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Opportunity Forward: The Woman Owned & Led Company Raising The EHS Compliance Bar

Posted on 3/8/2019 by Jennifer Wark, Marketing Manager

Read the original post on LinkedIn

It’s International Women’s Day at Lion Technology in Sparta, NJ, and owner Patricia Taggart has stepped in for a look.

Patricia and her husband Bill Taggart founded Lion Technology in 1977, focusing on helping businesses navigate a newly defined regulatory landscape. Today, the company president is Tammy Kent, a 25-year veteran of the environmental compliance industry. Under her leadership since 2003, the company has gone from strength to strength, expanding product offerings and leading the field in compliance and training course development.

What stands out about Lion – quite apart from superior compliance training – is the way the company has embraced a culture of gender diversity. In fact, more than 60% of Lion’s employees are female – a truly unusual number in a traditionally male-dominated field.

The importance of balance and diversity.

Why does this corporate decision-making matter for women? “Women face additional obstacles when choosing a career path, resulting in a huge rate of attrition between college and career.” says Kent. She’s not wrong: women are well-represented in environmental majors, but when it comes to career positions, they still lag behind, making up an average of just 30% of the environmental workforce. In Lion’s home state of New Jersey, this gap is even further pronounced: in 2018, fewer than 100 of the state’s 700+ Licensed Site Remediation Professionals were women. 

For Lion, the challenges of the industry drive the need for a diverse talent search. “The key to tackling a complex regulatory industry like environmental compliance is to bring in a wide variety of backgrounds and experience. Gender diversity is one way to bring in richer perspectives, which in turn bring us continued growth.” says Kent.

A culture based on opportunity.

In her role as president, Kent encourages honest conversation about the often-difficult choices women face in the pursuit of ambitious career roles and the constant balance between work and family. Coming from a position of experience, she serves as a rare, authentic voice on the board. “The unique business environment at Lion allows us to build a culture where employees have the support and flexibility they need, and ultimately that benefits the company.” By removing the obstacles women face in the workforce, Lion’s policies have allowed talents to thrive – and that’s evident in the way the company has continued to expand.

Patricia Taggart agrees. “Lion began as a family business. Opening the conversation to families allows us to stay true to our value and our legacy, and we’re delighted to be leading the field in more ways than one.”

Tags: environmental compliance, hazardous materials, Hazmat compliance, international women's day 2019, Women in leadership

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Lion - Quotes

Lion provided an excellent introduction to environmental regulations, making the transition to a new career as an EHS specialist less daunting of a task. Drinking from a fire hose when the flow of water is lessened, is much more enjoyable!

Stephanie Weathers

SHE Specialist

The instructor was very knowledgeable and provided pertinent information above and beyond the questions that were asked.

Johnny Barton

Logistics Coordinator

Attending Lion Technology classes should be mandatory for every facility that ships or stores hazmat.

Genell Drake

Outbound Lead

I chose Lion's online webinar because it is simple, effective, and easily accessible.

Jeremy Bost

Environmental Health & Safety Technician

Very well structured, comprehensive, and comparable to live training seminars I've participated in previously. I will recommend the online course to other colleagues with training requirement needs.

Neil Luciano

EHS Manager

Convenient; I can train when I want, where I want.

Barry Cook

Hazmat Shipping Professional

Course instructor was better prepared and presented better than other trainers. Course manual and references were easier to use as well.

Marty Brownfield

Hazardous Waste Professional

The training was impressive. I am not a fan of online training but this was put together very well. I would recommend Lion to others.

Donnie James

Quality Manager

This training broke down the regulations in an easy-to-understand manner and made them less overwhelming. I now feel I have the knowledge to make more informed decisions.

Amanda Oswald

Shipping Professional

Having the tutorial buttons for additional information was extremely beneficial.

Sharon Ziemek

EHS Manager

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