People of PROtect: Elizabeth Holtrop

Meet Elizabeth Holtrop, our Process Safety Management Engineer.

 

 

What is your background/experience in your field?

I graduated from Auburn University in 2012 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Right after college, I moved to Houston and took on a consulting role in process safety engineering, where most of our clients were in oil and gas.

After 5 years there, my husband and I moved to Colorado where I got a job at Kinder Morgan as a process safety management engineer. I audited 50 to 60 facilities and oversaw their process safety hazard analysis from a corporate standpoint. I basically helped them get up to compliance and made sure everyone understood the PSM and RMP Regulations.

After three and a half years there, I found myself wanting to get back into consulting, so I found myself here at PROtect!

 

What do you find is the most important in what you do for the company?

I think the most value I add is going out in the field and talking to the operations people and relaying the message of what is important in process safety.

If you work in the process every day, it is easy to forget what the hazards fully are if you do not have incidents, and everything runs smoothly. And easy to forget that you are working with highly hazardous materials. It is important to maintain that knowledge, understanding, and learning.

 

Why do you think people choose PROtect?

With the recent acquisitions we have had, we are in a great position to provide compliance services and identify the gaps in a company. But then backing it up with the capabilities to provide the services to fill those gaps to help our clients meet the compliance requirements. The full range of services we offer has us in a really good position.

 

What do you do when you aren’t at work/what do you do for fun?

Being in Colorado, we get up to the mountains a lot. We love snow skiing, backpacking, pretty much anything outdoors you can do here! We do a lot of camping – we have two dogs and we try to work them into everything we do.

I also have my yoga teaching certification, and I teach a yoga class at a local winery!

 

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I really wanted to be an architect. My grandfather was an architect and civil engineer, and I would go to work with him during the summer. That is what first got me into engineering. Seeing the artsy side mixed with the science was really cool to me.

 

What is your favorite sports team / TV Show?

Auburn Football is big in our house.