Kristen Yates, PE of American Engineering Testing, Inc. (AET) has been promoted to Office Manager of the Rapid City, South Dakota regional office. She will continue as a geotechnical project manager but will additionally be responsible for the Rapid City office including day to day management and business development. “We look forward to Kristen taking on a larger role in the West Region,” said AET West Region Manager Robert Temme. “I know she is ready and up for the challenge as she assumes greater responsibility and grows with AET.”
Starting her career with AET, Yates joined the Rapid City construction services department while obtaining her Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. During her time in the department she was involved in field and lab testing of soils and concrete, once she graduated she moved into her field of study and became an engineering intern and later a geotechnical engineer for the Rapid City office.
A strong believer in learning from the ground up, Yates has experience in three of AET’s service lines, from performing construction material testing to logging soil samples on the drill rig to collecting environmental field samples, she has done it all. Citing the importance of understanding what the company offers, Yates comments “having first-hand experience in each of our service lines helps me relate to and understand each person in the office and provide unique insight to my clients on projects.”
As a leader, Yates does not shy away from challenges, instead preferring to face them head on. “My goal is for each member of my team, including myself, to strive to truly be a trusted partner to our clients and to earn the trust of new clients,” says Yates. “This means working hard and with purpose to solve problems in the field, improve our processes, and promote our exceptional services. I am excited for growth in the Rapid City office and look forward to leading this great team.”
Yates is a registered Professional Engineer in North and South Dakota and holds a Certified Petroleum Release Remediator (CPRR) certification in the State of South Dakota. She is an active member of the South Dakota Engineering Society and Youth in Science in Rapid City. She can be reached at kyates@amengtest.com
