Harry L. Bell

Human Resources and Safety Manager

Gold Bond Building Products      

Harry L. Bell is the Human Resources and Safety Manager at the Wilmington, NC Board Plant.  A customer-centric driven Wall-Board facility manufacturing and delivering superior quality Drywall Products and maintaining a Safety First, focus.  Harry and team have coined the slogan “You Know I Care About You Right” this encourages all individuals to practice safety first.  Harry brings 30 years of Human Resources and Safety experience to his role as Human Resources and Safety Manager at Gold Bond Building Products.  Harry has added to an already safety focus culture in Wilmington; the safety program is now second to none.  Harry was able to bring his expertise from several other industries such as Retail, Nonprofit, and Transportation. He also served as an HR Consultant within his own business.

Harry holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Elizabeth City State University, he also holds a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Development from Bowie State University, Bowie, Maryland.  Harry is proud of his HBCU heritage.

He has two children: one resides in Wilmington, NC, and works as a Nuclear Specialist with the Wilmington General Electric Plant.  His other daughter resides in Charlotte, NC, and serves as a Physical Therapist.  Since being at GBB, Harry has re-energized his safety perspective, which has forced him to take a deeper dive into Safety from a servant leadership platform.

He enjoys all types of competitive sports during his free time as well as family time as he is deeply invested in his family values.

Michelle Barger, OHST

EHS Specialist

GKN Automotive

Michelle Barger is the EHS Specialist at GKN Automotive in Sanford, NC., a precision forging facility and aftermarket service assembly operation for driveline components. She brings seven years of experience to her role at GKN Automotive including on-site contractor safety management for a major nuclear power generating utility in the Carolinas, EHS data management and analytical reporting, office and industrial ergonomics, and the development and delivery of engaging EHS trainings & orientations.

She has a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the Pennsylvania State University and pivoted into her EHS career after receiving an Associate Degree in Industrial Technology: Quality Assurance & Occupational Safety from the Tidewater Community College in Virginia Beach in 2013.  Her affiliations include the Board of Certified Safety Professionals having achieved the Occupational Hygiene and Safety Technician (OHST) certification in 2021, the American Society of Safety Professionals, Member of the NC Chapter of ASSP, and has recently volunteered to serve the NC Chapter as the Membership Chair. 

While raising her three children she received extensive volunteer experience managing projects for their schools and a large program for her military faith community, the success of which depended on annually recruiting and managing many volunteers.  To her, leading in safety is like recruiting and leading volunteers…they choose to come with you because they trust you and believe in what you are trying to accomplish. Her passion for Safety is rooted in servant leadership and building positive relationships with employees at all levels of the organization.  She is grateful to have found a career that continually challenges her to put others first and is emotionally and intellectually rewarding.

Michelle spends her free time visiting her children in Virginia, as well as hiking, camping, and backpacking in Western North Carolina and nearby Virginia and Tennessee.

Matthew Machles

EH&S Associate, Dimensions

Matt Machles is a safety consultant with Dimensions in Occupational Health and Safety, a small family-owned safety consulting firm based out of Raleigh, North Carolina.  He has ten years of experience in the safety field, including lab safety, ergonomics, hazardous waste, chemical handling, lockout tagout, confined space, and industrial hygiene. 

He has a degree in Environmental Science from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, with a background in QC testing and wastewater treatment.  His affiliations include American Society of Safety Professionals, Member of the NC Chapter of ASSP, and has currently served as the NC Chapter Secretary for the past three years.

After thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, he began his post-college career at a wastewater testing lab, as well as a QC analyst for a pharmaceutical company in Raleigh.  After spending several years in the lab, he began taking on safety-related roles and soon began consulting for Dimensions in 2012.  After transitioning towards consulting, he acquired technical certifications in ergonomics, industrial hygiene, and hazardous waste handling.  He currently consults at several companies in the RTP area and enjoys engaging with clients and people in an array of different fields and manufacturing backgrounds.  He finds the consulting world to be very rewarding and appreciates the flexibility and variations consulting has to offer.

Craig Ellis is the owner and principal of Giarc Consulting.  He has over 40 years of professional technical and safety consulting experience in many diverse domestic and international industries.

Craig has a degree in Civil Engineering from Tennessee Tech University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Regis University.    He is also a Professional Engineer in North Carolina, Certified Safety Professional, and an OSHA Authorized Trainer – Construction.

His affiliations include the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP); Member of NC Chapter of ASSP; Former chairperson of industry group, Southeastern Electric Exchange, Accident Prevention Section, Atlanta, GA and Former national industry committee member – Edison Electric Institute Recordkeeping Committee, Washington DC.

Craig has authored numerous publications in professional technical proceedings, technical magazines and with governmental agencies.

His path to becoming a safety professional began when he was performing environmental impact analyses in his first job as a civil engineer doing civil designs for transmission line location projects.  From that role he migrated to industrial safety for industrial operations.  Those experiences led him to other roles and positions that drew upon his technical background.  His roles have ranged from being a technical expert, project and program management and safety management.

Being a safety professional has been a rewarding career and he encourages other professionals to be open to the many opportunities that a technical background affords them.

Jose Colon-Diaz 

EHS & Quality Manager     

McFarland Construction U.S.

Jose is an experienced safety leader, military veteran, and project manager. During his tenure, Jose has focused his attention on understanding the cost of military construction, as well as the latest techniques in practice, as a Construction Manager, Project Manager, and Superintendent. His leadership helped complete over $60M of military business located across the region for projects ranging from large, out-of-the-ground projects to small, interior upfits.

As a veteran, Jose understands the military community concept and how to develop innovative procedures and processes that best fit into project solutions – while ensuring the clients’ requirements were clearly understood – combining all the construction knowledge needed to assemble the nuts and bolts of a project from conception to completion.

Jose has a wide range of education and experience in the areas of special operations and warfare, civil affairs, power generation, and emergency management. He also has training and certifications in hazardous material handling, USACE construction management, welding, OSHA 30-hour, First-aid/CPR/AED instructor, erosion prevention and sediment control, as well as health care safety management.

Jose believes that difference can be made when we put ourselves in a position to help others.