I grew up in the Chicago suburbs and attended University of Iowa. I graduated with a B.S. Chemical Engineering degree in 1998. My first job out of school was with Energizer in Missouri. I decided I didn’t want to be so far from home, so I accepted a job with Fauske & Associates and moved back to the Chicago suburbs. I worked at Fauske for 19 years in a variety of Director and Manager roles that covered a range of specialty areas including reactive hazard calorimetry, emergency relief system design, combustible dust hazard analyses (DHAs), hazardous area electrical classification (HAC) and process hazard analyses (PHAs) as well as project management. From 2018 until just recently, I worked at DEKRA Process Safety as a Technical Manager/Business Development Director. In this role, I specialized in test design for safe storage, transportation and processing of reactive chemicals. I further developed and utilized my skills in fire code evaluation, building occupancy classification and identification of process hazards including those that could lead to fires, explosions and toxic releases. 

My role is Reactive Hazard Group Leader and Principal Engineer. I specialize in hazard identification and risk assessments to prevent and mitigate fires, explosions and toxic releases. Services that I can provide include process hazard analyses (PHAs), risk-based combustible dust hazard analyses (DHAs), awareness and competency training  and PSM implementation support.

I enjoy solving technical problems and helping clients reduce risk for their personnel and for their facilities. It’s very gratifying for me to identify information to make an informed, risk-based decision to improve safety at their organization. The goal is for each person who goes to work to be able to go home to their family at the end of each day.

I am also passionate about teaching undergraduate students about chemical process safety. It’s important for the students to understand the importance of safety as early as possible in the design process and during routine operations. I’ve supported this effort for many years, through Safety and Chemical Engineering Education (SAChE), as a member of the advisory committee for the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at the University of Iowa and as a personal contributor to the undergraduate seminar at Iowa.

I enjoy being on the preventive side of consequence events, rather than on the mitigation side. I believe in making decisions based on data and the calculated risk. My favorite PSM element is Process Safety Information (PSI). If sufficient process or equipment information isn’t readily available, take appropriate steps (field verification, research, testing, measurements, etc.) to obtain the appropriate data. 

My favorite part of AcuTech is the wonderful team and the variety of services that we offer to clients. 

I enjoy vegetable and flower gardening. Every year, I try a new veggie in the garden. I also enjoy baking – breads are my specialty! Zucchini bread and apple bread are family favorites at our house.