Karen McGinnis, the current and founding director of the Volpentest HAMMER Federal Training Center, a Department of Energy Federal asset.Since 1991, Karen has guided HAMMER to its status as an industry recognized leader in safety and health training featuring one of the most multi-faceted training facilities in the world. Karen’s crowning achievement is her oversight in establishing the many partnerships forged through HAMMER. These relationships – made up of organized labor, federal and state agencies, tribes, safety professionals and community leaders – prompted AFL-CIO Chairman Richard Trumka to remark that HAMMER represents “one of the most important partnerships in the country.” Under Karen’s leadership, HAMMER has gained recognition as one of the premier training centers in the world while also achieving the top federal safety award of Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Star Status. Karen also received a “Special Achievement Award” for outstanding Performance Leadership in furthering the US DOE VPP program, and was recently appointed to sit on the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) Advisory Board.Karen has a Master of Arts, Agriculture and Natural Resource Economics, Washington State University and a Bachelor of Science, Agriculture and Natural Resource Economics, Oregon State University.
