Meet Our
Safety Team
Joe Melton
Director of Operations
(515) 298-1535
Joe has over a decade of experience in safety and organizational reliability supporting organizations of varying sizes and industries primarily through a lead consultant and director role with large international consulting firms as well as regional firms. Joe has extensive experience in enhancing organizations’ performance through leadership development, Safety Management Systems, regulatory compliance, predictive analytics, conflict resolution, strategic & operational planning, and personnel management. Joe has supported customers through hazard recognition coaching, safety committee development, behavior-based safety implementation, support, and data analysis. Joe has a passion for assisting organizations in their pursuit of safety excellence by identifying and mitigating the most dangerous risk and hazards that lead to the severe incident and fatality potential (SIF). Joe leads by example through positive reinforcement, and positive coaching to motivate sustainable behavior change to enhance the overall organizational culture with a dedication to an inclusive safety culture. Joe is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BSCP) as well as a Certified Safety and Health Official (CSHO) through the OSHA education outreach. with a dedication to an inclusive safety culture. Joe is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BSCP) as well as a Certified Safety and Health Official (CSHO) through the OSHA education outreach.
Brandon began his career as a card-carrying member of the Carpenter’s Local Union #106 and worked his way through the ranks of several Iowa specialty interior contractors. Brandon was previously employed with an ENR Top Specialty Contractor where he worked on the site of Microsoft’s large data center project in Des Moines. This opportunity allowed him to look at construction project safety from a different perspective, all the while providing him knowledge growth of “whole-project” safety. Brandon now helps to provide a well-rounded safety mentality to job sites and provides the CSSI team with a “field perspective” while delivering a wide array of services related to inspections, site visits, and employee education.
Brandon Black
Senior Safety Consultant
(515) 577-5198
Kurt began his career as a concrete laborer, working his way up to a concrete pump truck operator where he held his Operating Engineers Local 234 Union card for 14 years. These positions moved Kurt all over the mid-west, working with a multitude of construction sites, coordinating operations, and leading site safety efforts. After the 2009 construction slowdown, Kurt transitioned into the Retail agronomy and Grain handling industry in Central Iowa. During this 12-year experience, Kurt worked his way up from an agronomy applicator to a Site Location Manager. During this transition, Kurt was a charter committee member for the company's Behavior-Based Safety creation team and stayed on the committee for 10 years. This opportunity provided Kurt the foundation to grow as a safety coach and company leader while advancing into a manager role. Kurt brings a positive coach approach when walking job sites, his operational knowledge, and passion for people is what make Kurt a true cultural change agent.
Kurt Fiddelke
Safety Consultant
(515)681-5589
Kim has worked in heavy industry for more than thirty years, transitioning from the trades to full-time safety in 1997 as a yard safety specialist. His career continued to grow becoming a Washington State OSHA safety compliance officer and on to Safety Director for Alaska’s largest shipyard. The unique path from deck plates to the board room gives Kim a unique perspective and understanding of how safety is applied and practiced in the workplace. He knows that for a safety culture to exist and be successful requires “buy-in” from all levels of the company, a shared value in practice. His approach is not “Safety First”, but rather “Safety Always”. He also understands that employees must embrace safety; not because they are told to – but because they believe in it.
Kim Hodne
Safety Consultant
(907) 202-6299
Luke Longman
Safety Consultant
(303) 929-4542
Luke began his career in law enforcement in 2000, and, while in that role conducted training for over ten years in numerous assignments as a member of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Denver, Colorado. These years of service helped him to learn and value the importance of leadership and accountability for safe operations, as well as the importance of quality and detail in professional training. He began his second career 4 years ago in the insurance arena, risk management arena specifically in worker’s compensation and risk management. In 2021, he began work in the State of Iowa for a large agricultural cooperative, which included roles in training, safety, and compliance. He conducted inspections in a multitude of hazardous environments, as well as conducted safety training for all employees. While in this role, he assisted with developing safety committees, as well as several other programs prioritizing behavioral-based safety. Over time he assisted with transforming company culture in the direction of becoming safety oriented. In the future, Luke continues his professional growth with additional certifications in order to fulfill emerging instructional opportunities and to continue to build a strong partnership with MBI membership. Luke brings a passion to enhance safety at home, work, and community.