Magid, in Partnership with Chicago Scholars, Creates the Rusty Cohen Legacy Scholarship Fund to Honor Their Leader and Address the Shortage of
New Safety Professionals
The Loss of a Beloved Third-Generation Founder to COVID-19 Inspires a Legacy to Help both the Safety Community and Young Adults Looking to Complete College
ROMEOVILLE, IL, JULY 2021— Last year, the Cohen family and Magid Glove & Safety lost a great leader and friend with the passing of Rusty Cohen. He was generous, smart, and funny. He listened carefully, remembered details about everyone’s lives, and tried to make the world a little warmer each day.
Rusty spent nearly 50 years helping companies keep their workers safe. He also worked hard to support young people who wanted to graduate from college. We’re combining Rusty’s two passions and partnering with Chicago Scholars college access, success, and leadership development program for financially under-resourced and first-generation Chicago youth to establish The Rusty Cohen Legacy Scholarship Fund.
The fund will ensure young leaders from Chicagoland who are interested in a career in Health and Environmental Sciences have the support and financial resources to pursue their dreams of going to and graduating from college. It will also raise awareness regarding careers in industrial safety, a field which is currently experiencing a shortage of qualified safety professionals.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported more than 122,000 jobs for occupational health and safety specialists and technicians in 2019, a number that is expected to increase by 4% in the next decade. But all signs point to a severe personnel shortage that exists now and is only growing. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said that safety professional demand was far outpacing supply as far back as 2011. A 2020 survey published in Safety+Health Magazine showed that 57% of respondents see a shortage of qualified occupational safety and health professionals and that 60% said they lack employees in the pipeline who might replace them if needed.
How to Help
You can make a difference in an aspiring safety professional’s life with a donation to the fund! Please join us in continuing Rusty’s charity and generosity for future generations.
About Chicago Scholars
Chicago Scholars is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, leadership development organization that empowers academically ambitious low-income or first-generation students to overcome systemic barriers to success in college and beyond while preparing the city’s businesses and organizations for the next generation of leaders. For more information about Chicago Scholars, please visit www.chicagoscholars.org.