1. Safety Inspector Mary
Phillips loves her job and
sees her role as her purpose
in life. “I have a real passion
for helping keep people
safe, “ says Mary, “I like
being in a challenging,
industrial environment but
making sure people go
home safety to their families
at the end of the day.”
Mary was born in Gadsden,
Alabama but traveled across
the U.S. due to her father’s
job in the Air Force. Mary
grew up being her father’s
protégé and learned a lot of
her dad’s engineering skills.
“My dad didn’t have any
sons so I was his tomboy,”
remembers Mary. “My dad
was super technical and a
very natural problem solver.
I really idolized that.”
After high school, Mary
joined the United States
Army and served for several
years. She returned to
school at Jacksonville State
University as an electrical
engineer major. By this time,
she was working at Alabama
Power and became
interested in the safety field.
She later switched her major
to Occupational Health and
Safety.
In 2012, Mary interned at
Walter Energy and worked
alongside the safety
department. Mary wasn’t
intimidated by her male
peers but instead loved the
challenges associated with
the mining industry. “Once
you prove you can work
just as hard as any guy, you
quickly gain a lot of respect,”
says Mary. She credits her
mentors at the mine sites
for giving her opportunities
to learn and showcase her
skills. “I was initially a little
in awe of these guys just
because they had so much
experience and had been
in the industry for over 30
years,” comments Mary, “but
they are very patient and
let me come to them with
questions all the time.”
After graduating with a
Bachelors of Science in
Occupational Health and
Safety and a Bachelors
of Science in Industrial
Technology Management,
Mary was hired at Walter
Energy in 2013. “I love
coming to work early in the
morning, spending time with
the men and catching up.
Every day is different in the
mines and there’s a lot of
satisfaction in just getting
your hands dirty…literally!”
Women in Mining
PEOPLE
Mary Phillips