Holly Hartel
Holly Hartel is an accomplished Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Specialist at RENK America, bringing over a decade of experience in environmental engineering and workplace safety. At RENK, she leads health and safety initiatives, ensuring compliance with MIOSHA and EPA/EGLE regulations, conducting risk assessments, managing chemical inventories, and delivering employee training. Holly’s approach is grounded in a people-first philosophy, emphasizing practical risk reduction, clear communication, and creating safe, supportive work environments where employees are empowered to advocate for their own safety.
Prior to her current role, Holly honed her expertise at Cannon Muskegon and MAHLE, where she developed a unique combination of human resources and EHS skills. She successfully implemented programs that balanced employee well-being with operational efficiency and fostered stronger engagement and communication across teams. Holly’s career demonstrates her dedication to integrating environmental engineering knowledge with a human-centered approach, creating workplaces that are both compliant and ethically sound. Notably, she has achieved measurable safety improvements, including reducing a plant’s total recordable incident rate from multiple incidents per year to zero.
Holly earned her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from Michigan Technological University, where she also demonstrated perseverance by balancing work and studies. She is an active member of professional organizations including Women in Manufacturing and Women in Engineering, advocating for broader participation and leadership opportunities for women in technical fields. Driven by both her technical expertise and her passion for empowering others, Holly continues to make a significant impact in the EHS profession while mentoring and inspiring the next generation of safety leaders.
• Michigan Technological University - B.S.
• Women in Manufacturing
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the guidance of wonderful mentors who have supported me throughout my journey. Persistence and determination have also played a key role—for example, completing my engineering degree while working full-time required both focus and resilience. Along the way, I have benefited from ongoing mentorship and collaboration with colleagues, and I have always prioritized people and practical safety measures in everything I do.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received came from a mentor who said, “Do what you can do in a day.” It reminded me to focus on doing my best, accept that I cannot do everything perfectly, and prioritize maintaining a healthy work–life balance.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
To young women entering my industry, I would say: have a genuine passion for working with people, because this field is both challenging and incredibly rewarding. Build a reliable network of mentors and supporters, know your values, and have the courage to act on your professional ethics. Expect the path to be demanding, but stay true to yourself, stand up for what is right, and embrace the challenges—you will find the rewards well worth it.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges—and opportunities—in my field is encouraging women to actively promote and support one another. Another significant opportunity lies in fostering the next generation’s interest in STEM, such as volunteering with school robotics programs, to help ensure a strong pipeline of future talent.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are education and sharing knowledge, prioritizing safety, acting with integrity, supporting others—especially women—fostering teamwork, and maintaining a healthy work–life balance.
Locations
RENK America
Norton Shores, MI 49441