A couple of women from Detroit are breaking barriers in the petroleum field.
Marathon Petroleum Corporation has highlighted Tara Chippewa, a double-qualified board and field equipment operator, and Dynita “Lady Dy” McCaskill, a field operator. The company highlighting these two women during Women’s History Month is to remind everyone to pursue their passions no matter who they are.
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After working at the City of Detroit Water Department for almost two decades, McCaskill left her office job and, in 2015 joined Marathon Petroleum to become a field operator.
“I’m far too curious to be at a desk,” said McCaskill in a statement. “There are only so many ways you can do accounts payable. I needed to learn something new every day and be excited every day about what I do.”
McCaskill is involved with the Women’s Employee Network chapter at the Detroit refinery, where she has a goal of empowering other women and allies in her field. Marathon Petroleum has stated that the field operator volunteers at the Girls in Engineering Academy in Detroit to educate students about her job and what it is like working at a refinery.
The field operator is responsible for monitoring the equipment at the refinery and its process of rigging oil. Within McCaskill’s role, she communicates with supervisors, writes work requests and preps equipment for the maintenance team.
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“Today, I get the rush that I was looking for in a job,” said McCaskill. “I’m constantly using my mind to solve problems, and I learn something new every day. It’s exciting and keeps me interested.”
While McCaskill is out on the field, she is joined by Chippewa, who has spent a lot of time at the refinery before joining the Marathon Petroleum staff.
The field double-qualified board and field equipment operator reflected in a statement about how her grandfather worked as an oil rigger in the ‘90s and her father worked at the Detroit refinery as an operator and training specialist. While Chippewa’s father worked at the refinery as a kid, she participated in the Summer Helper program, which is when she realized she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps. She stated she loves her job so much that she also convinced her brother to join her at the refinery.
While Chippewa has encouraged family members to join her at work, she also empowers women and aims to reset the stereotypical roles within the industry. According to Marathon Petroleum, Chippewa has worked with the company’s safety team to source protective equipment sized for women in the industry.
“I want other girls and women to see people like me working in the industrial field and know they can do it, too. It’s all about empowering women and resetting what’s normal,” stated Chippewa.
Besides working at the refinery, there are other roles that women can excel in at Maratjpm Petroleum. According to the Women in Trucking Association, the company made it on the list of 2022 Top Companies for Women to Work for in Transportation. According to the nonprofit, the list they comprised has many layers as to why a business would qualify for a ranking. Some of the characteristics the companies on the list have are career advancement opportunities, competitive compensation, corporate cultures that foster gender diversity, flexible hours and professional development opportunities.
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