While studying chemical engineering at Ohio State University, Lori Engelhardt experienced the blessing of getting paid while garnering real-world experience for DuPont.
Hired into DuPont’s Field Engineering Program, Engelhardt received another blessing in 2010: a strong female mentor named Karen Wrigley, who oversaw one of the plants where Engelhardt was stationed.
“She was the one who recommended that I’d be part of United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council when I moved to Richmond,” Engelhardt says. After Wrigley retired, Engelhardt’s new Richmond-based mentor, Ervette Broadnax, encouraged her to apply for her current job, that of environmental, health and safety leader at DuPont’s Spruance Plant, which has been operating around the clock to meet the demand for Tyvek®, a material used in personal protective equipment.
Engelhardt’s day is often focused on answering questions. “I spend time out on the plant floor, visiting with as many people as I can,” she says. “If there are concerns I can address right away, I do it. If there’s feedback that needs to get to managers, I summarize it anonymously and put it forward in a productive fashion.”
Engelhardt also leads the Tyvek® Culture Team.“We are trying to shift the culture at the site to be even more communicative,” she says, “with more engagement from the shop floor, and that comes from cultivating relationships.” Just like the ones her mentors fostered with her for a decade.
