Marsha Present

Background

About Marsha Present

There are many things I wanted to be when I grew up. An architect, an ER nurse and often wished I had joined the military (too old for that now). Somehow I ended up in food safety which I absolutely love and is still a passion of mine. I miss it from time to time. It wasn't until I started working at the University of Houston where I learned there was an entire world of safety out there that I wanted to be a part of. I credit my supervisor, my director and my coworkers for opening my eyes to the "new world" of safety. I started working in other parts of safety while at the University and then moved on to manufacturing which is also near and dear to my heart. I worked in a plant where 5 languages were spoken, so training at times could be a challenge, however the people I worked with were wonderful and taught me many skills in fabrication and manufacturing. I learned quickly I probably wouldn't make a living as a welder! Finally, I moved to Wisconsin and started working for the Department of Natural Resources. This job is about as challenging as it gets and there is never a dull moment for a safety person. We have many programs (e.g. fisheries, wildlife, forestry, fire control, protection of our environment, law enforcement, and parks just to name a few). As you can imagine, there are a lot of challenges in determining all of the training needs, the medical monitoring to keep staff healthy and safe so that they can do the jobs that protect our environment and all of the critters we love so much. Besides my work, one of my greatest passions is supporting our veterans and POW/MIA's. I also became a cat lover after fostering some kittens when I lived in Texas. I enjoy SCUBA diving, swimming and playing in the Great Lakes, swimming, biking, hiking, and anything outdoors. All in all, I consider myself to be very blessed!