Meet Susan Caldwell, product manager at GMG Envirosafe and an Educator in the women in print community. In her role, she is passionate about helping printing companies across the country meet regulatory standards and reduce illnesses injuries and deaths, while also delivering high-quality and affordable printing safety compliance solutions. She also has past experience as a secondary education print communications teacher. As a breast cancer survivor, Susan has a personal passion to spread awareness of early detection of the disease.

In the Q&A below, Susan shares her “Aha!” moment when she knew print was the right field for her, offers her take on trends vs fads in technology education, and tells us what sleeper compliance issue the printing industry should be keeping a closer eye on. Plus, she shares her personal breast cancer journey and reminds us all NOT to put off scheduling those vital yearly mammograms!

Thank you, Susan, for sharing your print education and public health passion with the women in print community!

How and when did you enter or become associated with the printing industry? What
was your “Aha!” moment when you knew print was the right field for you?
I started my printing career in high school after my guidance counselor placed me
into the wrong course my sophomore year. On my first day in the printing class I fell in love
with it. The ability to work with my hands and use my creative side hooked me into an
amazing career! I think competing in the National SkillsUSA Graphic Communications
contest and meeting Industry representatives helped to shape and guide my path into the
industry!

You’ve seen many trends in print education over the years, particularly at the secondary education level. What changes in terms of teaching topics and/or delivery models did you witness during your time as a high school graphic imaging instructor? What stayed the same?
Over the years of my teaching career, I saw a switch from doing traditional
manual printing jobs to more computer driven printing jobs. The technology from
traditional offset press to digital press for programs throughout the US has always been
hard to keep up with because of costs. The reality is educational programs have been
struggling to keep up with technological changes that have come at a rapid pace over
the past 20 years. The changes have helped the industry recruit more students over the
years, since classes have become more computer-driven. The printing industry is one of
the few that can recruit a wide variety of people. I really think bindery has stayed the
same in all of the sectors of printing. Those techniques have not changed much.

On a scale of 1 – 10, one being not all concerned and 10 being hair on fire – how worried
are you about the state of print and graphics communications programs (or lack
thereof) in high schools? In two- and four-year colleges?
I would have to say it is a 10 for sure! I taught Printing and Graphics for 18 years in the
state of Virginia. In the same program I attended in the early 90’s, to the program I taught
in 2005, went from 52 programs down to less than 4 National PrintEd instructed courses
in Virginia.

Taking out equipment and moving to Graphic Design based became a trend
which gained traction in the early 2000’s throughout the US. Schools do not want to
invest or do not have the funds to invest in programs, because the common myth is
Printing is dead. I attended Chowan University in the 90’s for their Graphic’s
Communication program and several years back Chowan shut down their program.

The lack of programs that train on equipment and printing starting at the high school and
college level have dipped tremendously leaving the industry struggling to make up for
the shortage of trained workers. In my visits to printing companies throughout the US, I
hear the same concern about a shortage of trained employees.

Your current role in education focuses on commercial print organizations and providing tools and information to both keep employees safe and businesses compliant with regulations (and still thriving). What are the hottest topics in that space currently? And what sleeper education/compliance issue should the print industry be keeping a closer eye on?
My current role with GMG EnviroSafe is the Product Manager for Printing. My goal with
GMG EnviroSafe is to help reduce injuries, illnesses, death, and regulatory fines in the
printing industry in the US and Canada.

The printing industry struggles with machine guarding, Lock/Out Tag/Out, and PPE which are the top three in OSHA fines. Our team performs tailored specific printing EHS Services. Job hazardous assessments, permitting, air quality compliance, waste management, chemical handling, OSHA
reporting, facility inspections, testing and employee training are some of the things we
provide. We want our printers to go home safely to their families at the end of each shift.

You have a personal passion for another educational topic: breast cancer awareness
and sharing your own experience as a breast cancer survivor to help others. What is the one message you most wish to drive home to women on this topic?
My battle with breast cancer started in Jan 2021. I clearly remember being at work when
I got a call from my doctor. In reflecting on this, it should have been a clear warning that
something wasn’t right. I mean when does a doctor ever call the patient. Really? I
remember him saying “Hi, Mrs. Caldwell, this is Dr. B. I have some bad news about your
test results. It is positive for cancer, and I need you to see the surgeon on Friday.”

I remember feeling like I was punched in the gut and asking him to repeat what he said
because I just couldn’t process it. He reassured me saying “I believe we caught it early.”
I had to wait 3 days to find out the details from the surgeon, which seemed like a
lifetime. I had no family history of cancer that I knew of. Turns out after testing, I had no
genetic marker for breast cancer either.

It was in the era of Covid and having cancer made it difficult for appointments. My family
members had to call in for appointments instead of coming into the surgeon’s office. I
was told if it had been six months earlier surgery would not have been possible due to
surgeries being limited because of supplies due to covid.

My doctor told me that I had ductal carcinoma in my left breast. I decided on a double mastectomy which turns out was the best decision I made. I received surgery on March 15, 2021 and the pathology
turned up cancer in both breasts. It was also detected that I had a second aggressive
cancer 8mm from my chest wall which was removed early as well. Within a matter of a
little over a month cancer had developed in my other breast. I was spared going through
radiation and chemotherapy because I was at Stage 0.

Throughout the entire process I have my family to thank for saving my life. They were
insistent that I kept up with doctor appointments and checkups, which, in the end, saved
my life. My family and I share our experiences going through this with all of the laughs
and tears we have shed hoping to help someone else to get through their battle.

I also thank my students, co-workers, and friends for helping me though this tough time. I
believe keeping positive is half the battle to beating cancer. The reality is you never know who is going to go through breast cancer because it now strikes one in eight women. Don’t put off yearly mammograms and testing. Early detection is the key to beating this!