2024 Engineering Leader Under 40: Caidey Whatley, 27

Caidey Whatley, 27
Controls Engineer
Hargrove Controls & Automation
Mobile, AL

What Makes Caidey an Engineering Leader

Caidey is a rising star. In her young career, she has become proficient in three distributed control system (DCS) platforms. She is incredibly reliable, willing to learn new platforms when asked, and has taken on-site roles that take her away from home. She is also passionate about Hargrove Controls & Automation’s recruiting efforts, traveling to different colleges to represent the company and interview candidates. There is a bright future for her in leadership.

Achievements, Advancements & Career-related Industry Contributions

Caidey has received Quality awards at Hargrove Controls & Automation in recognition of her excellent work, attitude, and dedication to her projects, with compliments from both her peers and her clients. She recently obtained her certification as an Engineer In Training by successfully passing the FE Exam in the state of Alabama. She is currently studying for her professional engineer license and working towards that certification as well. As an up-and-coming controls engineer, Caidey continues to grow her technical and leadership skills by taking on new responsibilities. She has led several small projects and provides continued support for her clients. She is proficient in both Emerson DeltaV and Honeywell Experion and has recently expanded her repertoire by learning Yokogawa.

Non-work-related Activities & Hobbies

Outside of work, Caidey is an avid reader. She surpassed her reading goal last year by reading 115 books. Recently, she has taken up bookbinding and is learning different methods of rebinding and restoring books. She also loves to travel and always has her next trip planned.

Interesting Details

Having personally contributed to the success of Hargrove Controls & Automation’s co-op program, Caidey is passionate about growing the company’s student programs and investing in college students. She dedicates her time to the co-op program by recruiting students from universities and mentoring them to help ensure they reach their full potential. Over the past three years, Caidey has been instrumental in developing and expanding a new summer high school intern program at Hargrove Controls & Automation. This program engages high school students in the community, introduces them to engineering opportunities, and helps them refine their interests.

Why Caidey Chose This Career

Caidey joined Hargrove Controls & Automation as a co-op in 2017 and discovered a true passion for the field. She found satisfaction in applying the chemical engineering knowledge she acquired in school to design control schemes tailored to clients’ specific needs. Caidey greatly enjoys working directly with clients to address challenges and ensure their systems function as intended through commissioning support.

Original content can be found at Plant Engineering.

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