After Carolynne O'Connell's father was injured in a workplace accident while saving the life of an office worker whose tie got caught in a dangerous piece of equipment, her mother took on five jobs and her parents used the insurance settlement to open their first business, a gasoline station. They would continue to own four businesses, where the entire family — O'Connell is one of five children — worked.
"It's where I learned my work ethic and the meaning of ownership," she said.
Her first plastics position was at a General Cable Corp. plant in South Hadley, Mass., where the feeder plant manufactured copper wire that was sent to a sister plant for extrusion over the wire. O'Connell was the third generation of her family to work at the plant, and she didn't know her father and grandfather had worked there until an employee told O'Connell he remembered her father.
O'Connell is now Charter Next Generation Inc.'s senior environment, health and safety specialist, which includes employee and facility safety, environmental compliance, and employee support and coaching.
"The highlight of my career continues to be when people I work with send me messages thanking me for opening their eyes to safety and helping them return home safely every day," she said. "It's also rewarding to read DASH (Detect A Safety Hazard) reports that document when employees detect and address unsafe conditions at home or in the workplace. They tell me our people are developing safety as a habit."
CNG is working to achieve a perfect safety record, O'Connell said, "not by chance but by developing a community of people that demonstrate safety leadership, ownership and a commitment to sustaining safety practices."
"During my time here, I've had the chance to work with several inspirational leaders, and there are so many great opportunities to learn and grow," said O'Connell, who is also one of few women to ever hold a Massachusetts Second Class Fireman's license. "At CNG, I'm surrounded by people who care about and support me."