Q: What are your responsibilities?
A: As CITGO vice president of health, safety & environment (HSE), I oversee all HSE initiatives for the enterprise, including three refineries, an extensive terminal network and several lubes facilities. My primary responsibility is to foster an atmosphere of continuous improvement while leading HSE strategies that make CITGO best-in-class, creating a positive HSE culture.
Q: What led to your position, and what education does it require?
A: My formal education includes a Master of Science in Loss Prevention & Safety Management and a Bachelor of Science in Fire & Safety Engineering from Eastern Kentucky University. I have more than 30 years of experience in refining, chemicals and corporate offices, and hold several professional certifications.
I knew I wanted to be in this profession from a young age, and I started as a junior firefighter when I was 15. I eventually became a certified firefighter with a strong desire to learn and have continuously improved my knowledge of operating safety in hazardous environments ever since.
One of the defining moments in my life occurred in 1992 when I rescued an unconscious victim from a house fire on a December morning. While I was recognized with the Medal of Valor for that rescue, for me it symbolized a lifelong commitment to safety.
Throughout my career, I accepted many challenging assignments managing process safety, risk management, personnel safety, environmental, security, and emergency preparedness and response. Additionally, I spent nearly three years in refining operations.
Q: What are the most challenging aspects of your position?
A: The most challenging aspect is looking at the entire organization and developing a sustainable HSE improvement process. To do this, I need to develop strategic plans that incorporate best practices throughout the industry. To be successful, I have to effectively lead, communicate and relate well with everyone in the organization. I use both industry and personal experiences to keep me grounded. Why? Because in this industry, you can have best-in-class performance one day, then have a humbling event the next. I take events on my watch personally, always looking inward and asking how my leadership could have prevented it. At the end of the day, my role and leadership can make a difference.
Q: What has been your proudest achievement so far in your role?
A: I've only been at CITGO for a short time, but I see an organization looking to go to the next level of performance, always striving to raise the bar. In general, I really enjoy driving HSE improvement, developing talent, working with people and achieving best-in-class performance. I'm really looking forward to doing that here at CITGO.
Q: What has surprised you the most about your job?
A: It has to be the leadership and commitment exhibited by CITGO's executive team. I was pleasantly surprised by the willingness of business unit leaders to welcome me, team up and express how important my role is to the organization.
Q: What do you enjoy about your role?
A: I enjoy the relationships with people the most. Because we serve the business units and sites, I think of them as my customers, and I always want to provide a good customer focus. Additionally, I enjoy the importance of this role within CITGO. Having fresh eyes, there is a lot I want to do, and I will be strategic every step of the way as we work toward achieving best-in-class performance.
