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WTS Atlanta's Emmanuella Myrthil, Division Diversity Director for HNTB hosted a panel discussion with four WTSCFL members in celebration of Black History Month. To view the hour-long broadcast, scan the QR code or use this URL: https://lnkd.in/eKvQmCvx

A few surprising commonalities among each panelist included their Caribbean heritage, motherhood as transportation professionals, and their personal approach to lead with both head and heart.

Related to Black History Month, Emmanuella asked each member to share a moment in Black history that has impacted them. The panelists shared the following: 

• Election of a Black woman as Vice President
• Impacts of bifurcating communities with road construction and the opportunities we now have to reimagine and repair  
• Poise of Michelle Obama in the spotlight and under scrutiny as First Lady
• Precedent that Haiti was the first Black republic 

Also, we learned these interesting facts about each woman:  

• Rachel Andre moved to Florida by herself at the age of 19 - her parents remained in Haiti.
• Lara Bouck has been working in equity at MetroPlan Orlando. With the idea that what is measured matters. she is looking at the metrics to drive decisions that ensure equity.
• Stacey Russell identified the biggest risk in her career was the move to her current position as the Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Facilitator. The risk was as a new role at GPI, which she worked to define. It has become a reward as she has the opportunity to expand the diversity in her firm.     
• Gail Woods was the second Black woman to graduate from FSU/FAMU with a degree in engineering and the first Black woman during her time at HNTB to receive a PE. 

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Other points of discussion involved:

• Reframing “Work-life Balance” to “Work-life Presence”
  Rather than multi-tasking, give your full attention to what’s at hand. When you are at work be present at work and when you are at home, be present at home.
• Workforce Development
  Recognizing we do not have enough workers right now, which will likely continue as Baby Boomers retire, workforce development is key. It is not only important to find and train the current workforce, but also to feed the pipeline by outreach to students at the elementary and middle school level to influence their entry into the industry.