Welcome to the ASSP Tarheel Chapter website! The Chapter is located in Charlotte, North Carolina and has over 300 members within the Carolinas. We currently meet on the first Thursday of each month. Networking from 11:45-12:00 pm. Meeting from 12:00 pm-1:00 pm. Presentations address a variety of safety, health, and occasionally environmental topics. See the Events section of the website for more information on upcoming meetings.

If you should have any questions contact any of the Tarheel Chapter Executive Committee members.

Scott Baranowski Named 2025 Tarheel Chapter Safety Professional of the Year

Please join us in congratulating Mr. Scott Baranowski, who has been named as the 2025 Tarheel Chapter Safety Professional of the Year by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP).

Scott is an EHS Manager for Scheduling and Delivery at Duke Energy with more than twenty years of environmental, health and safety experience. He graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Education and went on to earn a Master’s from George Mason University in Environmental Management. He holds several certifications including his Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Project Management Professional (PMP), and Engineering Intern (EI) in the state of North Carolina. Scott volunteers not only with ASSP, but also with the Town of Matthews and within Duke Energy. In 2022, Scott was recognized as ASSP’s Engineering Practice Specialty Safety Professional of the Year.

Certification Study Groups

Join our study group for various safety, health, and environmental certifications! This group is designed to help you stay accountable and provide valuable study tips. Whether you’re preparing for an ASP, CSP, or any other safety, health, and/or environmental certification, our group offers a supportive community to share resources, discuss topics, and motivate each other. Together, we can achieve our certification goals and make a positive impact. Join us and let’s succeed together!

For more information, please contact the Tarheel Chapter President, Cheryl Johnson, at president@tarheel.assp.org.

Chapter Safety Professional of the Year is Kara Van Blarcum

The 2024 Tarheel Chapter Safety Professional of the Year was awarded to Kara Van Blarcum.

“Ryan Cate encouraged me to join our local ASSP Chapter when I expressed an interest to him in learning more H&S for when I go on audits so I could do both the Env. as well as the H&S side when a single auditor is needed, and joining helped me develop that skill set. I encourage anyone else who is interested in developing a new skill set to find an organization and/or peers to help you grow as well. Thank you to Ryan, for the great advice who we continue to miss, and to the Tarheel Chapter for this recognition!”

Please join us in congratulating Kara on this well-deserved award!