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  • MARIE SMITH-STEPHENS

    Favorite Quote: The best job or title I can ever have is mom. What does Women's History Month mean to you? It is a time for us to remember and honor all of those women who have paved the way and who have fought for our rights. From our mothers and grandmothers, we are the legacy of their truths and we are encouraged to keep the memory of our ancestors alive by never giving up until we are all truly equal. It is also a time for us to look forward to the possibilities so that the next generation of women can step into their greatness. About Marie Marie is a results-driven, innovative visionary with over 13 years of experience in organizational development, learning and development, performance management, talent management, policy development, project management, budget management and change management. As Division Manager for the City of Houston, Aviation Department, Marie oversees Organizational Development for the Human Capital Management Division. In her role, she develops crosscutting, competency-based programs for professional, supervisory and leadership development though the use of instructional design systems and principles to meet the development needs of the workforce. She is responsible for maximizing HAS performance by training and continuously improving the competencies of approximately 1,200 employees within eight divisions. As a passionate leader, she seeks out opportunities that contribute to the betterment of human capital and her areas of focus include organizational development, performance management and workforce planning. Marie places high value on service quality, organizational viability, continuous improvement and strategic planning. She believes that the world of work is ever changing. Whether it is evolution or revolution, there is always a more efficient way of doing things. Marie is a wife and mother of two children ages 4 and 2. She was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is two-time graduate of Southern University and A & M College. Marie holds two Master's degrees - Master of Public Administration and Master of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

  • ALICIA WASHINGTON - PURPOSE DRIVEN LEADERSHIP

    Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people. - Colossians 3:23 NLT In this Re.engineer Trending Leader feature, we asked our newly appointed Chief Brand Strategist to provide some perspectives on leadership, STEM, and authenticity. As an essential Re.engineer volunteer, Alicia Washington has a brilliant vision for how we reverse the downward trend of minority representation in STEM. Honestly, we are so lucky to have an opportunity to partner with her as we expand our mission across all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Alicia has a extensive background in manufacturing, specifically within the maintenance and reliability discipline, and with her hands-on experience in the field and in the strategic war room, she can talk the talk and walk the walk! Welcome aboard, and let's go change the world! Alicia Washington is a native of San Antonio, TX who graduated as valedictorian in 1996 from Sam Houston High School. Determined to be successful in life and help her mom, a SAISD elementary school teacher, she ambitiously applied to at least one school in each of the 50 states. Ultimately, she decided on the University of Oklahoma (OU) and graduated in 2001 with her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. While attending OU, Alicia was involved in campus activities and proudly fulfilled her legacy of joining Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in the spring of 1999. Alicia attributes a lot of her school success to her line sisters and other classmates who kept her motivated and showed her the ropes at OU. She also interned with great companies like Baker Hughes and Marathon Oil while in college. Each opportunity helped her build invaluable life skills. “My first college internship helped me to develop emotional intelligence and problem solving skills quickly. My leader sent me to different well sites around the state to learn drilling technology. This was before GPS was a thing. I printed out directions online and prayed for the best. Nothing builds perseverance like being lost in the middle of nowhere during peak tornado season and all of a sudden the sky turns dark!” Alicia began working at Dow, Inc. right out of college as a Production Engineer and later became a Reliability Engineer. She left Dow in 2004 to join a supervisory development program at another company. She acquired her MBA in 2007 from the University of Phoenix before returning to Dow in 2008. She has held roles in maintenance and reliability, operational excellence and leadership. She is currently in a global reliability leader role and supports multiple plants in North America, Asia and Europe. Her next career goal is to hang up her hard hat for good and pivot into a more customer-facing business role. Q: You have an amazing background and with all of your success early in life, why did you choose a career in STEM? Alicia: Like many kids who grew up in my era, I was sure I wanted to be either a doctor or lawyer like the Huxtables but I fell in love with math and physics of all things. Then in the 11th grade I got the opportunity to intern with City Public Service in San Antonio (now CPS Energy). The opportunity came with a college scholarship and a paid internship the summers after my junior and senior year. This was the first time I interacted with engineers and what was even more unique about this experience was my leader was a Black female over operations and my mentor was a Black male from Prairie View A&M University. I saw myself in them both and became confident that I, too, could master a career in engineering. Now in all honesty, I originally applied for the biomedical engineering program at my school. Due to low enrollment the program was dropped before my first semester and I enrolled in the mechanical engineering with pre-med option program. After 5 hours of chemistry, I dropped the pre-med option and knew engineering was my niche at the time. Q: From being a supermom and wife to leading maintenance and reliability teams around the world and even volunteering your time to support so many organizations like Jack and Jill, how do you continue to deliver excellence in the midst of supporting so many people and projects? Alicia: I am a spiritual person and one of my favorite verses is Colossians 3:23 which in the NLT version says, “work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than people.” I try to remember this once I’ve committed to a task or organization. Yes, there are times when I’m not at my best but before I close the page on a deliverable, I make sure I’ve given it everything I have. My grandmother used to say she would rest in heaven. I didn’t like to hear that when I was young but now that I’m older I think about it often and it fuels me to get the work done. As long as we keep waking up, we have another opportunity to give selflessly. Q: What has been the most difficult challenge you’ve had to overcome as a STEM professional? Alicia: Honestly, the most difficult challenge even now is blocking out noise and thoughts of not belonging. As a minority and a woman in STEM, I’ve been looked over, talked over and often times made to feel as though my voice wasn’t welcome in the room. When those feelings of self doubt start to seep in, I remember that often the loudest person in the room is overcompensating for the silent internal struggle he or she is dealing with by hiding behind the “power mask.” In that moment I remember to see our similarities instead of our differences. We all fight external and internal battles. I’ve been known to follow up one-on-one with those people at the right time but ultimately I can choose which battles are worth me fighting. I can’t change people or their personalities but I can advocate for myself and choose to keep a positive attitude no matter what I’m facing. Q: We believe that our personal expressions should translate into how we operate as business and community leaders. We call it “Bringing Your Whole Self” into any situation. How do you ensure that you are authentic to yourself and your work? Alicia: I do a lot of analyzing. Some would even say I over analyze situations. One thing I’ve learned is to listen to my inner voice. If something doesn’t feel right, I hit the pause button. I utilize peers and mentors to talk through my concerns until a decision is made. I’ve had to tell leaders before that I wasn’t in alignment with the path forward. Although they didn’t like it, they had to respect my decision. Doing what feels right no matter what is the best way I can be authentic to myself and my work. Q: You are a natural leader and have accomplished so much in your career. What advice would you give to other young professionals or students looking to take their career or education to the next level? Alicia: The only advice I would give is to think it through, weigh the pros and cons and in the end if fear is the only thing holding you back, do it anyway! Fear is like a critical block valve. It’s designed to fail safe but as motivated professionals we have to be able to override our fears. Q: At Re.engineer, we believe in challenging the status quo. Tell us about the most impactful opportunity you have conquered. Alicia: I’ve worked on many projects and initiatives of which I’m extremely proud. However, for me the most impactful is the work I had to do in complete silence. My years as a people leader were definitely the most trying and lonely. There were so many things happening behind the scenes that I couldn’t share with anyone. There were times when my leadership made staffing decisions I didn’t agree with but wasn’t given a choice. For the most part I was always able to find the best case scenario for many of my direct reports, however. They were not usually happy with the decisions and of course called me all sorts of names behind my back and to anyone who would listen really. As a person who values integrity, this was hurtful. However, those employees kept a job. Whether it was in a new company that had been divested or a different department, they were able to feed their families and continue to thrive. Most will never know the battles I had to fight on their behalf nor the emotional or physical toll those years took on me. But when I see those folks still thriving, my heart smiles despite the side eyes and eye rolls I get from them (yes grown professionals do this in the hallways, break rooms, etc.). Leadership comes with many challenges and sleepless nights but you have to do the right thing even when you’re not supported. You have to find the win-win scenarios even though you are sometimes mistreated by the very people you are looking out for. Leadership is bigger than you and the moment you are in. Many people enter leadership for power or status of some sort. This is why such a large percentage of leaders in corporations and our nation are such poor examples of how leadership should look. If you are not in it to serve others, you have completely missed the opportunity to make the biggest impact (albeit maybe in silence) of your lifetime. Q: Your article in the Winter edition of the Re.engineer Magazine, “Making your student work experience work for you,” resonated with many of our subscribers. What was an eye opening experience for you as completed your internships? Alicia: I had no idea when I started college that the internship opportunity I had in high school would open so many doors. My university really pushed student work experiences and there were many sophomores and juniors who had not secured these opportunities yet. I think I landed 5 interviews the very first time I submitted my resume. It was overwhelming but such a blessing. When I began to look for full time work, I received multiple offers. I didn’t always understand the value of my internships as I was experiencing them. I remember lots of downtime and sometimes being all out bored at work. I would finish tasks quickly and beg for more to do. This is why I wanted to write the article. Had I truly understood the value of those experiences then, I would have never allowed boredom to set in. I would have been adamant about spending every extra minute acquiring as many valuable tools as possible to add to my toolkit. Q: What keeps you up at night? Alicia: This is a great question. Many things including an 8 year old who still prefers my bed over his! LOL. However, from a professional standpoint it’s the thought of running out of time before I get to maximize my impact. STEM has changed so much since I first started my career. There is so much innovation happening all around me and so many talented people with whom I want to collaborate. I want a chance to experience it all and deliver my contribution to leaving our planet a better place for my son and future generations. ********** LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aliciawashington

  • CHRISTINE WITTE

    Favorite Quote: Our growing softness, our increasing lack of physical fitness, is a menace to our security. - JFK What does Women's History Month mean to you? Gratitude and Obligation for the generations that came before me and their unwavering commitment to chipping away at the barriers that surrounded them. I reaped the benefits of their labor and it's my responsibility to carry the torch forward. Women are Powerful. We are Bricks wrapped in Velvet. Our hearts lead the way, which is why we don't stray. Women's History Month is a testament to achieving the impossible.....over and over again. About Christine Christine is a sales, strategy and operations professional with substantial experience managing and growing product lines, new markets and distribution channels. She has been successful in the design, proposal and execution of technical and complex solutions. In her current role, Christine is the Director of Product and Services for the SEAM Group where she is responsible for the design and delivery of commercial best practices that maximize profitable revenue, salesforce effectiveness, product mix, customer selection and focus, and distributor management. She ensures value-added activities are customer centric and marketed based on growth goals and she continuously assess commercial capabilities against global best practices to find areas where significant improvements are possible. In her previous role as the Vice President of Sales for VIE Technologies brings together smart sensors, licensed spectrum, a proprietary protocol, and a joint human / AI real-time platform into a disruptive whole. VIE's technology uses high-precision, high-bandwidth triaxial vibration sensors to capture rich vibration data from industrial assets such as motors, pumps, fans, generators and compressors. VIE technology constantly learns and improves, allowing clients to best manage capital assets and dramatically reduce costly, unplanned downtime. Christine has a B.A. in English/Psychology from the University of Lynchburg in where she was a NCAA All-Academic and All-Conference Athlete. She was also named MVP of the Women’s Distance Team. Christine also has a MBA from Duke University.

  • AISHA LAWREY

    Favorite Quote: If you educate a girl, you educate a Nation. What does Women's History Month mean to you? To me Women’s History Month is a time to remember and honor all those women who have fought for our rights, many losing their lives in the process and to make a commitment to their memory to never give up until we are all truly equal. Black women, in particular, have been accomplishing the unthinkable for centuries. I think we’ve come a long way in recognizing the contributions by all women to past and current events, but we still have a way to go. While we should all take some time this month to appreciate the women who made great contributions to society and helped pave the way for today’s leaders, while recognizing the contributions of those leaders as well, this is really something we should be doing every day. About Aisha STEM advocate, Aisha Lawrey, has 20 years of experience on this journey. Working in industry, government, nonprofits, and education she knows how to engage many different stakeholders, at all levels. Her focus is on increasing the number of women and minorities in engineering. Aisha currently works for the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), Inc. as the Senior Director, Programs and Scholarships. She is responsible for planning, directing and executing all scholarships and program activities. Prior to joining NACME, Aisha was the Director of Engineering Education with the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME). She directed and guided the work of ASME in helping to shape the future of mechanical engineering and engineering technology. She is currently an AAAS IFTHEN STEM Ambassador. Aisha obtained a Master of Public Administration and Policy from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. A New Jersey native, Aisha now resides in Maryland with her husband and 13-year-old twins.

  • LAQUITTA THOMAS

    Favorite Quote: Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What does Women's History Month mean to you? Women's History month is an amazing opportunity to celebrate women...all women! This is a time to pour into and uplift each other. Women's History month is also a wonderful occasion to celebrate our next generation of female leaders and to remind these young ladies of the strength, intelligence, light, creativity and beauty that resides within them. LaQuitta Thomas works as an Information Technology Project Manager and certified Agile ScrumMaster with Texas Instruments, Incorporated in Dallas, Texas, and has been with the company for 27 years. LaQuitta is very active in the areas of Engineering and IT recruitment and talent development at Texas Instruments and was appointed campus champion for TI at Southern University and A&M College in 2003, and in 2007 as Executive Sponsor. During LaQuitta’s tenure as Executive Sponsor, Texas Instruments donated $750,000 to support student scholarships, the TI Automated Test Engineering class and student organizations in the College of Sciences and Engineering. About LaQuitta LaQuitta was educated in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), having earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science from The Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in December 1993. She earned a Master of Business Administration specializing in eCommerce from the University of Dallas Graduate School of Management in 2001. LaQuitta is a Life member of the National Black MBA Association and in December 2018, was named the organization’s Community Champion of the year. She is committed to STEM and serves the National Society of Black Engineers and is a Life member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. LaQuitta is afforded many opportunities to give back to the community as a Diamond Life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She celebrated 25 years of service in the sorority in 2019. LaQuitta supported diabetes research for 20 years in the Dallas-Fort Worth area with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and served on the Corporate Advisory Council for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. In 2018, LaQuitta was inducted into the National African American Women’s Leadership Institute (NAAWLI) and partnered with a colleague on developing “STEMage Is Everything”, a concept that encourages young ladies to see and create their identity in STEM. As a result, LaQuitta serves on the North Dallas High School Advisory board working with the administration, faculty and students on career readiness and promoting STEM. LaQuitta was selected in March 2019 as a “Hidden Figure – Top STEM Influencer” in the Dallas-Fort Worth area by the National Society of Black Engineers, an honor she cherishes. LaQuitta is passionate about assisting our next generation of leaders and their transition from the dorm room to the board room and spends time mentoring college students and new college grads on career planning and chartering their personal roadmap. LaQuitta, who has mentored and advised countless students over the years, created a career bootcamp 101 workshop. The workshop is designed to assist college students with preparing for and landing great careers after graduation. She enjoys sharing career leading practices with college students and has conducted the bootcamp workshop at HBCUs Morehouse College, Spelman College and Southern University and A&M College. As part of LaQuitta’s commitment to education, she created the IgNite InSpire STEM scholarship in 2021. The scholarship, which will be awarded to one female student at each of the five Southern University System campuses annually, was designed to ignite, inspire, motivate and celebrate young women in the Southern University System majoring in a STEM discipline. LaQuitta is an extremely proud and active member of The Southern University Alumni Federation and was elected as the first female National President of the 79-year old organization in July, 2018. She is honored and humbled to serve as the 19th National President for the SU Alumni Federation and is committed to increasing Alumni engagement, SU Support, helping Southern re-establish national academic prominence and building relationships with more corporate partners to benefit the SU System and the Alumni Federation. LaQuitta is over the moon excited to continue giving back to the SU System, the students and the best Alumni on the planet! LaQuitta, a true servant leader, is dedicated to impacting the next generation with education, scholarship, career and professional development opportunities. She firmly believes in the scriptures “your gift will make room for you” and “to whom much is given, much is required”. She’s enthusiastic, energized and excited about the road ahead and believes the best is yet to come.

  • STACEY GAUTREAU

    Favorite Quote: What others think about me is none of my business. -- Regina Brett What does Women's History Month mean to you? Women's History Month fires me up! It's a time to celebrate those who have come before us and blazed a trail. It's also a time to dig deep and find the courage to keep pushing for the advancement of women. There is more work to do, like closing the gender pay gap. For me personally, March has become a month where I swallow fear and take a big leap. Two years ago at this time, I launched my blog www.staceygautreau.com and this year I enrolled in graduate school. I haven't been to school in 20+ years! These things scare me to death but each time I step out on faith, I realize how powerful our female perspective and experiences are. The world desperately needs us. We need more women working collectively to support and develop each other. And we need male allies. I have been blessed to have a support system of both. About Stacey Stacey's purpose and passion is to teach, coach and encourage others. She does that in her professional role as Dow's Director of Public Affairs on the U.S. Gulf Coast. For 15 years she has engaged communities and employees in the advancement of Dow's reputation. Faith and Family are the foundation of her personal blog www.staceygautreau.com where she talks about overcoming fear and shame in order to be the Big Deal God made her to be. Stacey is a keynote speaker on leadership, vulnerability, diversity, and hope. In 2016 she was awarded the Most Influential Women in Business by the Baton Rouge Business Report. She's blessed to have the unwavering support of her husband Todd and their five children Brooke, Katie, Bryce, Jackson, and Claire.

  • KEISHA KELLEY

    Favorite Quote: I never had to dim somebody's light for mine to shine brighter. What does Women's History Month mean to you? Women's History Month to me means that we continue to highlight and tell the story of so many women who have blazed trails and continue to light the undying candle for generations to come. Women of all nationalities continue to be pillars in their community while carrying the world on their shoulders and making it look easy! About Keisha Keisha J. Kelley, MBA, is a native of Huntsville, AL, now residing in Atlanta GA. Ms Kelley is a 2003 graduate of Southern University & A&M College, Baton Rouge LA., with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She also earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 2019 from University of Phoenix. Keisha is the Founder and CEO of Black College Experience, an HBCU Sports Podcast with a vision to bring exposure to HBCU athletics. Ms. Kelley has been working in sports radio since 2011 and has hosted 5 different sports shows in which 3 she produced. In Ms. Kelley’s current role with Black College Experience, she serves as CEO as well as sideline reporter and journalist. Keisha has covered events such as ESPNs SWAC MEAC Challenge, NBC Sports Bayou Classic, Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl, Top 50 NBPA Camp and the Black College Football HOF Enshrinement. Kelley, has also attended the NFL Draft in which she also covered the Draft Day Red Carpet. Black College Experience has been invited to over 100 events including interviewing Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, media days, HBCU football showcases, career days, and sports panels. BCE has interviewed over 50 guests including, former and current National Football League Players, Commissioners, Coaches, Athletic Directors, etc. As the brand continues to catapult, Black College Experience continues to travel around the world to cover both D1 and D2 HBCU athletics. In addition to radio/media; Keisha started a scholarship fund in honor of her late father; James A Kelley. To date she has awarded 9 scholarships to students who currently attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities and adopted 4 Seniors during the pandemic. In addition to Black College Experience, Keisha also serves as a mentor for Big Brother Big Sisters, Public Relations Officer Southern University Atlanta Alumni Chapter, and chairs and co chairs 3 committees, mentor (Southern University Mentoring Program) Southern University National Alumni Federation member & sports mentor (Gladiathers). Kelley has also been nominated for Honda’s Power of Dreams Award. In 2019, Kelley was selected as one of the top 40 under 40 Cohort Class by the Southern University Alumni Federation and was featured in Voyage ATL Magazine twice. In 2020 Keisha was featured in the HBCU Documentary: The Experience. Her biggest highlight of her career was interviewing Pro Football HOFer Deion Sanders, upon announcing his joining Jackson State University as head football coach. Want to learn more about Black College Experience? Check them out here!

  • MERCEDES HILL

    Favorite Quote: Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. - Marianne Williamson What does Women's History Month mean to you? This month means celebrating the contributions women have made to society, by persevering through challenges, barriers and obstacles, persisting against all odds. This day means promoting equality for all, and challenging stereotypes and expectations, allowing all people to stand out on merit and not superficial bias. It means uplifting women and inspiring them to reach new goals they never thought would be imaginable. About Mercedes My name is Mercedes Hill. I am an industry engineer, and have been in manufacturing and operations for the last 8 years. I currently work for BASF as a Senior Asset and Reliability Engineer, while attending the University of Chicago Booth School of Business as a part-time MBA candidate. I have held several roles in my career from Production Engineer to Operations Manager, and I am fueled by inspiring and mentoring others, especially minorities and women to pursue and reach their goals.

  • PAMELA BURLEIGH

    Favorite Quote: We don't know who we are until we see what we can do. What does Women's History Month mean to you? Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate the journey from Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony to Madame Vice-President Kamala Harris. This month and every month, we must remember the role we play today is a reflection on how we develop our leaders for tomorrow. In the words of Kobe Bryant, “It’s the magic within each of us that gives potential to inspire the world.” About Pamela Ms. Burleigh is a graduate of Southern University A & M College receiving her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics as well as a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics. While studying engineering she also balanced being a young mother, representing her university as a member of the tennis team and representing her country as a solider in the Army National Guard. In her spare time, Pamela owns a consulting firm, Zeleny Solutions, LLC., providing support to small STEM business. Pamela has over two decades of industry experience from working in transportation, disaster recovery and as a high school educator in mathematics. This experience and knowledge led to her appointment by Governor John Bel Edwards to serve as Commissioner for the Atchafalaya Basin Levee District. Aside from her professional endeavors, Pamela enjoys giving back when possible. She volunteered for numerous non-profits as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for CASA, a volunteer tutor for Elevate New Orleans, Diversity Chair for Women in Transportation of Greater New Orleans and Membership Chair for the National Society of Black Engineers DFW Chapter. Ms. Burleigh also believes in not only giving her money but time to her university. She has served a Chapter President for the Home Chapter of Southern University Alumni Federation and then elected 8 years to serve as Second and Third Vice-President for the Southern University National Alumni Federation. During this time Pamela chaired the first official Alumni Student Recruitment Initiative and hosting the first National Academic Signing Day. Pamela is passionate about STEM initiatives and understands the role women have in creating diverse and technologically competitive workforces. In her leisure time, Pamela enjoys music, sports and spending time with her 3 children and newly grandson.

  • LAKEISHA ROBICHAUX

    Favorite Quote: Don't sit down and wait for opportunities to come. Get up and make them. - Madam C. J. Walker What does Women's History Month mean to you? A celebration and reflection of our history, talents, legacy, and contributions to this world. About Lakeisha Robichaux An absolute powerhouse, Lakeisha Robichaux is a business transformation strategist, leadership expert and CEO of Chief of Minds, LLC, a human resources firm, Chief of Minds Staffing, and Chief of Minds Insurance. A leading authority in complex operations, she is revolutionizing the way organizations succeed by optimizing operations, developing executive leaders and building high-performing teams. With a strategic skillset that is unmatched, Lakeisha is a problem-solver. A success seeker. And the organizational leader that every company needs by their side—and at their table. A human resources veteran, Lakeisha honed her expertise at several Fortune 500 and 100 companies in executive leadership roles. Garnering a well-earned reputation for driving results, she led those organizations through significant cultural change, proving that peak performance is always possible through the right people. And it was pure passion for people and servant leadership that led to her pivot from corporate into public service as the former Executive Director and Human Resources Director for the Recovery School District in Baton Rouge. As her undeniable brilliance and proven track record sparked conversation in spaces across Louisiana, she has become a highly sought-after consultant for other organizations, stateside and beyond. Recognizing that small businesses need big business strategy to win, she created Biz Chiefs to guide emerging and established businesses into their next phase of growth and success. Through her consulting and high-level membership, she provides CEOs with the side-by-side support and mentorship needed to scale and bring their seven-figure profit dreams into reality. Want to learn more about Chief of Minds? Check them out here!

  • KATE SCARCELLA

    Favorite Quote: Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better. - Maya Angelou What does Women's History Month mean to you? Women's History Month is a reminder to me of all of the great things that women have done in order to help me be the person that I am today - and to have the opportunities that I have. It also highlights for me all of the work that we have yet to complete in order to have gender equity in all areas of our lives. I am thankful for all of the great work that has been done by women in the past - that we can build upon to make a better world for everyone, today and in the future. About Kate Kate Scarcella is a Project Management Professional with 18 years of experience of leading teams in the aerospace, power and utility industries (CASE STUDY). She earned her Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University, as well as a Masters of Science in Operations Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In her work as a Project Manager, she has focused on building high performing teams in order to address complex problems with efficiency and good humor. Kate finds joy in bringing out the best in everyone she meets as a mother of two lovely young ladies, an avid Toastmaster, and a proud Alum of Alpha Omicron Pi.

  • DR. DAWN STANLEY

    Favorite Quote: I design my life and each day I write the story to my own life; I am the author. What does Women's History Month mean to you? Women’s History Month means highlighting ALL women from all walks of life. Here’s to a month of celebrating strong and empowered women, who strives daily to accelerate their roles. Many great women have gone before us to widen the path for us to be able to stand and have a voice today! We as women have continued to widen the path as we heighten awareness of our important multifaced roles in society. Congratulations to each WOMAN who are breaking barriers and achieving accomplishments! About Dawn Dr. Dawn Marie Stanley is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She attended Southern University and A&M College. Dr. Stanley received her B.A. in Mass Communication (2003), M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology (2013) and her Doctorate in Speech-Language Pathology from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (2017). Dr. Stanley is the owner of DMS Therapy Services in which she provides speech & language services to school-aged children. She is a recent published author in the Journal of the National Association for Speech-Language and Hearing: “Racism: Combating Ways to Eradicate.” Dr. Stanley serves as President-elect of the Louisiana Speech-Language Hearing Association Board (LSHA) and on the Alumni Association Board at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. Previously as the Legislative Chair of LSHA, she participated by lobbying for the passage of the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact (ASLP-IC). This compact allows Speech Language Pathologists & Audiologists to practice across state lines. During her lobbying, Louisiana enacted legislation becoming the sixth state to partake in this compact. Dr. Stanley is also member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated where Finer Womanhood is the principle she stands on. Want to learn more about DMS Therapy Services? Check them out here!

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