At the 2023 Mine Safety and Health Conference in Reno, Nevada, Simplot Mining Company Safety Manager Robert Roberts, also known as “Wampa”, was awarded the prestigious Outstanding Safety Specialist of the Year award. This came as a pleasant surprise to him, since neither his colleagues nor his wife mentioned the award until the last moment.
The award “Outstanding Security Specialist of the Year” is awarded to specialists who have worked for more than 10 years in the field of security and have made a significant contribution to the creation, improvement and development of a general safety culture. In a statement submitted in support of Robert Roberts’ nomination for this award, mining company director Chad Gentry highlighted Roberts’ broad and long-term contributions to the field. “As a security specialist, he really is one of the best, not only because of his technical knowledge, but mainly because of his passion for people,” Gentry noted. “The safety culture of our three mines has evolved and improved over time, and this is a result of Wampa’s leadership.”
