News Stories

Portland District Celebrates Women's History Month

Published March 27, 2018

Editor's note: March is Women’s History Month. To recognize the contribution of women to the Corps of Engineers, we highlight some trailblazing women who have helped to redefine the roles of women in the Corps of Engineers. 


In 1903, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers headquarters employed just three women. All worked as clerks. It wasn’t until World War II that two women broke into engineering positions with the Corps. Today, the Portland District employs hundreds of women in a variety of fields. They are leaders and supervisors, engineers and rangers, scientists and administrators.

 

Yuliya Nikiforets
Engineer in Training, Engineering & Construction - Mechanical Design
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
It is extremely rewarding to see something you designed get built, assembled and installed. It's even more rewarding when this happens without any issues because you know you did your job well. It's a confidence booster and makes me look forward to other projects.

What do you wish you could tell younger women starting out in their careers?
Don't be intimidated by opportunities you think you aren't qualified for. People are more than happy to help someone who's willing to put in the work to become qualified. If you always take on projects you're comfortable with, you'll never really grow. Seize every opportunity you're given, ask lots of questions and be ready to learn, a lot.

Lindsey Roth
Mechanical Engineer in Design Branch, Engineering and Construction. 

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
As a designer, the best part of my job is seeing the final product you helped create. Most projects require months of combing through every detail: checking and rechecking calculations, drawings, specifications, codes, etc. After months of work, being able to go onsite and say, "I designed that," feels amazing.

What do you wish you could tell younger women starting out in their careers?
My advice would be to take any opportunity for growth and development! Surround yourself with positive engineers/mentors who see your potential and support you. Be proud of our growing legacy of women engineers.

Kerry Solan
Chief of Public Affairs

What piece of advice would you give to another woman in your field?
My advice to other women in my field would be to find a mentor, surround yourself with those whom you admire professionally, stay curious and get comfortable with the word "no" -- both hearing it and saying it.

What motivates you on a daily basis?
My motivation comes from the expression, "people won't alw
ays remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel." I want those whom I encounter -- both personally and professionally -- to feel heard, understood and challenged to be better. It absolutely thrills me to empower those around me to succeed, and to be a launching point for better things ahead.

Tammy Mackey (Left)
Chief of Fish Section

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of my job is when our regional partners come to consensus on a major issue regarding how we operate and maintain our facilities. Being able to find common ground amongst diverse interests is sometimes difficult so embracing those moments when we do agree is important. I also love taking every opportunity to visit our many facilities and appreciate the beauty of the landscape we work in.

What do you wish you could tell younger women starting out in their careers?
I would tell younger women starting out to remember that starting out, this is a job and hopefully a career, however, it isn't a definition of who you are as a person. It's great if what you do is also a passion but sometimes the entry positions are just a foot in the door as you work towards your ideal position. Fisheries encompasses a wide range of specialties and not everyone is going to enjoy field work in the winter or paperwork in an office. Test out different positions at different agencies to find the one that is right for you.

Jesse Brownlee
Natural Resource Manager for the Rogue River Basin Projects

What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The thing that I love the most about my job is that it is different every single day. It does not allow me to become stagnant or complacent and forces me to work out of my comfort zone in some way nearly every single day. This is how you grow!

What do you wish you could tell younger women starting out in their careers?
Chase it. Do not settle for a particular job or a location because it's "easy", or because "it's the right thing to do" for family and other personal obligations. Don't stop chasing until you have truly found your work 'home'. I knew I'd found mine when I woke up really sick one normal workday and was genuinely bummed that I wasn't going to get to go to work that day because of all the cool things I'd miss out on. And even when you have found your work home, know that you will (you should!) continue to grow and change. Sometimes this means you'll grow out of that otherwise perfect, amazing job, and that's okay! Make a commitment to yourself to not settle for unfulfilling employment. Chase those dreams! 


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