Her Story
About Christine
Christine Campos is a dedicated construction safety professional and technical leader whose career reflects a strong commitment to workplace safety, operational excellence, and workforce development. Based in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, she currently serves as Safety Coordinator and Technical Lead at E2 Optics, where she helps ensure safe and compliant work environments across construction projects. With more than a decade of industry experience, Christine combines hands-on field knowledge with specialized safety expertise, allowing her to effectively support crews, conduct site inspections, and promote a culture of accountability and prevention.
Christine began her career in the electrical trades, completing three years of electrician training and gaining valuable experience working on traffic signals and street lighting systems, often performing high-elevation maintenance and emergency repairs under challenging conditions. After starting her family, she expanded her professional focus by pursuing advanced safety certifications, including OSHA 30 for General Industry and Construction, HAZMAT Safety Specialist credentials, and certifications in confined space safety and lockout/tagout procedures. Her practical field experience, coupled with her technical and regulatory knowledge, has positioned her as a trusted safety advocate who prioritizes ensuring that every worker returns home safely at the end of the day.
Throughout her career, Christine has been guided by a philosophy rooted in integrity, respect, and personal accountability. As a participant in the Black Hat Safety Program and a candidate for additional credentials such as the Safety Professional in Construction (SPSC), CHSP, OSHA 500, and OSHA 510 certifications, she remains committed to continuous professional growth. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Christine is motivated by her desire to inspire her daughters and demonstrate that women can thrive in traditionally male-dominated industries. Her leadership, resilience, and dedication to protecting others continue to make a meaningful impact on the construction and safety sectors.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Christine
01What do you attribute your success to?
Honestly, it's my girls. It's my daughters. I constantly show my daughters that you're gonna have challenges. You can either let them stop you, or you can find a way around it. But you will have challenges no matter what you do, in life, in work. You will always have challenges. It's how you accept those challenges, and how you face them, is what makes you you. I want to make a change for my girls. I have a big family with 4 boys and 2 young girls, and I wanted my girls to sit there and say, even if you want to do the traditional roles, you can, but you also have the option to do non-traditional ways too. So no matter what anybody tells you, if they tell you no, there's always gonna be a way to get it done.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
No matter what anybody tells you, there's always gonna be somebody that's gonna know more than you, and just learn from them. And just pass it on. You're gonna know more than somebody else, just make sure that the next person just passes it forward. Make sure that they know how to have that common courtesy towards one another. This advice came from my mentor Nina Campbell, who has been doing safety for 33 years. She saw something in me when I came in for a hazmat safety course at the Full Employment Council. She told me I would be good at safety because I'm a stickler, but I don't belittle people. I hold them accountable, and I make myself accountable too. If I'm ever in a hard spot, I can always call her or text her, and she's the one that I go to for advice.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
No matter what anybody tells you, you know how you are. You know how to do your job. Now, just do the best of your ability. There's gonna be people that'll help you, there's gonna be people that'll hinder you, but you know how you are and how to do your job. Just do it to your ability. Even if they tell you no, there's always gonna be a way to get it done. I tell my daughters this all the time - even if you want to do the traditional roles, you can, but you also have the option to do non-traditional ways too. Don't let anybody tell you no. If you want it, you will find a way to do it the right way.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Right now, my age. I'm over 50. Everybody's like, well, you don't have the experience, and then they won't tell you point blank that you're too old, but I'm like, no, I'm not. The only way I stop learning is when I'm dead. That's the only way. When I ask if men in my field who are the same age get the same treatment, the answer is no. They don't get that same flak. As an older woman, I'm looked at differently. People have told me I don't have the qualifications, and I'm over 50, but I don't care. Don't tell me no. I will find a way to make it yes. I know I'm stubborn and hard-headed, but that's who I am in my field.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My work speaks for itself, it speaks for my person. I don't change it, and I don't lie about it. I hold my word, and my word is my value. My value is everything for me. Even when I came in and they told me I'd be in a safety job, and I'd never been in it, they put me in production. And I said, okay, well, I'll get there, I'll make it there. But I've always followed my safety. If I sit there and say I'm safety, everybody knows I'm safety. They know that I'm gonna call them out on it. I hold myself and others accountable. My word is my bond, and that's what defines me both professionally and personally.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.