A Perfect Match: Passion for Safety & Sustainability Leads Keya to HS&E Manager Role
A chance to share her passion for safety and the environment with a company that has both built into its history and core values?
For Senior HS&E Manager Keya Litt, it was an opportunity of a lifetime.
“This position offered me the opportunity to combine my academic background in soil and water science, and my professional background in environmental regulations and workplace safety – and I get to do it while working for a company that feeds the world,” Keya said. “It was the perfect combination.”
A Houston native and Texas A&M alum, Keya brought her extensive public- and private-sector experience in safety compliance and environmental regulations to Tessenderlo Kerley.
Her most important job is ensuring all employees makes it home safely to their loved ones each day. She and her team connect with Tessenderlo Kerley’s team members at plants across North America and attend safety-related conferences in the U.S. and Canada to learn how to improve Tessenderlo Kerley’s already-strong safety culture.
“It’s always important to ask the question: How can we get better every day?” she said. “And that’s what we do.”
The environment is Keya’s first love. When she was just nine years old, she tested the pH levels of her elementary school’s drinking water and discovered the water was too acidic.
“From that point on, I had a passion for water quality, soil science – everything to do with protecting the environment so that we have it for generations to come,” she said.
When Keya joined the team in 2024, she quickly learned that its sustainability efforts are evident throughout the Corporate Office in Phoenix through recycling, light occupancy sensors and xeriscaping. So, she nominated Tessenderlo Kerley for a Green Business Leader award from the City of Phoenix – and after the city conducted an in-person review, Tessenderlo Kerley earned the award, with a Gold Level status.
“It means so much to work at Tessenderlo Kerley because environmental stewardship is not just a talking point; they follow through with it, and they empower us to find ways to be sustainable,” she said. “I don’t have to recreate the wheel; sustainability is already built in. We just have to work on making it better every day.”
Keya and her team understand that maintaining a strong safety culture and working toward a sustainable future requires a daily commitment to both. Working for a company that prioritizes both makes her role that much more fulfilling.
“Tessenderlo Kerley follows through on its commitments. Safety truly is a priority, environmental stewardship is not just a talking point, and there is a strong emphasis on professional development,” she said. “We work hard, we challenge each other and we have fun along the way. It’s a supportive, high-energy environment, and we are constantly challenging ourselves to do better every single day.”