Manson’s Master Learning Facilitator Douglas Boehm understands the importance of training and knowledge and how it positively impacts the whole person. Whether he’s facilitating the Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Fall Protection - Competent Person training course for field personnel or showing Manson instructors how to be proficient facilitators through Manson Learning Network (MLN) virtual workshops, Douglas aspires to help people reach their fullest potential.
Long before Douglas took up the role of master learning facilitator, he served in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) where he honed management and instruction skills in several Military Occupational Specialty roles. Additional assignments included USMC Band section leader, Marine Barracks duty, and Director of Club Operations and Finance throughout various stations across the globe. Douglas’s final military appointment was at the Marine Corps Security Forces Detachment at Bangor Naval Submarine Base in Silverdale, WA. “After I separated from the Marines, I went to work for a beer and wine distribution company in a sales position,” Douglas says. “I worked my way up from sales to logistics and eventually to a managerial position.” Stemming from his days as a marine, Douglas’s “jack of all trades” approach to work would help him develop a variety of skills within his new management role. After working within the organization for more than a decade, Douglas leaped at the opportunity to work as a project manager for the Engineered Services Division of one of the leading height safety protection equipment manufacturers, Guardian Fall Protection (Guardian).
Douglas’s new role introduced many responsibilities, including visiting jobsites to manage, perform testing on, and certify fall protection systems. Douglas would also instruct customers and users on how to utilize equipment and various fall protection systems. His knack for speaking, training, and coaching caught the attention of upper management and led to his joining the company’s training division as national training instructor. Guardian’s training division grew as Douglas helped acquire long-term contracts and relationships with organizations across various industries, including Manson.
Douglas’s quality of instruction through Guardian helped build and design height safety training programs for many government organizations, including the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as well as many other state and federal organizations. Douglas’s success in the role would ultimately see him promoted to director of training. “My time as a trainer allowed me to help people sharpen their skills—and help them bolster the safety of their people and safety culture in just about every industry one could imagine,” Douglas explains. “I was able to make countless connections with people outside of Guardian—including some EHS personnel at Manson.”
In 2018, while driving home from a Guardian presentation, Douglas received a call from his wife about an EHS position at Manson’s Jacksonville office that she’d seen on Indeed. “After hearing about the position, I went home, did some research, applied and went through the interview process, and shined well enough to receive an offer,” Douglas says. “During that time, I was looking for a new opportunity, and Manson was a company I had grown to know, as I have always admired the organization’s safety culture and commitment to their people.”
Much like in his previous professional roles, Douglas immediately cultivated relationships with his new colleagues by offering support with his knowledge on safety—especially fall protection. “I first met Douglas in the Seattle corporate office in 2014 during a 24-hour Fall Protection - Competent Person class when he was an instructor at Guardian,” says Forrest Ray, senior Gulf & East Coast EHS manager. “When he got hired in late 2018, he brought a wealth of safety and fall protection knowledge to the safety department.”
With a genuine interest in supporting those around him, Douglas has developed strong connections with Manson employees across the U.S., especially with craft personnel. Douglas’s talent for instruction and his innate ability to communicate safety methods make his trainings easy to understand. “Douglas is a world-class trainer in my eyes,” says Matua Sablan, Manson West regional EHS manager. “His attention to detail and humor help people actively engage whenever they attend one of his safety classes.” Dedicated to promoting Manson’s safety culture to all employees, Douglas began working with other Manson departments to create supportive, effective learning activities for employees. “It was no secret that I aspired to work within the Learning and Development (L&D) Department, and fortunately I had some strong support from a number of colleagues to advance toward that goal.”
With the support of Director of L&D Thomas Barrett, Douglas joined L&D as master learning facilitator—a role created specifically for him. “This position never existed in the company before,” Douglas explains. “Essentially, my job is to assist anyone at Manson in becoming a better instructor and facilitator. The goal is to improve the quality of our internal instructors, which in turn makes our courses and the learning more effective, so our craft and non-craft people can excel at their jobs.” As master learning facilitator, Douglas’s primary collaborations are with the EHS department, though he is expanding his influence into Operations with his work on improving Manson’s Toolbox Talks. Whether helping EHS leadership brainstorm content for safety presentations or jumping in to lead a virtual Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Toolbox Talk, Douglas is always ready to lend a helping hand.
“The MLN’s role at Manson is to coordinate, support, and develop learning activities company-wide,” Thomas says. “Douglas, along with the whole MLN team, collaborate with each other and with personnel across the country to generate the best instructional programs for Manson.” In addition to his variety of responsibilities, Douglas has designed and delivered a completely customized Fall Protection - Competent Person course and is also helping the MLN to update and redeploy Manson’s Project Management & Operations program (PMO) along with other courses that will roll out in 2023. The MLN team, with Douglas’s help, will provide meaningful and powerful courses that will assist with the career and skills development of Manson personnel. “Douglas is a very supportive team member and is really receptive to ideas whenever we work on a task,” says Carey Shannon, L&D specialist. “One thing I appreciate is that he always supports new ideas, especially when it comes to creating virtual workshops.”
Douglas says that one of the biggest takeaways as master learning facilitator is that he still has a lot to learn. “I enjoy helping people help themselves because I care about people,” Douglas says. “This role allows me to have a direct effect on people’s lives, so I strive to do the best I can, so I can help people achieve their professional goals.”
