Our Story

Patricia Duarte, the founder and director of Illustra Pro, was born and raised in Mexico City. When she came to the US Patricia got a bachelor degree in Industrial Organizational Psychology and a master’s degree in Human Resources Management, launching her career path as a human resource recruiter and employee relationship specialist.

Throughout her HR career, Patricia specialized in employee relations, compliance, and organizational development – frequently addressing workplace safety concerns and implementing programs to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations. During this time in HR, one of the most pressing challenges she often faced was managing safety-related incidents and ensuring that organizations were fully compliant with OSHA standards. Time and again, Patricia witnessed how a proactive approach to safety could prevent injuries, improve employee morale, and save organizations significant costs. However, she also recognized that many businesses struggled with understanding and implementing the necessary safety training and protocols.

This focus on safety became a natural bridge to her evolution as an OSHA Outreach Trainer.

Patricia’s career evolution began with safety education from UCSD safety courses and certificates; she  got   certified for Fire Watch, where Patricia learned from the ground up and developed a foundational understanding of shipyard operations and the critical importance of workplace safety in high-risk environments. She became an accomplished safety professional with a progressive career in the maritime industry, showcasing expertise in safety management, incident investigation, and regulatory compliance. She mentored with other professionals in the safety industry, worked for various companies as a Safety Training Proctor, Health Analyst, and Safety  Manager, took additional safety courses herself and received training and certification including: Permit Authorized Individual Certified, Forklift Certified, Shipyard Competent Person, Lock Out-Tag Out Electrical Safety, Fall Protection & Scaffolding Safety, Fire Prevention & Hot Work Safety, and Confined Spaces among others.

Patricia decided to formally combine her HR expertise with specialized safety training to create comprehensive workplace safety programs, and in March 2020 founded Illustra Pro with a vision for safety training that goes beyond simply safety education, certification and compliance. Illustra Pro’s goal is to ensure employers and workers have the education and tools necessary to maintain the highest level of safety during daily operations.

Patricia’s unique background and customized course offerings allow Illustra Pro to address safety challenges from both a regulatory as well as a human-centered perspective, ensuring compliance while also fostering a culture where employees feel valued and protected.

As the founder of Illustra Pro,  Patricia became an  OSHA-authorized Outreach Trainer, and continues to stay abreast of all the latest requirements and multitude of industry-related safety rules and regulations from OSHA as well as NAVSEA, NFPA, ANSI, NIOSH and other occupational safety regulatory agencies. After seven years in the safety industry, Patricia remains deeply committed to fostering safe, productive, and supportive workplaces.

Today, Patricia is passionate about helping organizations bridge the gap between compliance and culture, offering training sessions, workshops, and consulting services designed to make safety a core component of every workplace. She firmly believes that safety and human resources are two sides of the same coin—both essential to creating thriving workplaces where people and productivity can flourish.