Meet Gary Toothe
Gary Toothe has been in the industrial services field for more than 30 years. Around the midpoint of his management career, he was tasked with bringing uniform safety standards and quality assurance processes to multiple branch offices for his employer. It was during this time that Gary realized he needed supplemental training and education to make his efforts as successful as possible.
Toothe heard about Georgia Tech Professional Education’s certificate program in occupational safety and health from an industry peer. He says, “The praise from my colleague for Georgia Tech’s safety and health program was effusive.” So, in 2000, Toothe began his commitment to his continuing education journey at Georgia Tech.
He found that the courses, taught by industry-trained faculty and instructors, delivered valuable safety and health skills with immediate application in the workplace. And, not only did Toothe learn career-critical tools, but he also made a decision that would ultimately affect his professional growth and success. He earned both the Advanced and Premier Safety and Health Certificates – the pinnacle of program achievement. These distinctions enabled Toothe to become an industry leader and subject matter expert in his field.
As a direct result of earning his certificates, Toothe started his own company in 2008. The venture was so successful that it was purchased by Federal Signal just one year later. He continues to work for the company and travels worldwide to present, educate and train workers and management on the latest skills and practices necessary to reduce workplace accidents.
“Certificates from Georgia Tech carry a tremendous amount of weight. The prestige of this achievement helps me grow our client base and revenues, but also gives me respect and credibility in the classroom,” says Toothe. He also notes that he has taken several other courses from different training organizations. “By far, the education and training I received from Georgia Tech was head and shoulders above any others. In fact, it’s clear that participants of this program WANT to be here. They don’t HAVE to be here.”
