For Engineers Week 2022 we wanted to show #WhatEngineersDo by chatting with some real engineers with Martin County ties. Today we hear from Chantill Kahler Royer, a civil engineer who is Chief Financial Officer with Kahler Automation.
Q: What do you do at your job?
I have had a lot of cool jobs! Since they are so different, I thought I’d share a bit about each of them. Engineering is all about solving problems, and all of these jobs have that in common.
I started out as a college graduate working for a civil engineering firm in central Iowa that designed municipal waste landfills (this is where the trash from your house is disposed).
My next job was working on radioactive landfills at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state. After decades of producing plutonium, in the 1980s the government determined the site needed to be cleaned up to protect people and the environment. I researched what materials from nuclear reactors were disposed in unlined landfills and help design the plans to move that material to a safer, double-lined landfill further away from people and water sources.
After that I worked as a Water Resources engineer for Bolton & Menk in Mankato, where I helped design systems for stormwater (the water that runs off when it rains or when snow melts), including raingardens, to help clean the water before it enters our lakes or rivers. I also wrote Environmental Assessment Worksheets and Environmental Impact Statements to research and determine ways to help reduce environmental impacts from projects all over Minnesota. I also delineated (determined the boundaries of) wetlands to help protect those important resources.
Now I am the Chief Financial Officer for Kahler Automation, where we make industrial automation systems for bulk material handling (like at a farmer’s cooperative). In that role, I get to help guide the company and administer our ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software that helps run our company.
Q: What’s the best part of your job?
The best part of my previous jobs was helping protect the environment. I have always loved water and enjoyed being in and on the water whenever possible. With each of my civil engineering jobs, I was able to contribute to protecting the environment in a different way. In my current job at Kahler Automation, the best part is getting to help my co-workers do their jobs in a smart and efficient way so we can better serve our customers. And I am proud of how the company is involved in our community.
Q: Where did you get your training/go to school?
I was born and raised in Fairmont and attended Iowa State University in Ames (Go Cyclones!), where I got a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with Environmental emphasis. Later I earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Minnesota State University Mankato.
One of the best parts of my time at Iowa State was my graduate research assistant position, where I worked on a team studying water quality in the Des Moines River. The Des Moines River Water Quality Network (DMRWQN) is a surface water quality monitoring project, conducted by ISU's Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering under contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I worked with Donna Schulze Lutz, who was a great mentor to me.
For that project I took water samples along the river, drove a big mobile laboratory to sampling sites, and also got to captain a research boat to take water quality samples on reservoirs. Sometimes we also electroshocked fish for a project where we analyzed pesticides bioaccumulating in carp.
Q: Are there any classes you wish you would have taken or are glad that you took?
Growing up, I was very shy and didn’t enjoy talking in front of people. In 4-H we did demonstration speeches which began to help make public speaking easier, but once I got to college I knew I really needed to be able to communicate my ideas and research findings confidently to others. Even though I was always nervous at the start, after each presentation I’d feel a little more sure of myself. I’ll probably always be a little nervous about it, but I know I can do it and do it well! I’ve used this skill a lot in my work and personal life.