UC Davis Safety Services is excited to welcome Leonel Edwards as an Industrial/ General Safety Specialist. 

Leonel is a highly-qualified safety professional who earned his B.S. in Health Science with a concentration in Occupational Health and Safety from CSU, Sacramento. He has multiple certifications under his belt, including his Associate Safety Professional certification (ASP), his Advanced Office Ergonomics Assessment Specialist certification (AOEAS), his Certified Ergonomics Assessment Specialist certifications (CEAS I & CEAS III), and his Certified Playground Safety Inspector certification (CPSI). After rattling off his qualifications Leonel laughs and comments, “I always tell people it's not because I want to have a bunch of letters after my name; it’s because I always want to be improving. It’s important to me to give the best service possible to the people and organizations I serve.”

Leonel comes from the world of consulting, having worked as a Senior Risk Services Consultant and Risk Control Pool Manager for the past four years with Sedgwick, a leading risk solutions provider. His experience there offered him the opportunity to work with various organizations, including schools, cities, non-profit agencies, housing authorities, fire departments, and special districts throughout the state of California. Leonel's versatility and adaptability will be an asset working at UC Davis, where a broad range of departments will benefit from his services.

What drew me to UC Davis is that it’s a top-tier University where the possibilities for growth are endless. It’s like a complex organism with many moving parts, structures, and systems. As an employee, I will not only have the opportunity to impact and serve a vast community, but also work with some of the brightest minds in the world.”

Leonel is originally from Dominica, a small Caribbean Island nation of 72,000 people with natural hot springs and tropical rainforests. “I am an island boy through and through, and that will never change,” he proclaims. 10 years ago, he decided to come to the United States to further his education and build a career in line with his passion for helping others. He explains, “As a health and safety professional, I knew I could save lives, reduce injuries and make a difference."

In his free time, Leonel plays and listens to music as often as he can. He learned the guitar by ear at age 11 and played in a church group for several years before forming his own band. He loves the outdoors and spends weekends hiking, kayaking, and swimming. During the pandemic, Leonel also picked up road cycling and mountain biking. He participated in the Great Cycle Challenge to support the Children's Cancer Research Fund and rode 1,020 miles, raising over $2,800. He is looking forward to riding again this year.