PAF Safety Coordinator Spotlight: Twyla Whited
As an employee of the Overton County, TN Soil & Water Conservation District, Twyla Whited was introduced to the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® (PAF Safety Day) program in 2015. Ten years later, she hasn’t looked back. Twyla has continued to serve as a volunteer PAF Safety Day coordinator, dedicated to ensuring that youth throughout Overton County receive hands-on, potentially life-saving safety education. She credits the program’s strong foundation, ongoing coordinator trainings, and dependable support from PAF staff as the reasons she remains committed year after year. Knowing she can reach out anytime she has questions or needs assistance gives her confidence and reassurance as she plans and leads her event.
The PAF Safety Day hosted in Livingston, TN has become something the entire community looks forward to annually, drawing strong participation and support. Twyla shares, “It is a huge community event for our county. I am blessed to be able to help coordinate such a wonderful event for my hometown.” She values how customizable the curriculum is, allowing lessons to be tailored to real needs within the community and applied in everyday life. The fire blanket success story from participant Kennedi Clouse is just one example of how PAF Safety Day can directly impact lives beyond the event itself. For Twyla, seeing multiple generations come through the program has been especially meaningful. “We now have generations of participants that have went through the Safety Day so it is just a blessing to hear so many talk about their memories of the event.”
To anyone considering bringing a PAF Safety Day to their area, Twyla has a simple and passionate message: just do it. She acknowledges that coordinating can feel overwhelming at times, but she believes the impact is worth every effort. “If we reach one child through our lessons and they go home and apply that practice, that is what it is all about. It could save their life and that is the purpose of this event.”