Women's History Month Profile: Kristin Gerdes

Kristin Gerdes’ career at NETL continues to evolve; she wouldn’t want it any other way.

Kristin has been at NETL for 14 years and currently serves as associate director of the Research & Innovation Center’s (RIC) Research Planning & Delivery directorate. In her initial NETL role, Kristin provided process and cost engineering and energy sector economic analysis services to guide and evaluate advanced energy research and development (R&D).

She was then named an associate director at RIC where she integrated the numerous systems analysis teams as part of NETL’s 2015 reorganization. After three years in that position, Kristin served two years as the acting deputy director of RIC and focused on new efforts to enable successful product delivery.

Prior to joining NETL, Kristin worked for ExxonMobil in refinery operations optimization and process engineering in Baytown, Texas. Kristin earned an MBA from West Virginia University and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Kansas.

What keeps you motivated to move ahead?

In my current role, I lead teams to pinpoint problematic bottlenecks, conduct analysis and resolve issues so that NETL’s world-class engineers and scientists can focus and move forward with critical R&D projects. I always feel like there is so much yet to improve in myself and in the areas for which I am responsible. My highlights at NETL are often the little things. Getting a compliment that implies I must be making a difference to that person means a great deal. 

I’m very happy with my career at NETL and feel that many of my career goals have been met. Because I was part of the analysis groups and they have been shifted around NETL a lot over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to see first-hand the value of being a part of different centers and organizations within NETL. While I love what I do and the organization I am in now, I do see value in branching out in the future. I would like to move into a leadership position in other parts of NETL, but not any time soon. I still have so much I’d like to accomplish as part of the RIC team!

How do you enjoy your time away from NETL?

My life away from the Lab is filled with other priorities. My husband (NETL’s Kirk Gerdes, deputy director, Research & Innovation) and I have three children who range from grade four to a freshman in college. Our oldest, Owen, attends West Virginia University and is majoring in chemical engineering and mathematics. In his case, the apple doesn’t fall far from the trees. Both Kirk and I studied chemical engineering as undergraduates.

In addition to work and family commitments, I serve as board president of the Morgantown Theatre Company and direct the youth choir at my church.
 

Kristin Gerdes