Congratulations to MSL Student Katherine Culbert for being a GRIT awards finalist! Learn more about her journey to the GRIT awards below and tune in to the live stream on October 3 to cheer her on!
Experience Energy’s GRIT awards honor the energy industry’s brightest and grittiest business people who contribute to their companies, the energy industry, and their communities in an impressive way. A GRIT award is for the unsung leader who is down in the trenches getting the job done regardless of what recognition may come their way.
The furthest thing from a ceremonial award, the GRIT awards recognize leaders who boldly step up to the occasion, whatever it may be. It’s for women that lead, but it’s also for men who recognize the value of women and are advocates for their progress in energy.
I learned about the GRIT awards earlier this year at the HERWorld conference, where I was a guest of Shell Oil. I had the opportunity to celebrate the first class of GRIT award winners with those attending the conference. Seeing all that the winners have accomplished inspired me to strive for increased commitment to the energy industry.
The second round of GRIT awards was announced this summer, and I filled out the application then crossed my fingers. In late August, I received the email from Katie Mehnert, Pink Petro’s founder, informing me that I was a finalist! As someone who has repeatedly been told—either directly or indirectly—that she doesn’t belong at the table, being named as a finalist was extremely satisfying.
As for how I got to be a finalist, it has been a quite a journey. I started my career as an embedded contractor at GE Silicones in Waterford, NY. It was there that I was first exposed to Process Safety Management (PSM) and learned how much of a role PSM plays (or should play!) in every decision at a chemical plant. I applied the knowledge I gained at GE to future positions in various companies in multiple capacities, including Sales & Marketing, Product Engineering, and PSM consultant roles. Almost 2 years ago, I decided to go out on my own and started K and K Process, LLC doing PSM Consulting. K and K Process, LLC protects communities, including the environment, personnel, and business assets, by working with smaller Oil & Gas and Petrochemical facilities to comply with Process Safety Management regulations.
I am looking forward to celebrating the latest class of GRIT Award winners on October 3 (and hoping my name will be called), although I will be doing it remotely from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law where I am enrolled in the MSL program. I am studying to further help clients with regulation comprehension and policy enhancement as they continue on their journeys to Process Safety Management compliance.
– Katherine Culbert (MSL ’19)
