Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management

Stephen came to Appalachian State University in November of 2022 to serve as the Continuity and Resiliency Coordinator. Prior to joining App State, Stephen served as a firefighter with the City of Concord Fire Department. He graduated in 2019 from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice, and again in 2021 with his Master's in Public Administration. Stephen also holds multiple credentials in emergency services including Firefighter 1 & 2, EMT, Hazmat Operations, and numerous specialty certifications in technical rescue. In his time off, Stephen enjoys serving as a volunteer firefighter with Deep Gap Fire Department, as well as traveling, hiking, and exploring the High Country. Stephen is excited to join the Department of Environmental Health, Safety, and Emergency Management and to continue to keep the university safe and prepared.

Bethany came to the EHS & EM team in 2021 to serve as the Industrial Hygiene Manager. She studied Physics as an undergraduate at Clemson University and Biophysics at UNC Chapel Hill where she obtained her master's degree. More recently, she was a member of the Laboratory Safety office at Duke University Health System where she performed various lab safety and industrial hygiene roles in both the university and medical center labs. She is excited to be joining Appalachian State University to continue this important work. When not on the job, you can find her playing video games, cooking and baking new and interesting dishes, and enjoying the company of her husband and two dogs.

Jason came to Appalachian State University from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) in March of 2014 to serve as the Director of Environmental Health, Safety, and Emergency Management. At UNCG, Jason served as the inaugural director of emergency management upon the office's inception in 2009. Prior to 2009, Jason served as the safety coordinator at UNCG for 2 years assisting with campus preparedness efforts among other duties. Before working in higher education, Jason was heavily engaged in various roles related to emergency and disaster services to include the fire service and the American Red Cross where he continues to serve as a board of directors member for the Blue Ridge Chapter. His experience in disaster response started with Hurricane Floyd in 1999 while serving in a shelter for coastal evacuees. Jason holds a Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management from Western Carolina University and a Master of Science in Safety, Security, and Emergency Management from Eastern Kentucky University. He maintains several certifications related to emergency management and emergency services to include his North Carolina emergency management certification and emergency medical technician (EMT) certification.

Marcus McGinnis came to Appalachian’s Environmental Health, Safety and Emergency Management team in March 2022 to serve as a Lab Safety Specialist. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biology from Appalachian State University in August 1999 and May 2009, respectively. 

After completing his Master of Science degree, he worked as a molecular biologist in several academic and industry research labs and became interested in lab safety after working as a Lab Manager at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Further developing his skills, he went on to serve as a Chemical Hygiene Officer at Novozymes, a biotechnology firm, from October 2014 to August 2017. 

Marcus relocated to West Virginia with his family in November 2018, joining the Environmental Health and Safety team at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) as a Lab Safety Specialist. At Pitt, he served as a member of the Biosafety Group and was responsible for inspecting medical research labs until his return to the Boone area in March of 2022. Marcus is excited to return to Appalachian to continue his work in lab safety. Outside of work, he enjoys listening to music, attending live concerts, watching detective shows, reading and hiking. 

Steve came to Appalachian State University as the Occupational Safety Manager in March of 2017 after 12 years in the private sector. Steve graduated from Appalachian State in 2003 with a B.S. in Criminal Justice and is excited to be in a role in which he can support the university community. He is dually certified as a Safety Management Specialist and Occupational Health and Safety Technologist through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. Steve is responsible for developing and implementing workplace safety programs in a manner which promotes continued growth of the university's safety culture. His favorite thing about Appalachian is being able to provide safety support to a continuously changing and evolving community. When Steve is not at work you can probably find him camping on top of a mountain or floating down some whitewater.

Debi is a North Carolina Certified Emergency Manager and is excited to hold the position of Emergency Management Coordinator for Appalachian State. As Emergency Management Coordinator, responsibilities include managing the Building Emergency Team Program for the University, Emergency Exercise planning, assisting with Emergency Operations Plans and Incident Action Plans. Debi is staffed in the Emergency Operations Center, staffed in the Command Post for special events, serves as a member of the Emergency Management Task Force, and provides emergency management support, including training. Debi began working at Appalachian in 2010 after serving in local government finance office. Prior to that Debi has years of managerial experience in the private sector. Debi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from Western Carolina University as well as two Associate in Applied Science degrees; one in Medical Office Administration and the other in Office Systems Technologies. Debi's favorite thing about Appalachian is helping people.

Daniel joined Appalachian State University as the Safety Coordinator in March of 2023, bringing with him extensive experience from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he served as the Emergency Operation Center Specialist, Fire Safety Specialist and Contractor Safety Officer. With a bachelor's degree in Fire Safety Engineering and a range of safety certifications, he is excited to apply his knowledge and skill sets at Appalachian.

As the Safety Coordinator, Daniel's primary responsibilities include overseeing safety inspections, hazard assessments, incident investigations, employee safety training and ensuring compliance with the University's safety procedures for all facilities and buildings.

Joining the Appalachian Environmental Health, Safety & Emergency Management team and becoming a part of the Mountaineer family has been an exciting opportunity for Daniel. When he's not working, Daniel enjoys spending time outdoors with his friends and family.