No Man Left Behind
Meet Les Powell, a passionate environmental health, safety, and security manager for the Carrolton Beltline Plant in Dallas. Les has been a part of the IP family since 2019, but his passion for safety began long before.
Continuing the Legacy
Les’ safety journey began long before his civilian career. Inspired by the legacy of his father and uncle, both proud Vietnam Veterans, Les pursued a calling in the armed forces where he served for 8.5 years in the Army as a military policeman, Supply Sargent, S-4 ANCOIC, and Flight Medic. His upbringing, shaped by frequent relocations due to his father's military postings, instilled in him a deep appreciation for diversity and the value of having empathy for different cultures. “I learned early on about so many cultures because my mom was from Taiwan. We lived in Germany for three years and moved to the South at a time when it is was super segregated,” Les said.
His early years were marked by constant adaptation and forging connections with people from all walks of life. He shared, “I gained a lot of respect for what other people may go through because being one of few Asians in the middle of the country led to a lot of teasing in school.”
I learned early on about so many cultures because my mom was from Taiwan.
- Les Powell
Safety and Employee Engagement Matter
The military instilled a “no man left behind” mentality that Les still has at the forefront of his mind to this day.
Before starting at IP, Les worked as an Industrial Fire Chief, Paramedic and volunteer fire captain; he quickly developed the ability to be agile and adapt to changing the game plan on the fly. Now, Les spends his day making sure all employees at his plant stay safe by checking for potential safety hazards and preventing injuries from arising.
He is passionate about knowledge sharing and learning, stating: “Knowledge is stale unless you share it. I like to share my knowledge because I've learned so much during my time in the military and at IP.”
When you interact and get to know your employees, you become a leader. When leading with empathy, people feel comfortable coming to you and being vulnerable when issues arise in their personal or work life.
- Les Powell
He enjoys that at IP he can get from behind his computer and walk the floor to engage with employees. “That's the biggest part of the safety program to me. When you interact and get to know your employees, you become a leader. When leading with empathy, people feel comfortable coming to you and being vulnerable when issues arise in their personal or work life,” Les explained.
Inspired by Experience
Les’ passion shines through his commitment to make IP a safe workplace. His background continues to shape his life beyond the workplace, driving him to seek meaningful opportunities to serve his community. Inspired by his experiences and the sense of purpose instilled during his time in the armed forces, Les serves as the vice chair holder for the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians Membership Committee and is a lead team member for the IPVets ENC where he volunteers and helps to spread the word about resources available for veterans through IP.
