Leadership Team Bios
Meet our FY19-20 Officers
President
Phoebe Bickford
Biography:
Phoebe has been involved with SWE since her first semester at Clemson University. She was highly-involved in the Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) program at Clemson and served as the President of the SWE section while pursuing her Mechanical Engineering degrees. In Charleston, Phoebe served as the 2018-2019 Vice President of the Lowcountry SWE section. Since graduating with her Masters in Mechanical Engineering, Phoebe has worked at Robert Bosch, LLC in North Charleston developing future vehicle braking systems. She leads an international team in product benchmarking and travels frequently for this role. While in America, Phoebe runs half marathons and operates her engagement and lifestyle photography business (PhoebeBickford.com) in her spare time.
Phoebe Bickford
Biography:
Phoebe has been involved with SWE since her first semester at Clemson University. She was highly-involved in the Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) program at Clemson and served as the President of the SWE section while pursuing her Mechanical Engineering degrees. In Charleston, Phoebe served as the 2018-2019 Vice President of the Lowcountry SWE section. Since graduating with her Masters in Mechanical Engineering, Phoebe has worked at Robert Bosch, LLC in North Charleston developing future vehicle braking systems. She leads an international team in product benchmarking and travels frequently for this role. While in America, Phoebe runs half marathons and operates her engagement and lifestyle photography business (PhoebeBickford.com) in her spare time.
Vice President:
Rachel Kiser
Biography:
Rachel Kiser is a structural analysis engineer at Boeing for Propulsion South Carolina. Rachel has been with The Boeing Company for the past 6 years, she spent the first 3 years of her career in Seattle, then relocated to Charleston. She has been working for Propulsion South Carolina for the past 3 years. In Rachel’s current role she is responsible for the structures and fire tests for 737MAX and 777X Propulsion and supports certification. She has been involved with SWE for the last 10+years. Rachel has previously held the roles of President, Vice President and K-12 Outreach Chair for the SWE Lowcountry Section.
In her free time, Rachel enjoys fixing up her house, travel, spending time with her dogs, kayaking, and wine tasting!
Rachel Kiser
Biography:
Rachel Kiser is a structural analysis engineer at Boeing for Propulsion South Carolina. Rachel has been with The Boeing Company for the past 6 years, she spent the first 3 years of her career in Seattle, then relocated to Charleston. She has been working for Propulsion South Carolina for the past 3 years. In Rachel’s current role she is responsible for the structures and fire tests for 737MAX and 777X Propulsion and supports certification. She has been involved with SWE for the last 10+years. Rachel has previously held the roles of President, Vice President and K-12 Outreach Chair for the SWE Lowcountry Section.
In her free time, Rachel enjoys fixing up her house, travel, spending time with her dogs, kayaking, and wine tasting!
Secretary
Veronique Parker
Biography:
Veronique (Ronnie) has been a member of SWE since 2009. She held the Secretary Officer position for her college SWE section during her senior year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) where she graduated from with her B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering in 2013. Since graduation, Ronnie has been working for the Boeing Company as an Avionics & Flight Controls Field Engineer on the C17 program and is working on her Masters of Engineering degree through Mississippi State University. She has held the Secretary Officer position for the Lowcountry SWE section for the past 4 years and has attended 4 of the Annual SWE Conferences since 2012. In her free time, Ronnie likes to play tennis, read, and be with family, friends, & doggies.
Veronique Parker
Biography:
Veronique (Ronnie) has been a member of SWE since 2009. She held the Secretary Officer position for her college SWE section during her senior year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) where she graduated from with her B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering in 2013. Since graduation, Ronnie has been working for the Boeing Company as an Avionics & Flight Controls Field Engineer on the C17 program and is working on her Masters of Engineering degree through Mississippi State University. She has held the Secretary Officer position for the Lowcountry SWE section for the past 4 years and has attended 4 of the Annual SWE Conferences since 2012. In her free time, Ronnie likes to play tennis, read, and be with family, friends, & doggies.
rofessional Development Chair
Mary Richeson
Biography:
Mary received her Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida. She is currently in a Black Belt position focusing on lean design and optimizing processes. This role is in the Cummins Components division (Emission Systems, Turbochargers, Fuel Systems & Filtration) in Ladson, South Carolina. In 2015, she transitioned from Minneapolis to the Charleston area to work as a Product Engineer in the Turbocharger Technologies business unit. Mary spent the first 4 years of her career as a Rotational Development Engineer and Product Engineer working on modular components in the Power Generation business unit in Minneapolis.
Mary has held the Professional Development chair for the past year and half. In this role, she has coordinated events such as ToastMasters open house, book club events, and monthly networking events. She has been a member of SWE since 2011 and has attended 5 of the past 6 SWE National Conferences. In her free time, Mary enjoys practicing languages, running, and researching nutritional biology
Mary Richeson
Biography:
Mary received her Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida. She is currently in a Black Belt position focusing on lean design and optimizing processes. This role is in the Cummins Components division (Emission Systems, Turbochargers, Fuel Systems & Filtration) in Ladson, South Carolina. In 2015, she transitioned from Minneapolis to the Charleston area to work as a Product Engineer in the Turbocharger Technologies business unit. Mary spent the first 4 years of her career as a Rotational Development Engineer and Product Engineer working on modular components in the Power Generation business unit in Minneapolis.
Mary has held the Professional Development chair for the past year and half. In this role, she has coordinated events such as ToastMasters open house, book club events, and monthly networking events. She has been a member of SWE since 2011 and has attended 5 of the past 6 SWE National Conferences. In her free time, Mary enjoys practicing languages, running, and researching nutritional biology
Social Events Chair and Alternate Section Rep
Jessica Fischer
Biography:
Jessica Fischer is a Business Development Test Engineer for Clemson University’s Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility. She is originally from Buffalo, NY. Jessica has an Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the SUNY Canton. She is a large advocate for renewable energy, specifically wind energy, and has held many wind industry positions throughout her career. Most notably, she climbed 260-foot wind turbines in Illinois this past summer to perform maintenance and troubleshoot. Jessica was a co-founder of her university’s SWE student chapter and has been an active member ever since. She is also a member of the Women of Renewable Industry and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) organization. In her free time, Jessica enjoys photographing landscapes, exploring to new places, playing tennis, and volunteering at the Charleston Animal Society.
Jessica Fischer
Biography:
Jessica Fischer is a Business Development Test Engineer for Clemson University’s Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility. She is originally from Buffalo, NY. Jessica has an Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the SUNY Canton. She is a large advocate for renewable energy, specifically wind energy, and has held many wind industry positions throughout her career. Most notably, she climbed 260-foot wind turbines in Illinois this past summer to perform maintenance and troubleshoot. Jessica was a co-founder of her university’s SWE student chapter and has been an active member ever since. She is also a member of the Women of Renewable Industry and Sustainable Energy (WRISE) organization. In her free time, Jessica enjoys photographing landscapes, exploring to new places, playing tennis, and volunteering at the Charleston Animal Society.
Communications/Social Media Chair
Taylor Lenhart
Biography:
Taylor studied Industrial Engineering at Virginia Tech and graduated in 2014. Her Past work experience includes internships at Volvo Truck and Brenco part of Amsted Rail. Taylor has currently been working as a Manufacturing Engineer at Cummins Turbo Technologies for the past 3.5 years She enjoys being outdoors and active. Taylor runs, plays soccer and kickball, paddleboards, relaxes in her hammock and explores. Fun Fact – she is a Yelp Elite member, which means she’s written multiple reviews for Yelp and as a reward gets to attend events at local restaurants and such for free.
Treasurer
Erin Bayles
Biography:
Erin Bayles is a Lead Design Engineer for the 787 Program at Boeing South Carolina. Before Boeing, Erin received her Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and has held various engineering positions in both the Architectural Engineering & Automotive industries. While attending the Society of Women Engineers WE08 Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, Erin interviewed for an engineering position at Global Aeronautica in South Carolina. She had no idea that she would later be employed by Boeing. Outside of work, Erin likes to volunteer & give back to the community. She also enjoys talking to students in afterschool programs encouraging them to get involved with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) based programs. Erin became actively involved with the Lowcountry Society of Women Engineers as Newsletter Editor for FY15 & FY16, and has held the leadership role of Treasurer since FY17.
Erin Bayles
Biography:
Erin Bayles is a Lead Design Engineer for the 787 Program at Boeing South Carolina. Before Boeing, Erin received her Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and has held various engineering positions in both the Architectural Engineering & Automotive industries. While attending the Society of Women Engineers WE08 Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, Erin interviewed for an engineering position at Global Aeronautica in South Carolina. She had no idea that she would later be employed by Boeing. Outside of work, Erin likes to volunteer & give back to the community. She also enjoys talking to students in afterschool programs encouraging them to get involved with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) based programs. Erin became actively involved with the Lowcountry Society of Women Engineers as Newsletter Editor for FY15 & FY16, and has held the leadership role of Treasurer since FY17.
K-12/Girl Scout Outreach Chair:
Katie Griffin
Biography:
My name is Katie Horner and I work at Stantec as a transportation engineer. I’m originally from Charlotte, NC and went to college in Raleigh, NC at North Carolina State University. I graduated in December of 2015 and began working full time for the company I interned for during my senior year, Stantec. I knew I was ready to live somewhere new and decided to move to Charleston, where I was able to keep my job and transfer offices. I wasn’t a member of SWE in college, but was a member of a professional engineering sorority and thrived in college because of it. I absolutely believe in having an engineering-based support system of women because our field is majority male. I work in a smaller office and my team is about 20% female, which is not what I consider ideal! Finding the SWE chapter here meant that I had something similar to what I had in college and am so grateful for that. I’ve been a member for a little over a year and really feel like I can step into a leadership role next year. I would like to nominate myself for the collegiate outreach chair because of how much I valued my network of college and professional women during my college experience.
My hobbies include yoga, meditation, playing with my pup, and spending time with my husband.
Collegiate Outreach Chair:
Grace Wachowski:
Biography: Grace graduated from Clemson University with her bachelors degree in Biosystems Engineering in 2017. As an undergraduate Grace served as a leader in Clemson University Student Government, Kappa Delta Sorority, and as a Panhellenic Counselor. Since graduation she has worked for SeamonWhiteside as a civil engineer in land development. Grace has specialized in infrastructure and roadway design as well as residential and commercial development projects. This is Grace’s fist year as a member of SWE. She enjoys running, boating, and playing volleyball in her spare time.
Grace Wachowski:
Biography: Grace graduated from Clemson University with her bachelors degree in Biosystems Engineering in 2017. As an undergraduate Grace served as a leader in Clemson University Student Government, Kappa Delta Sorority, and as a Panhellenic Counselor. Since graduation she has worked for SeamonWhiteside as a civil engineer in land development. Grace has specialized in infrastructure and roadway design as well as residential and commercial development projects. This is Grace’s fist year as a member of SWE. She enjoys running, boating, and playing volleyball in her spare time.
Women In Industry Day Coordinator
Stephanie Yount
Biography:
Stephanie is currently a part of the Employee Development Growth and Enhancement program at Boeing’s Propulsion South Carolina site. In this role, she is a manufacturing technician, helping assemble 737MAX inlets, and a continuous process improvement engineer. Prior to this, she was a design engineer for the 777X propulsion system at Boeing’s Propulsion South Carolina site. She attended the Georgia Institute of Technology for a total of six years – four for her Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering, and two for her Masters of Science in Aerospace Engineering, with a focus on System Design Optimization. During her undergraduate, Stephanie co-oped for GE Aviation, studied abroad in Europe, conducted undergraduate research, and was active in several on campus organizations, including SWE! While completing her Masters, she had two internships with Boeing, and in July 2016, she started working as a design engineer at Boeing.
Stephanie loves spending time with her husband doing home improvement projects. She also is an avid soccer fan, enjoys music, and loves to travel and hike! She is enthusiastic about promoting STEM education and volunteers frequently for STEM promotion events in local middle and high schools.
Stephanie Yount
Biography:
Stephanie is currently a part of the Employee Development Growth and Enhancement program at Boeing’s Propulsion South Carolina site. In this role, she is a manufacturing technician, helping assemble 737MAX inlets, and a continuous process improvement engineer. Prior to this, she was a design engineer for the 777X propulsion system at Boeing’s Propulsion South Carolina site. She attended the Georgia Institute of Technology for a total of six years – four for her Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering, and two for her Masters of Science in Aerospace Engineering, with a focus on System Design Optimization. During her undergraduate, Stephanie co-oped for GE Aviation, studied abroad in Europe, conducted undergraduate research, and was active in several on campus organizations, including SWE! While completing her Masters, she had two internships with Boeing, and in July 2016, she started working as a design engineer at Boeing.
Stephanie loves spending time with her husband doing home improvement projects. She also is an avid soccer fan, enjoys music, and loves to travel and hike! She is enthusiastic about promoting STEM education and volunteers frequently for STEM promotion events in local middle and high schools.
Section Rep
Monique Warren
Biography:
Monique received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical Sciences from Clemson University. She began her aerospace career as a Quality Engineer at Northrop Grumman in Milledgeville, Georgia. Currently working as a Quality Engineer at Boeing South Carolina, she continues to work with cross-functional teams on corrective action implementation and process improvements. Since 2012 she has served as the Lowcountry Social Chair and the Section Representative. She is also a member of American Society of Quality. Monique is excited about the future of SWE and serving the Lowcountry section during FY 19-20
Scholarship Chair
Open Position
Visit our “Contact Us” page for links to contact each officer! We welcome volunteers for open positions or for any committee!
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