The Safety Leadership Collective

Episode 316: Jake Mazulewicz joins hosts Nic Coia and Mike Thompson to explain shifting from a control-based, blame-focused approach toward a learning-based safety culture. He outlines his seven practical steps including building psychological safety, leading after-action reviews, transforming investigations into non-punitive event reviews, applying classic defenses, improving systems, and building resilience. Listeners get practical examples and immediate actions to apply on the job, plus resources to learn more at reliableorg.com and in Jake's book, Seven Practical Steps. To learn more about Jake, check out his website at: https://www.reliableorg.com/ For more information on the Portage County Safety Council, please visit our website at: https://portagecountysafetycouncil.com/

Episode 315: In this episode, we are joined by Brenna Erjavec, Senior Manager of Safety & Security at the Akron Zoo, to talk about balancing animal care, public protection and employee safety. Highlights include combating complacency with monthly trainings and live drills, using a two-person lock-and-key system and spotters for high-risk tasks, and aligning leadership to make safety a priority. The episode also covers trauma-aware drills, working with emergency responders, and simple conservation and public involvement programs listeners can join. To learn more about the Akron Zoo, please visit their website at: https://www.akronzoo.org/ For more information on the Portage County Safety Council, please visit our website at: https://portagecountysafetycouncil.com/

Episode 314: In this episode, Mike Thompson sits down with Executive Coach, Gary Fowler, to explore why EQ is one of the most important skills for building safer workplaces, stronger leaders, and healthier organizational cultures. Together, they break down what emotional intelligence really means and why it directly impacts communication, trust, performance, and employee well being. Gary shares compelling research showing that every one point increase in EQ can translate into an average $1,300 increase in income, highlighting the measurable value of emotionally intelligent leadership. The conversation introduces practical frameworks including SNAP, CUT, SCARF, and the clarity, capacity, ability, and desire lens to help leaders recognize emotional threats, de escalate conflict, improve decision making, and better support their teams in high pressure environments. Mike and Gary also discuss simple but powerful ways to begin strengthening emotional intelligence every day through greater presence, meditation, movement, nutrition, journaling, quality sleep, and self awareness practices. The episode concludes with actionable next steps, including a free EQ assessment and ways to connect with Gary for coaching and leadership development support. If you are committed to improving safety, leadership, culture, and human performance in your organization, this conversation offers practical tools and inspiring insights you can begin applying immediately. To learn more about Gary, check out his website at: https://www.thegaryfowler.com/ For more information on the Portage County Safety Council, please visit our website at: https://portagecountysafetycouncil.com/

Episode 313: In this episode of the Safety Leadership Collective, Merle Heckman joins hosts Nicholas Coia and Mike Thompson to discuss the overlooked art of listening and how it shapes leadership, safety culture, and trust. Merle shares practical techniques—asking questions, pausing, and putting ego aside—to influence others and create real change. They explore examples from sports, business, and frontline work, and end with a simple call to action: practice focused listening for one week to begin building stronger connections at work and home. Connect with Merle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/merleheckman/ For more information on the Portage County Safety Council, please visit our website at: https://portagecountysafetycouncil.com/

Episode 312: This explores the alarming rise in distracted driving—over 3,200 deaths and 315,000 serious injuries in 2024—and discusses practical steps employers and drivers can take to prevent crashes. Host Nicholas Coia and guest Tracy LeMaire from the National Safety Council share data, real-world examples, policy and training solutions, and free resources to help organizations protect employees on and off the road. For more information about the National Safety Council, please visit their website at: https://www.nsc.org/ For more information on the Portage County Safety Council, please visit our website at: https://portagecountysafetycouncil.com/