Donald Birch is a highly accomplished HSE professional with more than 20 years of experience leading health, safety, and environmental programs across diverse industries, including oil and gas, manufacturing, construction, and utilities. Recognized for fostering strong safety cultures and driving operational excellence, he has successfully implemented strategic HSE initiatives that reduce organizational risk, strengthen regulatory compliance, and improve overall workforce performance.

Throughout his career, Donald has managed comprehensive safety management systems, regulatory compliance programs, incident prevention strategies, and environmental sustainability initiatives for multi-site operations and large-scale projects. He brings extensive expertise in OSHA regulations, environmental compliance standards, risk assessment methodologies, and emergency response planning.
As a collaborative leader and trusted advisor, Donald partners closely with executive leadership, field operations, and regulatory agencies to promote continuous improvement and achieve organizational safety objectives. His leadership approach is rooted in accountability, proactive hazard mitigation, employee engagement, and operational integrity.

Prior to joining CEC in 2026, Donald served in key safety leadership roles with CenterPoint Energy, FreePoint Eco-Systems, TC Energy, ExxonMobil, and Genesis Energy, where he successfully guided operational and construction teams toward safer, more efficient outcomes. He also proudly served nine years in the United States Navy at Joint Base Pearl Harbor as an Industrial Hygiene Officer and Hospital Corpsman.

Donald holds a Master of Public Health from Texas A&M Health Science Center, a Master of Public Administration from Wayland Baptist University, and a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences. In addition, he maintains professional certifications as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and Safety Management Professional (SMP) through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals.