We’d like to welcome Jennifer Derksen to the SafeCare team as our Occupational Health and Safety Consultant. Jennifer has collected a range of knowledge in various industries, including 10 years in the K-12 education sector.

• Interested in making a meaningful contribution to a critical and dynamic sector.

Q: What excites you about your role?

• Building new relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Learning new skills and sharing H&S knowledge
• Collaborating to improve safe working conditions in continuing care.

Q: What was your first, or most unusual job?

• All fairly pedestrian job history; my first job was a restaurant hostess.

Q: If given a chance, who would you be for a day?

• Pilot to enjoy the bird’s view of the world; especially during a time when we can’t travel.

Q: When not at work, what do you like doing in your spare time?

• Participating in most sports, sans golf (sorry to the golfers of the group, I’ve come from a long line of golfers but they haven’t found a way to convert me yet!).
• Volunteering, including at ParkRun which is a fantastic weekly 5km free, volunteer run, fun-run, held across the world in approved parks on Saturday mornings.

Q: What book are you currently reading?

• A Tale for the Time Being, by Ruth Ozeki.
• The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor.

Q: What did you want to be growing up?

• Veterinarian, until I realized that I would have to suffer through Biology dissections.

Q: What is one thing we don’t know about you?

• I hate whistling, it instantly makes me grumpy; like nails on a chalkboard. My husband suggests that it’s because I cannot whistle!