Our Instructors

Quality training starts with the right instructors. Our instructors have the knowledge and experience from years of working in the field, and they are the core of every successful learning experience. We ensure that they have the right skills and expertise to instruct you and/or your team and that the material is the most up-to-date and most relevant for the content of the course.

Safety Council Instructors

Alyssa Damke, MPH
Safety Council Staff
Alyssa Damke holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She joined the Minnesota Safety Council as an Occupational Safety Manager in June 2025. Prior to this, she spent four years working in environmental health and safety at a Minnesota manufacturing company, following her move from Nebraska in 2021, where her focus was on agricultural health and safety.

Alyssa approaches workplace safety with practical experience from diverse environments. She is dedicated to empowering individuals to embrace new challenges, building trust, and fostering meaningful engagement. She aims to share effective tools and innovative strategies to create safer workplaces while valuing the opportunity to learn from her colleagues and training participants.

Lisa Kons, Traffic Safety and Advocacy Director 
Safety Council Staff
Lisa Kons is the Traffic Safety and Advocacy Director for the Minnesota Safety Council, where she has worked for 32 years. She works primarily developing, coordinating, and implementing traffic safety programming. She currently serves as the state coordinator for Minnesota Network of Employers for Traffic Safety, which focuses on providing traffic safety resources and opportunities to employers, media outlets and traffic safety partners throughout the state. Lisa serves as a legislative advocate for transportation-related issues and has served on many traffic safety strategic planning and advisory committees. She was the recipient of the Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths Distinguished Public Leadership Award in 2018, recognizing leaders who have influenced traffic safety policy directions that benefit society. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Training and Development.

Adam Theisen
Safety Council Staff
Adam Theisen is a Certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor and Manager of First Aid Programming, AED and Products for the Minnesota Safety Council.

Terry Larson, GSP
Safety Council Staff
Terry S. Larson is a lifelong Minnesota resident with a Bachelor's Degree in Occupational Safety from Waldorf University. Before joining the Minnesota Safety Council, he worked in general industry and served in the Minnesota Army National Guard, focusing on reducing workplace injuries and illnesses. Terry is passionate about collaborating across sectors to enhance safety education and training, aiming to create the safest work environments possible.

Ben Wood, JD, MS, CSP
Safety Council Staff
Ben has been a safety and health professional since 1994, starting in private industry before joining Minnesota OSHA as a Senior Safety Investigator. He later served as a Safety Consultant Principal with the Minnesota Workplace Safety Consultation Unit, providing regulatory guidance and training across various industries.

After his time with OSHA, Ben briefly became the Senior Safety and Risk Manager at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, later advancing to the Minnesota Safety Council. He holds a graduate degree in Risk Control from the University of Wisconsin–Stout and a Juris Doctorate from William Mitchell School of Law. Additionally, he is an OSHA-authorized trainer and serves on the Advisory Committee for the Risk Control Program at the University of Wisconsin–Stout.

Bryan Schafer
Instructor
Responsible Beverage Training Liaison
Recovery Friendly Workplace Trainer
Chief Bryan D. Schafer (Ret.) serves as a Reasonable Suspicion Trainer and MN Responsible Beverage Server Training Liaison. Schafer has 39 years of distinguished law enforcement experience. Bryan served 23 years with the Minneapolis Police Department, rising to Police Inspector (Commander) and later served as Police Chief for the City of Hastings from 2013 until his retirement in 2022. He is a recognized leader in juvenile justice reform and drug and alcohol education, earning numerous awards, including the IACP Webber Seavey Award and DRE Emeritus Recognition in 2022. A passionate educator and advocate, he has trained professionals across various sectors on substance abuse awareness and continues to impact communities nationwide.

Rebecca Seibel
Instructor
Rebecca is an Arborist and Arborist Trainer with over 25 years of professional experience in the tree care industry. She has climbed trees in the field for many of those years, gaining hands-on experience running a chainsaw at height, while hanging from a rope through many Minnesota winters.

A natural leader, she focuses on training solid fundamentals with a strong emphasis on self awareness and safer work practices. She owns and operates Tree Spirit Consulting, and she travels extensively to teach chainsaw safety, electrical hazard awareness, leadership and other tree climbing ArborSkills (™).

• OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer
• American Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor
• Board Certified Master Arborist MN-0266B
• Certified TreeCare Safety Professional TCIA #1971
• Consulting Utility Forester Professional Qualified OSHA 30
• Petzl Technical Institute PPE Competent Inspector
• Lead Instructor, Women's Tree Climbing Workshop ®