Susan Gillies, NETS Marketing and Operations Director, Named New Executive Director of NETS

VIENNA, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Board of Directors of the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), the public-private partnership dedicated exclusively to reducing traffic crashes both on- and off-the-job, has announced the selection of Susan Gillies, the current Marketing and Operations Director, as its new Executive Director. Gillies will fill the vacancy created by current Executive Director Joseph McKillips who will be retiring from the organization at year end. McKillips has held the role since 2016 after a distinguished 26-year career with Abbott as Global Director of Commercial Environmental Health and Safety. During McKillips tenure as NETS Executive Director, he led a wide range of transformative initiatives with the overall focus aimed at positioning NETS for continued growth to include streamlining back-office operations, continuing NETS/NHTSA project collaboration, and creating momentum for on-going expansion of NETS mission.

McKillips also led a full re-structuring of the NETS membership model, directed the overhaul and enhancement of the NETS Strength IN Numbers® Benchmark process, and was the catalyst for expansion into international markets, spearheading two successful Latin America Regional Road Safety conferences and firmly establishing NETS as a leading resource in the global road safety space.

The selection of Gillies to the position was made after a detailed search of both internal and external candidates. Prior to coming to NETS eight years ago, Gillies held various roles at the Department of Veterans Affairs including Claims Examiner, Program Analyst, Management Analyst and Human Resource Coordinator, and Supervisory Veterans Service Representative. During her time with NETS, Gillies has been the Project Lead on the annual Strength IN Numbers® Benchmark report; participated in multiple international meetings and events including NETS Latin America Road Safety Conferences and United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC) meetings; has overseen all marketing and customer service aspects of NETS; and has assisted in providing financial oversight and strategic planning for the organization.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to continue my passion for NETS and our mission of advancing road safety among occupational drivers, their families, and communities in which they live. I look forward to building upon the momentum and growth established by outgoing Executive Director, Joe McKillips, as we strive to prevent traffic crashes by developing programs and services to reach employers across the U.S. and internationally,” said Gillies.

As Executive Director, Gillies will work closely with the NETS Board of Directors to implement the strategic direction of the organization by expanding NETS international scope and adding to NETS’ portfolio of road safety resources. Gillies officially begins her new post on October 1, 2021.

About NETS

NETS is a 501(c)3 public/private partnership organization with a dedicated group of employer road safety professionals whose objective is to advance road safety for employees, their family members and members of the communities where they live and work. Members collaborate to improve road safety and reduce losses through fleet safety benchmarking and sharing proven, best practice approaches. NETS membership includes global traffic safety leaders across private industry and government, whose fleets range from fewer than 100 vehicles to those with more than 50,000.

NETS is a member of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, which provides guidance to the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021 – 2030 global initiative. For more information on NETS, visit www.trafficsafety.org.