34th Annual Joint Safety and Environmental Professional Development Symposium set new standards for professional development

34th Annual Joint Safety and Environmental Professional Development Symposium set new standards for professional development

By Naval Safety and Environmental Training Center

The Naval Safety and Environmental Training Center (NAVSAFENVTRACEN) successfully concluded the 34th Annual Joint Safety and Environmental Professional Development Symposium (PDS), held virtually April 20–24, 2026. Bringing together military members, government civilians, industry professionals, and subject matter experts from across the Department of War and around the globe, this year's symposium continued its tradition as the premier professional development event for the safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene, and environmental communities.

The five-day symposium featured 130 educational sessions presented by 120 speakers, providing more than 150 hours of professional instruction. The event generated more than 15,000 session logins and attracted over 3,100 unique participants representing every military service, multiple federal agencies and attendees from more than 20 countries. More than 18,000 certificates of attendance were issued, highlighting the tremendous demand for continuing professional education across the joint force.

A highlight of this year's symposium was the participation of the Joint Safety Council (JSC), whose senior leaders served as the symposium's keynote speakers. Representing the Department of War's military services, the JSC provided attendees with strategic perspectives on the future of occupational safety, environmental stewardship, industrial hygiene, and operational readiness. Their participation reinforced the symposium's role as the premier forum for sharing enterprise priorities, emerging challenges, and collaborative solutions across the joint force.

Participants represented a broad cross-section of the safety and environmental workforce, including safety professionals, industrial hygienists, environmental professionals, occupational health specialists, public health practitioners, and occupational medicine personnel. The symposium's diverse technical program covered emerging hazards, industrial hygiene, occupational health, environmental compliance, hearing conservation, ergonomics, exposure assessment, and other topics critical to protecting the Joint Force while enhancing operational readiness.

"This year's symposium demonstrated the continued value of bringing together professionals from across the joint force to share knowledge, best practices, and innovative solutions to today's occupational safety and environmental challenges," said Amanda Carter, PDS Program Manager, NAVSAFENVTRACEN. "The exceptional participation, outstanding presenters, and overwhelmingly positive feedback reflect the commitment of our community to continuous learning and professional excellence."

Attendee feedback reinforced the symposium's success, with participants praising both the quality of the presentations and the expertise of the speakers. Many attendees also expressed interest in seeing several of this year's presentations return as featured sessions during future symposiums, reflecting the value and relevance of the technical content presented throughout the week.

"The Professional Development Symposium continues to strengthen our safety, occupational health and environmental enterprise by bringing together professionals from across the Department of War to share knowledge, exchange best practices, and address the evolving challenges facing the Joint Force," said Cmdr. Ben Barrus, NAVSAFENVTRACEN commanding officer. "The participation of our Joint Safety Council keynote speakers, the outstanding technical presentations, and the engagement of attendees from around the world demonstrate the enduring value of this symposium in advancing readiness through education, collaboration and professional development."

For those who were unable to attend every session, or who would like to revisit presentations, the symposium recordings are now available. These resources provide continued access to the valuable technical content presented throughout the week and support ongoing professional development. Recordings are accessible by visiting http://jointpds.adobeconnect.com/pds2026registration/event/event_info.html.

Planning is already underway for next year's event. Mark your calendars now for the 35th Annual Joint Safety and Environmental Professional Development Symposium, scheduled for April 19–23, 2027. Additional information, including the call for speakers and registration details, will be released in the coming months.

The continued growth and success of the Professional Development Symposium reflect NAVSAFENVTRACEN's commitment to delivering world-class education and fostering collaboration across the Department of War safety, occupational health, industrial hygiene, and environmental communities. Together, these efforts ensure the workforce remains prepared to meet today's challenges while advancing the safety and readiness of the Naval enterprise.