Page 92 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2016

leaders of the pack
WOMEN
Women nding success at the top of their elds
T
here’s no shortage of outstanding women leaders in South Mississippi. Women are the commanding officers at the Air Force and Seabee bases and hold positions of authority at some of the area’s largest industries. South Mississippi Living congratulates Marissa Badenhorst, Col. Michele Edmondson,
story by Lynn Lofton
photos courtesy of Marissa Badenhorst, Col. Michele Edmondson, Nicole Faulk, Julie Gresham, Capt. Cheryl Hansen and Shannon Wall
Nicole Faulk, Julie Gresham, Capt. Cheryl Hansen and Shannon Wall on their many accomplishments.
Badenhorst, Maintenance and Reliability Manager at the Chevron Pascagoula Refinery, grew up in Polokwane, South Africa, where her parents instilled in her the belief that she could do anything and be anything if she was willing to work for it.
“Along the way, very good math and science teachers planted more seeds that led to my interest in engineering,” she says. “I attended the University of Pretoria where I earned a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. After working in the mining industry for a year, I joined Chevron at our Cape Town Refinery as a process engineer. In 2011, I had the opportunity to move to the United States to work at the Pascagoula Refinery.”
She’s responsible for preventative maintenance and repairs
to ensure the refinery runs reliably every day. “This includes everything from fixing pump seals to inspecting and repairing large distillation columns,” she said. “On the reliability side,
we work on processes and programs to ensure that over time our equipment becomes more reliable. I am thoroughly enjoying working in this important part of our business.”
92 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • September 2016
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