By Mitchell Lartigue | TS-Environmental Health & Safety Supervisor | ESS Gulf Coast
I never planned to become an Environmental Health & Safety Supervisor at a semiconductor manufacturing facility. If you had told me that years ago I probably would have laughed. But life has a way of connecting dots that you cannot see while you are living them.
Let me take you back to where this story really starts.
Where I Came From
I began my career as a Registered Nurse, and not just any nurse. I was a Adult, Neonatal and Pediatric Flight Nurse. I flew into emergencies in the middle of the night, in helicopters, in the worst weather, to reach the most vulnerable patients imaginable, newborns and children fighting for their lives. There was no margin for error. No second chances. You showed up, you performed, and you brought people home.
For nearly two decades I worked in critical care and emergency management across multiple hospital systems. I served as Incident Commander during mass casualty events. I built decontamination protocols, emergency response plans, and trained clinical teams on how to perform when everything was falling apart around them.
I loved that work. But life took me in a different direction and I had a choice, give up or rebuild.
I chose to rebuild.
The Pivot
I went back to school while working full time and earned my Bachelor of Applied Science in Disaster Science and Emergency Management from Louisiana State University — with a 4.0 GPA. I pursued every certification I could get my hands on. HAZWOPER 40-hour. OSHA 30-hour. Certified Environmental Specialist. A full suite of FEMA ICS certifications. I was not just changing careers — I was building a foundation.
I took roles that let me apply my emergency management background in new settings. I built safety programs from the ground up. I reduced workplace safety incidents by 40%. I trained 250+ personnel. I conducted 50+ audits across 8 facilities simultaneously. I responded to hundreds of emergency situations and maintained a 95% successful incident resolution rate.
Every step felt like preparation for something bigger. I just did not know what yet.
The Interview That Changed Everything
When I applied for an Environmental Health & Safety Supervisor position at a semiconductor manufacturing facility I was honest with myself — this was new territory. I had never worked in heavy industry. I had never managed chemical hazards like hydrofluoric acid, arsine gas, or silane. I had never operated in a cleanroom environment.
But I knew how to learn. And I knew how to perform under pressure.
So I did what I have always done — I prepared relentlessly. I studied semiconductor chemical hazards. I researched Process Safety Management frameworks. I learned the industrial hygiene standards specific to that environment. I walked into a panel interview with five senior managers and I told them the truth — I have not done this specific work before but I have spent 18 years preparing to do exactly this.
They believed me. And more importantly — I believed myself.
The New Title
Today I am proud to carry this title:
Mitchell Lartigue TS-Environmental Health & Safety Supervisor Austin, Texas | ESS — Gulf Coast
It represents something far bigger than a job. It represents a second chapter that I built from scratch — through hard work, relentless preparation, and an unwillingness to let a difficult season define the rest of my story.
What I Want You to Take From This
If you are in the middle of a career transition right now — if you feel like your best days are behind you or that it is too late to start over — I want you to hear this directly:
It is not too late. Your past experience is not wasted. Every skill you have built, every challenge you have survived, every moment you performed under pressure — it is all preparation for what comes next. You just cannot always see the destination while you are still on the road.
The two things that got me here were not credentials or connections. They were effort and attitude. I brought both every single day without exception. That is something nobody can give you and nobody can take away.
Your next chapter is waiting. Go build it.
Mitchell Lartigue is an Environmental Health & Safety Supervisor specializing in emergency management, hazardous materials response, and safety program development. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Disaster Science and Emergency Management with a 4.0 GPA and certifications including HAZWOPER 40-hour, OSHA 30-hour, Certified Environmental Specialist, and FEMA ICS-100 through ICS-800.
Mitch Lartigue – Building Safer Communities 
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