October 18, 2021
Tallahassee Community College is pleased to announce that Karen Miller has received the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association National District Council Safety Competition Woman of the Year Award. Miller was recognized for her outstanding service and contributions to mine safety during the 2021 National Holmes Mining Safety and Health Conference on October 14, 2021.
Miller is the Mining Program Manager at the Florida Public Safety Institute. She leads the Florida Mine Safety Program (FMSP) which aims to educate those who partake in mining operations by assisting mining companies and mining contractors with their health and safety training. For more than 30 years, the program has operated as a federally-funded grant program under the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) whose mission is to prevent death, disease, and injuries in the mining industry.
During the event, Karen was also recognized as the outgoing president of the Mine Safety Institute of America, a position she held for the last two years. Karen was the first female president in the organization’s history.
The Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association (JAHSA) is a nonprofit organization that began in 1916 to promote health and safety in the mining industry and consists of representatives from Federal and State Governments, Mining Organizations and Labor. It was named after Dr. Joseph A. Holmes, a mining safety pioneer and the first director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. The Association’s objectives are to prevent fatalities and injuries and to improve health and safety among officials and employees in all phases of mining. These objectives guide and inspire all of the Association’s activities.