{"id":65403,"date":"2026-06-11T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/?p=65403"},"modified":"2026-06-11T00:02:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T04:02:10","slug":"safety-is-personal-abcs-2026-health-and-safety-professional-of-the-year-jenny-ferdinand-stong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/article\/safety-is-personal-abcs-2026-health-and-safety-professional-of-the-year-jenny-ferdinand-stong\/","title":{"rendered":"Safety Is Personal: ABC\u2019s 2026 Health and Safety Professional of the Year Jenny Ferdinand-Stong"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jenny Ferdinand-Stong was sitting in a Walgreens drive-thru when the phone rang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other end was the news that she had been selected as ABC\u2019s very first Health and Safety Professional of the Year\u2014a new recognition and the latest addition to ABC\u2019s construction workforce awards honoring the people shaping the future of the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was very, very stunned,\u201d says Ferdinand-Stong. \u201cHumbled. It didn\u2019t really set in until I arrived here this week.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Ferdinand-Stong, though, the award represents more than personal recognition. It represents an opportunity to reshape the perception of safety in construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTikTok has this whole subculture of being unsafe is cool with the construction industry,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd I want to change that. I want safety to be cool.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That mission has defined Ferdinand-Strong\u2019s career for nearly 30 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">BUILT BY EXPERIENCE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ferdinand-Strong\u2019s path into construction safety was anything but traditional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Raised by her father alongside three sisters, she says she grew up learning to navigate the world with both toughness and adaptability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was the eldest of four daughters,\u201d she says. \u201cHe raised us like boys. So I do have a very strong personality, but also the feminine side. I know how to speak to people. You have to know your audience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That ability to connect with people would become one of the defining traits of her leadership style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her career began in the mid-1990s at an injection molding facility in Kansas, where she first noticed unsafe practices involving hazardous materials and heavy machinery. Rather than accepting those conditions as normal, Ferdinand-Stong started asking questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe kind of created our own safety committee before work,\u201d she says. \u201cThere were a lot of unsafe things that I was doing that I didn\u2019t realize were unsafe, just because I was shown that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That curiosity\u2014and refusal to look the other way\u2014eventually led her into construction. After working in banking and finance, she joined a construction and electrical contractor in Indianapolis as a laborer before moving into facilities management and safety leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the years, Ferdinand-Stong built a career around transforming safety culture. As safety director for a drywall contractor operating across seven states, she helped lead the company to four consecutive years with no lost time incidents and two of those four years with zero recordables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then, in 2021, she joined <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gaylor.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gaylor Electric<\/a>, where she currently serves as corporate safety manager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">MORE THAN A RULEBOOK<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ask Ferdinand-Stong what \u201chealth and safety\u201d means to her, and she quickly explains that it is far bigger than policies or compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s so much more than just the book,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s about the person. It\u2019s about the project. It involves production. It involves quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She describes safety, quality and production as construction\u2019s \u201choly trinity\u201d\u2014three priorities that must work together rather than compete with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That philosophy is reflected in the way Ferdinand-Stong approaches her work at Gaylor Electric. As one of three corporate safety managers, she oversees companywide safety programs, develops field leaders, integrates safety into project planning and maintains an active boots-on-the-ground presence across jobsites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA lot of times, safety is brought in after the fact,\u201d she says. \u201cBut safety needs to be built into the planning of the project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That means spending as much time listening as correcting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI can walk around and say, \u2018Hey, put your gloves on,\u2019 and walk past you,\u201d she says. \u201cBut if I don\u2019t circle around and ask why, maybe you\u2019re having difficulty finding a tie-off point. Maybe your glasses hurt your nose. You have to understand the bigger picture.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is a people-first philosophy that has made Ferdinand-Stong a familiar and trusted presence in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOne of my biggest accomplishments is when people remember me on the jobsite,\u201d she says. \u201cOr when someone who used to fight wearing safety glasses finally says, \u2018Hey Jenny, look\u2014I finally got my prescription safety glasses.\u2019 Those little things are the biggest accomplishments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1013\" src=\"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ADP-Safety-2-1024x1013.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-65409\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.0112506239680528;width:480px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ADP-Safety-2-980x969.jpg 980w, https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ADP-Safety-2-480x475.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">EVERYONE IS A SAFETY LEADER<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perhaps the message Ferdinand-Stong emphasizes most is empowerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe number one priority is making sure everyone knows they are a safety leader,\u201d she says. \u201cIt does not matter your title or your experience. If it\u2019s your first day, you are a safety leader.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She teaches every employee\u2014from apprentices to superintendents\u2014that they not only have stop-work authority, but also the responsibility to protect the people around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou have accountability for your own safety,\u201d she says. \u201cBut you also have a responsibility to your brothers and sisters in the field.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Ferdinand-Stong, safety culture is built through coaching and mentorship, not fear or punishment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s not about being a safety cop,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have to coach these people and give them the tools so they can become safer workers and get their jobs done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That mindset extends beyond physical safety into mental health and total human health\u2014a core value at Gaylor Electric. Ferdinand-Stong regularly checks in on employees\u2019 mental and emotional wellbeing, recognizing that personal stressors can directly impact jobsite safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA jobsite is a small town,\u201d she says. \u201cPeople know what\u2019s going on in each other\u2019s lives. You have to understand the whole person.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her approach combines empathy with accountability, helping employees feel supported while also reinforcing shared responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3250-1024x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-65410\" style=\"width:471px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3250-980x980.jpeg 980w, https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_3250-480x480.jpeg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) and (max-width: 980px) 980px, (min-width: 981px) 1024px, 100vw\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CHANGING THE FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTION<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ferdinand-Stong is deeply passionate about expanding opportunities within construction\u2014especially for women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere are so many possibilities for women in construction,\u201d she says. \u201cWhether you want to be on your tools, an engineer, an architect, a safety professional\u2014there are so many paths.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She points to the industry\u2019s workforce gap and the need to introduce students to construction careers earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe don\u2019t just need to hit high schools,\u201d she says. \u201cWe need to hit middle schools.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ferdinand-Stong also sees technology playing an increasingly important role in construction safety. She is currently collaborating with university professors on innovations that integrate safety directly into BIM models, allowing teams to identify high-risk hazards before work even begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTechnology can help us ask, \u2018How are we going to install this safely?\u2019 before we ever get into the field,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, even with advances in equipment and predictive tools, Ferdinand-Stong believes the future of safety ultimately comes down to people mentoring people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere is an age gap in this industry,\u201d she says. \u201cWe need to make sure mentorship is there. It\u2019s not just about enrolling people\u2014it\u2019s about following through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That commitment to mentorship, leadership and culture-building is exactly why Ferdinand-Stong was selected as the inaugural recipient of ABC\u2019s newest workforce honor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe only way to obtain the elusive \u2018zero\u2019 we all talk about is for everyone to truly commit to to a zero-recordable culture.Safety, quality and production all work together,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd if we can get everyone to see themselves as safety leaders, it changes everything.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cIt does not matter your title or your experience. If it\u2019s your first day, you are a safety leader.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":65411,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"63420,64385,62712,63230,65046,65258","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[43,97,98,33,42,102,59,31,29,40],"tags":[8663,8410,8415,8878,8582],"ppma_author":[8280],"class_list":["post-65403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-award-winners","category-careers","category-culture","category-departments","category-leadership","category-people","category-top-story","category-topic","category-workforce","tag-awardwinners","tag-constructionindustry","tag-contractors","tag-health","tag-leadership","author-m-murphy"],"acf":{"intro_sentence":"\u201cIt does not matter your title or your experience. If it\u2019s your first day, you are a safety leader.\u201d","intro_paragraph":"","is_evergreen":false,"newsletter_headline":"","newsletter_intro":"","post_ad_zone":"","post_ad_zone_2":"","post_content_ad_zone":"","small-featured-image":false},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":8280,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"m-murphy","display_name":"Maggie Murphy","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/maggie-murphy.webp","url2x":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/maggie-murphy.webp"},"author_category":"1","first_name":"Maggie","company":"Construction Executive","work_phone":"(202) 595-1505","mobile_phone":"","company_website":"http:\/\/www.constructionexec.com\/","email":"editor@constructionexec.com","sanity_id":"author-1886","last_name":"Murphy","user_url":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/","job_title":"Editor-in-Chief","linkedin":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/2224888\/admin\/updates\/","x":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/constructionmag","facebook":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ConstructionMag\/","description":"Maggie leads Construction Executive\u2019s day-to-day operations and long-term strategy\u2014overseeing all print and digital content, design and production efforts, and working with the editorial team to tell the many stories of America\u2019s builders and contractors. She\u2019s a native Marylander with extensive construction industry experience and an educational background in communications, history and classical literature."}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ABCConvention2026-0046-Ferdinand-Strong-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65403"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65412,"href":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65403\/revisions\/65412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65403"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/constructionexec.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=65403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}