Scott Banke
Plant Manager – Wood Production
Viewrail – Plant 1 East
Goshen, IN
Scott’s leadership has made a profound impact on workplace safety and health since taking over as Plant Manager of the wood shop at Viewrail-Plant 1 east in 2024. During his tenure, his leadership has fostered a culture of engagement, collaboration, and accountability that has elevated safety to become an integral part of daily operations. The number of safety engagements from the woodshop team has skyrocketed from 349 in 2023 to over 6,000 in 2024. In June 2024 alone, Scott submitted an astonishing 1,248 safety engagements, setting a new benchmark for proactive safety involvement with the company.
Scott participated in and won the first-ever Viewrail Forklift Rodeo, further highlighting his commitment to operational safety and team building. Scott champions the importance of near miss reporting, taking the number of near misses logged from just 1 in 2023 to 59 in 2024.
Scott's transformative leadership is evident in the wood shop's impressive progress. He has not only driven measurable improvements in safety engagement and near miss reporting at Viewrail, but also completely transformed the safety culture within the wood shop. Scott doesn't just lead by example—he inspires others to join him in prioritizing safety.
Alex Hall
Property Manager
Netrality Data Systems
Indianapolis, IN
The Indianapolis Netrality Data Systems operation, though small in size, has a significant impact on a large community. The campus encompasses multiple buildings and serves the technological needs of hundreds. Property Manager Alex Hall bears full responsibility for the welfare of everyone and everything on-site. He ensures that all activities are conducted safely and takes charge when incidents occur. He promptly investigates and reports what has transpired, ensuring root causes are uncovered and corrective actions are made.
One of Alex's notable contributions is his vigilant oversight of contractors. Should any contractor fail to meet Netrality’s stringent safety standards, Alex provides coaching to rectify the situation. If issues persist, the contractor is no longer permitted on their property. In 2024, Netrality encountered a contractor who jeopardized their own safety as well as the safety of Netrality staff. Alex took swift action, dismissing the individual from the site. This near-miss incident had the potential for grave harm, but Alex's decisive actions ensured everyone's safety.
Alex's commitment to safety is unwavering, and he understands the stakes involved. Although not a trained safety and health professional, Alex’s respect for those who work at his site and his commitment to ensuring their well-being is commendable.
Darla Hantz
Utility Technician
Cardinal IG
Fremont, IN
Darla Hantz joined the Cardinal Glass team in 2014 in the IG department as a Packer/Sealer operator. As an active member of the safety committee from 2016-2019, she attended the 2019 VPPPA Region 5 conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and brought back several ideas to implement in her position. Darla transferred over to the maintenance department as a utility technician in 2021 and has continued spreading her safety knowledge throughout the plant.
Beyond production, Darla has been a great leader representing safety. She volunteered to become a leader for the Simple Safety training program. In 2021, Cardinal formed a Cardinal Cares team where employees can volunteer on projects throughout the community. Over the past three years, Darla completed over 90 volunteer hours to her community through programs such as the Ronald McDonald house, YMCA, local parks, and United Way, and through fundraising efforts for safety goggles for police k9's, ice cream socials, ornament decorating with residents at a local nursing facility, and creating and delivering 85 May Day baskets to 85 low-income retirees.
Darla’s participation and positive attitude towards her job and safety are a shining example of Cardinal’s core values of Family, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Ownership, and Safety or FRITOS for short.
Michael Hammond Sr.
Deputy Fire Chief, Special Operations
Indianapolis Airport Authority
Indianapolis, IN
Michael Hammond Sr. joined the Indianapolis Airport Fire Department in 2017 after an extensive career as a firefighter and paramedic with the Indianapolis Fire Department. Since his arrival, he has focused on strengthening the EMS program, ensuring that the Public Safety teams and all 36 members of the Airport Fire Department have the proper training, preparation, and resources to save lives. Under his leadership, over 200 AED machines on the IND campus have been updated.
In 2022, IU Health West recognized 22 Airport employees for their heroic work providing life-saving care and resuscitating patients before their transfer to the hospital for further treatment. Michael was not only recognized for his work, but ensured his team got the recognition they deserved. The American Heart Association reports that only 30% of cardiac arrest patients survive upon arrival at the hospital. As a result of Michael’s programs making CPR training more widely available to employees, the Indianapolis Airport Authority’s public safety teams have consistently achieved a survival rate of over 60%.
Michael's unwavering dedication to health safety, his innovative approach to training, and his leadership in preparing for emergencies ensure that the Indianapolis International Airport remains a safe and secure environment for all.