Laura Duckworth serves as the Director of Occupational Programs for University of Virginia Facilities Management. She first joined UVA FM in 2014 as the Director of Occupational Health and Safety. In 2017, FM Occupational Programs was created and added to her responsibilities. Occupational Programs now includes FM-OHS; Occupational Training; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; and the UVA FM Apprenticeship Program.

Laura is a workforce development strategist and organizational effectiveness leader specializing in program startups and revitalization utilizing business tactics, resource alignment, and collaboration. A thought leader in the statewide apprenticeship and workforce development spaces, she is passionate about building regenerative workforce pipelines to support business continuity and growth and to provide opportunities to local jobseekers.

Laura has over 20 years of experience building, refurbishing, and managing programs that support successful business operations with a strong background in health and safety. Under Laura's leadership, Facilities Management has shown an increase in employee involvement in the development of workplace safety initiatives, an increase in employee investment in the FM Apprenticeship Program, the development of an Inclusive Excellence Plan, and greater offerings for the professional development of FM employees.

Prior to UVA, Laura held positions at George Mason University, GlaxoSmithKline, and the North Carolina Department of Labor, OSH Division, including a commissioner-appointed position as interim Executive Director of the Ergonomics Center of North Carolina.

Laura holds a bachelor's degree in economics from George Mason University and a master's degree from Old Dominion University. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in education (Ed.D.) from University of Dayton.

Shelomith Gonzalez joined the UVA Facilities Management team as Occupational Health and Safety Manager in 2021. Shelomith has 18 years of experience in safety and risk management in the construction and facilities management trades and is an expert in the design and development of safety policy, procedure, and implementation. Shelomith's philosophy and approach to safety is to empower workers to prioritize their lives and wellbeing, educate them in how to do so, and maintain the systems and processes that employees function within operating safely.

Shelomith is a Charlottesville, Virginia native. Her career in safety and health began while working for a family owned and operated mechanical contracting firm. The personal connection she felt to the skilled tradespeople she had grown up around became the driving force behind her passion for safety. Many years later this concern for worker's lives continues to be the core value that informs her approach.

Shelomith's dedication to civic involvement, community and education informs all aspects of her life. She feels a deep pride in the resilience and strength of her community and a commitment to worker safety and wellbeing in the Commonwealth. She served as vice chair of the AGC of Virginia Safety Task Force in 2020 and in 2021 accepted the role of chair. She also served on the Red Cross, Central Virginia Chapter/Virginia Region Board, is a graduate of Leadership Charlottesville Class of 2019, completed the Leadership Essentials program with UVA in 2023, has served as a Virginia BEST Program Mentor and presented at the annual VOSH conference, VAPPA 2023 conference, and UVA Safety Summit.

Narges Sinaki is Facilities Management's Health and Safety Compliance Specialist. She has been working with FM Occupational Health & Safety since 2015. Her role includes implementing and maintaining the FM-OHS Respiratory Protection Program, Hearing Conservation Program, and Occupational Health Sampling Program. She implements and maintains framework of Quality Management System-ISO 9001 and Occupational Health & Safety Management System–ISO 45001. She truly believes that applying PLAN, DO, CHECK, ACT Cycle provides outstanding achievements and cultivates Continual Improvement needs. Narges elevated her career path in 2019 via being a competent ISO 45001:2018 Internal Auditor and a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationists. In addition, she has successfully completed Industrial Hygiene Technician Program.

Her prior technical experience includes seven years in the OHS Department at TAM Iran Khodro Company (a leading Engineering Procurement Construction – or EPC – company in Iran). She served as an Environmental Expert, ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) & ISO 9001 and OHSAS 18001 (Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series) internal Lead Auditor. Before joining TAM Iran Khodro Co., she conducted third-party audits on behalf of Moody International Certification (A United Kingdom-based register) for two years as IRCA-certified ISO 14001 & ISO 9001 and OHSAS 18001 Lead Auditor. Narges began her career in 2001 with a private-sector business with the scope of establishing management systems. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering in 2000 and Master of Science in Environmental Economics in 2007 from AZAD University (A pioneer private university in Iran).

She loves spending time with friends and family, reading books, watching movies and cooking. Walking and doing light and fun exercises make her happy. She is a big fan of the This is Us TV Series.

Jamie Watkins serves as Facilities Management Occupational Safety Technician. Jamie has been a part of UVA FM since 2017, serving as part of the Construction & Renovation Services' Modern Masonry team, on the C&RS Safety Committee, and as a part of the team of scaffolding subject matter experts that teaches employees how to safely use and inspect scaffolding on Grounds.

In late 2020, he moved into FM Occupational Health and Safety as a liaison to C&RS and since then his role has grown: In addition to being a safety representative for C&RS, he and the OHS team aids the entire FM organization by supporting project and work sites, implementing safety practices, training employees, and championing ongoing needs for improvements. Jamie's skilled trades background offers a real-world, problem-solving perspective to job hazard analyses and incident investigations. Jamie supports FM's health and safety initiatives by attending toolbox talks, conducting jobsite walkthroughs, meeting with project managers and trades supervisors to determine how work can be completed safely, and more.

As part of UVA FM-OHS, Jamie has continued to expand his knowledge in construction safety. In November 2022, he passed the Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) exam, officially demonstrating his ability to identify and prevent hazards that cause injuries and illnesses in the construction industry.

Sarah Reed moved to Albemarle County in 2020 from the greater Richmond area, where she spent 10 years working in telecommunications. She joined University of Virginia Facilities Management as a landscaper in 2021 and has previously served as a member of the Landscaping and Recycling Safety Committee, the UVA FM Employee Council, and the UVA Staff Senate.

Sarah holds two associate degrees in arts and sciences and horticultural technology, as well as a certificate in sustainable agriculture. As an Occupational Health and Safety Technician, Sarah is excited to advocate for others across Facilities Management and assist in creating a safe and empowering work environment.

In her free time, Sarah enjoys spending time with family, gardening, and exploring in her kayak. She loves being outside and meeting people from all walks of life.