People Feature

When Dani Monroe joined Worthington Steel’s Monroe, Ohio, facility, she was still in high school.

It was the middle of the pandemic, and her senior year schedule allowed her to work full time. She started in the shipping department as a crane operator. It was her first experience in an industrial setting.

“The first couple weeks were intimidating,” Monroe said. “I had never been in a facility like this before. Seeing 30,000- to 50,000-pound coils moving through the air was overwhelming.”

Five years later, it’s second nature.

Dani grew up in Miamisburg, Ohio, and had already chosen a hands-on path through diesel mechanic training at the Miami Valley Career Center. She knew early on she wanted a technical career. When she joined Worthington Steel, she also knew she didn’t plan to stay in one role.

Today, at just 23 years old, Monroe serves as one of the day shift crew leads in Monroe’s maintenance department, and the first female crew lead in the department’s history.

“Dani has been a tremendous asset to our maintenance team,” said Chuck Weaver, maintenance area manager. “She’s highly respected across the facility, brings exceptional attention to detail and stepped into a crew lead role just a few years after joining maintenance. That speaks to both her skill and her leadership.”

For Monroe, the appeal of maintenance is simple: no two days are the same.

“You never really know what you’re walking into,” she said. “It could be a full day of preventive work, or you could be troubleshooting something unexpected. I like that.”

She describes the culture as supportive and team-oriented, a place where coworkers can joke with each other but also know when it’s time to focus and get the job done.

“I’ve really appreciated that I’m treated like everyone else here,” she said. “The opportunities I’ve been given, especially with continuing education, I don’t think I would have gotten that anywhere else.”

While maintenance roles across the industry often see fewer women applicants, Monroe hasn’t focused on that. She’s focused on continuing to learn, contribute and earn the respect of the team alongside her.

Her advice to young women considering manufacturing or skilled trades careers is straightforward:

“Just try it. You never know if you’re going to like it until you do. The worst that happens is you decide it’s not for you – but at least you tried."