX Special Govt. Employee

Photo By Robert Jackson | Official U.S. Marine Corps photo  

BARSTOW, CA, UNITED STATES

07.08.2021

Story by Laurie Pearson  

Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow

Sara Montez-Diaz, Safety and Occupational Health specialist, has earned 2020 Special Government Employee of the Year for the Voluntary Protection Program’s Region IX, for her outstanding efforts in Safety aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California and beyond.
All of the Voluntary Protection Program sites within Region IX, to include California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii and Guam were asked to send in their nominations to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regional manager who then evaluated the submissions. A committee then selected the winner for the OSHA SGE to represent Region IX.
“Points are given for certain categories,” said David Romero, lead Occupational Health and Safety specialist. “Points are given for your SGE activities throughout the year such as audits, VPP document review for other industries or organizations, OSHA courses you teach or assist with, VPP activities you do at your own organization, member of a committee or do VPP briefs. They include additional points for community involvement and your dependability as an SGE. In Sara’s case COVID impacted the ability to do onsite visits. However, she volunteered for document reviews and site audits that were virtual. Community service was also a big part of her nomination since VPP activities were impacted during 2020.”
Diaz is always considered an SGE that the team can count on to take on any audit.
“She is willing to do any virtual or hybrid audit during the time we could not travel and is always willing to take on a project or teach a course,” Romero explained. “There are many entities outside of MCLB Barstow and tenants aboard the base that call upon her for guidance in VPP. She has a passion for Safety and the SGE program.”
The regional award automatically nominates Diaz for national SGE of the Year. The ceremony for National SGE will be held in Nashville, Tennessee at the National VPP Participant’s Association Safety Summit at the end of August, 2021.
“She will hopefully, with DOD approval, be attending that summit along with some new SGE applicants that will be attending SGE training at the event,” Romero said.
Representing VPP Region IX for the National SGE of the year, she would be presented a plaque by the Department of Labor, and will be the face of OSHA’s SGE website for the year.
“Ms. Montez-Diaz has greatly contributed to the well-being and safety of her fellow workers, Marines, friends, and family members, and the public in general,” Romero added. “She takes every opportunity to improve the work place, the installation, the community, and the attitudes of those she comes into contact with, both on and off the job. Her efforts have had a significant impact on the base and have helped sustain MCLB Barstow as a model VPP Star site. She was a tremendous asset not only to OSHA Region IX, but to all other Regions and organizations she has supported. This award is well deserved.”
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• Date Taken: 07.08.2021
• Date Posted: 09.24.2021 16:52
• Story ID: 406022
• Location: BARSTOW, CA, US