James Upton Jr.

James Upton Jr. has over 25 years of experience in the safety and construction industries. James began their career in 1996 as an apprentice at Heritage Woodworks and then moved on to become a superintendent at Jeffries Construction. James later joined Local Union Hall in 2004, where they worked as an ironworker and welder helper. From 2012 to 2019, they worked at Enbridge in various roles, including Safety Manager, Field Safety Lead, Field Safety Specialist, and Chief Inspector. In 2019, they joined Ergon Inc. as Corporate Health & Safety Manager, and in 2020 they became the Chair and Vice Chair of the Occupational Health and Safety Committee at American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM). Most recently, in 2022, they were appointed Director of Safety Operations at Urbint.

James Upton Jr. attended Columbia Southern University from 2015 to 2016, where they obtained a Master's degree in Occupational Safety and Health. Prior to that, they attended National Labor College from 2013 to 2014, where they obtained a Bachelor's degree in Construction Management with an emphasis in labor relations. James also obtained Continuing Education Units from Columbia Southern University in Servant Leadership.