Upon graduation from the Illinois State, Paul Wojcieszak ’97 was well on his way to creating a promising career for himself in safety. On top of obtaining his certified safety professional and construction health and safety technician certifications, Wojcieszak founded Sheffield Safety with his associate in 2003, a mere six years after graduation.
Sheffield Safety is a consulting firm that has been involved with several major contractors in various states around the nation. One of the most unique experiences Wojcieszak had was consulting at the World Trade Center relief during the cleanup.
Coming up through the safety program at Illinois State, Wojcieszak felt he was fully prepared to build his successful career as the president of his own company. After completion of his waste management internship, he was provided with an opportunity through the Illinois State safety program to pursue employment at Walsh construction. He has been involved with construction safety since then, as Sheffield Safety works with clients in the construction industry.
Through his time in the safety field, Wojcieszak has noticed big changes in the industry. A “big push for professional safety programs” has occurred in businesses as of late. Wojcieszak also has learned how integrated safety actually is in all aspects of business like insurance and finance. Because of this he stresses that students and safety professionals diversify their education and experiences. This will open many doors for those aspiring for advancement.
