Title: Chief Building Engineer

Company: Fairfax County Government

Location: Manassas, Va.

Garnering 15 years of practical engineering experience, Kareen Tompkins is currently the chief engineer for Fairfax County Courthouses for the Fairfax County Government in Virginia. Ms. Tompkins has developed a thick skin through dedication to her studies and professional endeavors. Professional enthusiasm and interest have helped her overcome the discrimination she has witnessed in the heating, venting and air conditioning industry, while drawing upon specialized skills from her background in military and police work. Educated and tenacious, Ms. Tompkins is proud to hold herself to an elevated educational standard and plans to continue to grow within her field.

In order to develop the skills necessary to become an informed businesswoman and engineering specialist, Ms. Tompkins earned a Master of Business Administration from Strayer University after achieving a Bachelor of Science. She obtained a master’s license for heating and air-conditioning and a vocational degree and certification, ensuring that she could perform HVAC tasks with the utmost expertise. Though her educational experience is already considerable, Ms. Tompkins ultimately aims to achieve a Ph.D. to teach within the engineering content area and pass on the knowledge she has obtained from her career.

Ms. Tompkins is passionate about female advancement within the HVAC industry and would like to be remembered for encouraging her fellow women to be independent and professionally motivated. Ideally, she would like to challenge the attitude of individuals who believe women cannot succeed in the engineering field. Ms. Tompkins’ goal is to continue to develop her small business, Affordable Air Solutions, and she would like to ultimately train and hire people from lower-income backgrounds. She is devoted to bettering society and contributes much of her free time to Habitat for Humanity.