Guatemala has one of the highest rates of chronically malnourished children in Latin America. I’m committed to solving this nutritional crisis by promoting food fortification programs for staple foods, which ensure that those who are suffering from poverty can avoid nutritional deficiencies. We have developed strategic premixers as customers to fortify sugar, milk and oil in the region. Alliances with private and public sectors have helped BASF achieve this important milestone in the fight against malnutrition.

I’m committed to promoting employee development. As a Learning & Development Specialist, it’s my job to encourage site employees to expand their job knowledge and skills. However, I see this as much more than a core job responsibility. I take the responsibility of the growth and success of my coworkers personally. This year, I’ve created a new “Professional Development Series” curriculum that includes training sessions designed to improve communication, organization and productivity skills. I’m truly grateful to get to play a part in those success stories.

A problem I am committed to solving involves people in Malawi who receive medicine from relief workers but do not receive bottles to keep it clean, dry and safe. As the secretary of the Surfside Beach Lions Club, I oversee the collection of empty bottles from the community. We remove the labels and clean them before sending to Matthew 25 Ministries in Cincinnati, OH. I’ve involved two local towns as well as the Freeport site in this effort. To date, we’ve collected, cleaned and sent more than 4,000 empty bottles to people in Malawi.

In 2013, I started managing a $1.3 million project at BASF. While I had extensive experience in project management, I had to learn how to do so within the context of an intricate organization such as BASF. The process was daunting. I had to read more than 800 pages of documents, which cross-referenced and sometimes contradicted each other. As a result, I am taking advantage of an opportunity to utilize Lean Six Sigma methodology and lead a cross-regional initiative to simplify the project management process for capital projects of less than $5 million. I am committed to standardizing and simplifying this process and implementing measurement tools so that BASF can move towards continuous improvement.

The problem I am committed to solving is the decline of a once-vibrant Freeport. Most people now think of Freeport as an industrial town, but it was once an energetic hub of neighborhoods with a spirited downtown area. I’m committed to demonstrating that Freeport is a nice place to live and shop. As such, my sister and I opened up a little boutique in town called Lucy Goose Market. We sell clothing for babies and women, antique furniture and décor, candles, jewelry and much more. We are hoping to be the first of many who open small businesses in Freeport in order to support the city’s efforts in revitalization.

I’m committed to helping solve the Monarch butterfly population decline and defining the role modern agriculture can play in reversing that trend. Milkweed is critical in the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. To support milkweed and preserve biodiversity, BASF introduced the Monarch Challenge in North America in 2015. It draws on our expertise in research and development, providing farmers, golf course superintendents and other land managers with best practices for establishing and maintaining milkweed plants on non-productive areas of land. Many of my co-workers in APN are equally passionate about participating in this journey with me; we know this isn’t something which will be solved in one year or even five years, but is an issue that will have to be actively championed and encouraged for years to come.