Steve began his career in occupational safety and health in 1986 as an Occupational Safety Specialist with the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In 1999, he was appointed to the assistant administrator position. In 2012, he was appointed as the administrator of the agency.

In his position as administrator, he managed the day-to-day operations of Tennessee OSHA, supervising eight managers with various program responsibilities. He led both the compliance and consultation programs. He also served as the liaison between the state's OSHA program and federal OSHA. He served five terms on the Federal Advisory Committee for Construction Safety and Health.

In 2020, after serving 16 months as deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Steve left the department to join FDRsafety. Steve leads a team of safety and health professionals who consult with employers and labor organizations on workplace safety and health issues, compliance challenges, and safety culture improvement. He frequently serves as an expert witness and presents topics at regional and national conferences.