Bresland was born in Northern Ireland and became a United States citizen in 1983. He is a process safety consultant and former Honeywell executive, and his experience includes chemicals manufacturing; management; health, safety and environmental compliance; community outreach; and chemical process safety consultation.
In 2002, President Bush nominated Bresland to the CSB board. Bresland served as a board member from August 2002 to August 2007.
In a statement after his 2002 nomination, Bresland said, “After many years of experience in business, I have the desire to get involved in public service and return some of the benefits that I have received over the years. I am fully committed to the public-service mission of the Chemical Safety Board: to prevent accidents, save lives, and protect the environment by conducting investigations and advocating safety recommendations.”