COLUMBUS — The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) has named Sandi Golden-Vest as the agency’s new superintendent of the Division of Safety & Hygiene.

In this role, she will lead the division’s efforts to help Ohio’s employers reduce the risk of workplace injuries and illness. This includes loss prevention consulting, education and training, the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo, safety councils, safety grants, research, and other outreach. Golden-Vest’s appointment will go before BWC’s Board of Directors for final approval.

“Since joining BWC, Sandi has been invaluable to our agency’s workforce safety innovation efforts and our goal of getting workers home safe and healthy each day,” said BWC Chief of Safety Services Dan Fodor. “I’m confident she will bring this same focus and dedication to her new role.”

Golden-Vest joined BWC as Chief of the Workforce Safety Innovation Center (WSIC) in November 2021. WSIC provides millions of dollars in grants for the research and development of new, cutting-edge personal protective equipment technologies and products that will reduce the frequency and severity of on-the-job injuries.

I’m honored and excited to take on this new role,” Golden-Vest said. “I look forward to advancing and strengthening our efforts to keep workers throughout Ohio safe and healthy on the job with the goal of getting them home safely at the end of each workday.”

Before joining BWC, she served as the Assistant Deputy Director over the Department of Administrative Services, General Services Division, where she was responsible for developing and implementing a strategy for continual improvement with procurement, fleet management, insurance, printing, mail services, real estate services, asset management, facilities management, security services, and surplus property services.

She is a veteran state employee, with a background that includes more than 27 years of experience in various programmatic and leadership roles. She spent over 14 years at the Ohio Department of Health where she was a Federal Grants Administrator and the state’s Public Health and Health-care Training and Exercise Program Manager and subject matter expert.

Additionally, Golden-Vest served 23 years in the United States Air Force Reserve. Her final assignment as a Chief Master Sergeant was for the Defense Health Agency, as the principal enlisted advisor to the Chief of the Air Force Nurse Corps and USAF Surgeon General on all matters related to the medical career field.

She earned her bachelor’s degree from Columbia Southern University, where she majored in Business Administration with a minor in Project Management. She also holds associate degrees in Human Resource Management, Education & Training Management, Applied Health Science, and Criminal Justice.