ABC-SEMI Issue 4 2019

4 Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. SAFETY Kim Gamet, former safety specialist for Henry Ford Hospital, joins the Associated Builders and Contractors Southeastern Chapter team to provide safety services and training for its membership. No stranger to a construction site, when Gamet arrived on a project, the first thing she did was sit and enjoy a cup of coffee with the superintendent. She understood the power of trust and relationships. From her first moment on the site, that team understood she was there to keep them all out of trouble. “I learned in the military that you have to trust and believe in your team,” Gamet said. “I make it a priority to get to know them and make sure that they know I have their best interest at heart. It is not an easy job to do, especially when you know some of your decisions may impact the bottom line of a project, but when you weigh that with the safety of the crew working there it is a easy call to make.” Gamet who served in the Navy, and then as a police officer, has always had the slogan “serve and protect” in her blood. She took that motto with her to the world of occupational safety, earning her degree at Columbia Southern University and working as safety specialist for a number of major general contractors and sub-contractors in southeast Michigan. It was that work that led her to work at Henry Ford Hospital, but she admittedly missed working out in the “trenches.” “Once you have set foot on a job site and your safety senses kick in, it is a very rewarding experience,” Gamet said. “I am always happy to find an issue before it becomes one or feel gratified that the company has already addressed safety concerns in their bid and are in compliance. There is no downside to this job, it is diverse, and each day has its own challenges, but it makes it interesting and rewarding, as well.” According to ABC SEMI President and CEO Keith Ledbetter, when he met Gamet, it was her never-ending passion for safety that struck him most. “Nothing is more critical than to love what you are doing from first light until you go to bed,” said Ledbetter. “On weekends, these folks will drive a bit slower by a worksite or stop when they see someone on a ladder at the mall and offer to help hold that ladder. Kim is that type of person and that is what will make her a valuable asset to our association and it’s reaffirmed dedication to safety.” ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES GAMET AS NEW SAFETY DIRECTOR TO SERVE & PROTECT