Douglas E. Azwell

An honest, detail-oriented analyst whose mission is to help clients resolve issues, Douglas E. Azwell has excelled as the technical manager of Brink Fiber Bed Mist Eliminators and a senior chemical engineering consultant at Elessent Clean Technologies Inc. since 2022. In his roles, he wants his client to exceed what is required to meet emission standards and operate with the least environmental footprint.

Mr. Azwell began his career as a coop engineer at Elessent Clean Technologies, then known as DuPont Clean Technologies, in 1991—serving in this position for three years before becoming a process engineer at the company, which became known as MECS, from 1995 to 2011. He subsequently became active as a senior process engineer from 2011 to 2015, a senior consultant from 2015 to 2021, and a product technology manager from 2017 to 2018. Over the course of his 30-plus years at the organization working in research and development, he co-invented five patents in advancing a technology that became a breakthrough and adopted worldwide.

In addition, Mr. Azwell helped create and launch AutoDrain, a device that automatically initiates draining of a style of mist eliminator without the need for attached piping. Outside of his primary endeavors, he taught as an astronomy instructor at Pattonville School District from 2005 to 2014 and has devoted much of his time and effort to outreach and local charities—and has served as an elder at Overland Church of Christ since 2017.

Growing up in Mississippi, Mr. Azwell gravitated toward chemistry and physics in high school and wanted to be involved in a field different from his father’s, who was a career police officer. He enjoyed tinkering with different things and using chemistry to solve problems or make innovations. At 14, he loved reading encyclopedias and learning about technology, which led him to chemistry and engineering. He completed pre-engineering coursework at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in 1991 and earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Mississippi State University in 1995. Looking toward the future, he plans to pass his knowledge on to staff members so they can carry on the legacy he and his predecessors established, wanting to see the company maintain its status as the leading firm in the industry. Upon retirement, he hopes to spend more time with his favorite hobbies, astronomy and reef keeping.