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1) Current Career Position & Work Experience:
I joined Port Authority in 1994 as the Assistant Program Manager
in the Busway Expansion Department, Engineering and Construction
Division, which was expanding in order to plan, design, and build
new transit facilities for the Pittsburgh area. Port Authority's
expansion program includes approximately $1 billion of new or rehabilitated
facilities, including light rail transit guideways and busways,
which are roads used exclusively by buses. Primarily, I perform
liaison, coordination, negotiation, and preparation of agreements
with governmental entities, public agencies, and utility companies
in order to complete the projects.
Prior to joining Port Authority, I had 19 years of experience as
a consulting engineer performing management, planning, and design.
My work involved on-site development for office buildings, apartments/townhouses,
shopping centers, land reclamation, and landfills; it also encompassed
transportation projects, including highways, railroads, light rail
transit, and airports. Earlier, I worked for approximately two years
at AMTRAK in Washington, D.C.; first, as a management trainee, spending
time in various divisions to gain an overview of what it takes to
operate a passenger railroad, and then in the Maintenance of Way
(Track) Department.
2) Education:
My Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering is from Penn
State University. I am a Registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania.
Everyday is a learning experience.
3) Most Exciting Part of My Career:
I love to make things "work", "grow", and "come
to life", that gives me a great sense of accomplishment. At
times, it can be frustrating and very difficult to find common ground
for which everyone will agree and approve. It is great when everything
comes together and we can move forward with the projects. Usually,
people are aware of a new project only when they see the first construction
equipment move onto the work area. Many do not realize that it may
take five to ten years to reach the point of construction. I have
had the opportunity to see most of my projects being built, which
is very exciting and very fortunate. Early in my career, an older,
more experienced engineer told me that he was still waiting for
one of his projects to be built. He had designed many projects,
but for one reason or another, none of his projects were ever constructed,
which is disappointing.
4) Toughest Barriers to Overcome to Arrive at My Current Position:
One barrier was being told that females did not belong in the engineering
field or that females could not do certain tasks. I was born and
reared on a farm, which also had a butcher shop business, in a Pennsylvania
town so small that it does not have its own post office. On a farm,
everyone, whether female or male, young or old, works together,
doing whatever has to be done, to accomplish the tasks which need
to be completed. My tasks, included not only general housekeeping,
but also taking care of the livestock, working in the fields, fixing
machinery and equipment, waiting on customers, bookkeeping, and
buying and stocking of supplies - a great variety of tasks, with
only a few limitations. When I entered college and then the work
force, there were few women in engineering. The resistance to having
a female in an engineering class or in the workplace shocked me.
I had to work harder than the males to convince everyone that I
was intent on pursuing an engineering career and wanted to do certain
tasks. Today, I am happy to say that women are readily accepted
as equals in the engineering field and in the workplace.
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