Some people in the boiler and pressure vessel industry have made a difference over the decades because of their participation and commitment to safety.
Venus Newton is one of those individuals.
Newton started his career in 1983 when he enlisted in the US Navy as a Nuclear Machinist Mate. The industry recognizes these individuals as the cream of the crop, and Newton is no exception. He served as a staff instructor at Nuclear Power Prototype Training until a physical issue forced his transfer to the USS Midway, a non-nuclear vessel.
However, Newton is one of the few individuals who recovered and transferred back to the nuclear program, where he served out his enlistment on the USS Enterprise. His experience in nuclear and non-nuclear areas gave him a unique perspective, particularly concerning procedures. After eight years and two months of service, Newton took a trip down “Headhunters Street” and became a boiler inspector trainee for Chubb Group of Insurance Companies.
Newton steadily advanced during his 19 years at Chubb, becoming the Southern Zone risk consultant manager. He then spent five years with OneCIS Insurance Co. as director of jurisdictional services. This role allowed him to forge strong relationships with jurisdiction chiefs and prepared him for his next career move.
In 2015, Newton joined BPC/XLIA as senior vice president. Within six months, he was named president. In this role, he is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s operations, including finance, sales and marketing, and service delivery. He also leads all lines of business – property, boiler and machinery, and jurisdictional servicing – while driving the company’s growth and profitability.
Venus Newton
In 2003, Newton furthered his industry service and commitment by joining ASME’s CSD-1 Standards Committee. A few years later, he began serving on National Board Inspection Code (NBIC) committees and has been a member of the NBIC Main Committee, Subcommittee Inspection, and Subgroup Inspection for over 18 years.
At his current job, Newton appreciates his team’s focused approach.
“My team can concentrate on jurisdictional inspections, and my team can do the best inspection possible without being distracted by other tasks like accident investigations or risk evaluations,” he said. “We take inspections seriously.”
His company’s track record speaks for itself. It rightly boasts of being “the best in on-time inspections of 98% for the past eight years and running.”
It all focuses on completing the inspections. He is sometimes told, “You can’t do it economically.” He quickly responds, “Perhaps you can’t, but we do.”
Newton loves what he does.
“It’s a great job,” he said. “It’s the whole unsung hero thing that is great. We do everything that no one knows about, but we make a difference in people’s lives.”
He added that it also comes with its difficulties, but he sees the Jurisdictional Reporting System (JRS), the software product suite of the National Board (NBBI), as a means to help drive uniformity across the jurisdictions.
“Dealing with 50-plus jurisdictions that are all different is challenging. It makes it difficult to keep up with all the regulations and requirements while maintaining our focus on serving our clients,” he said. “Many of our customers have locations across several states. They often have difficulty understanding the differences between jurisdictions. Bringing uniformity is something we love to see, and JRS has the means to drive that uniformity.”
Newton added that the most significant aspect of JRS is that it is supported by NBBI and its mission.
“It gives us all hope of increased uniformity across jurisdictions. Keep up your work to deliver a product that solidifies the integrity of the inspection with a system that will drive safety … to enable safety.”
Newton has built an impressive career, starting with his service to our nation, transitioning into a specialized focus on boiler and pressure vessel safety, and now leading a dedicated team of safety professionals.
It’s easy to see his life’s mission has been the safety of others. It’s what he does and what we strive to do.