Once a year, APAC Mississippi/Tennessee holds a Safety and Leadership Conference, an opportunity to discuss the company’s success and goals around its commitment to lead the industry in safety and operational excellence. This year’s event took place February 4-6 at the Cadence Bank Conference Center in Tupelo, Mississippi. Leaders from across the company gathered for business meetings, performance recaps, small group discussions, employee recognition ceremonies, giveaways and more.

James Williams and Carl Pittman from the Cultural Assessment Team kicked off the first day of the conference. The next day, APAC Mississippi/Tennessee’s president Jason Latiolais and safety director David Barton gave a welcome address and a safety review, followed by Matt Smith who talked about job hand off and Capex pre-job meetings. Jennifer Bagwell and Vanessa White presented information on Equal Employment Opportunities and policies. 

The Safety and Leadership Conference’s small group break-out sessions covered a variety of safety topics including site safety visits, life-saving rules, mental health, environmental issues and human performance/ELT.  Team members who led these sessions included Leslie Dill, Auston Thompson, Brian Moore, Colin Agostinelli, Ray Kinslow, Juston Herbert, Gavin McGee, Briana Wilson and Scott Russell.

On the last day of the conference, Clint Carroz led a ‘Fit for Work’ session. Brian Ross shared human resources information and updates, followed by Paul Lanford who talked about equipment. 

At APAC-Mississippi/Tennessee, our team members are our most valuable assets. With a focus on leadership and employee involvement, we are committed to strengthening our employee-driven safety culture, at all levels of the organization. The 2025 Safety and Leadership Conference was filled with valuable information that we can all bring back to our crews and apply to our work. Thanks to everyone who participated. We look forward to building on the insights you shared!