March 30, 2022
March is Women’s History Month. I am a woman of color, and I am more aware of my race than my gender. Why? I have encountered more instances of racism than sexism. When I began working in the maritime industry over 25 years ago, I was struck by how few women were in leadership positions. It was a moment where I was more aware of my gender than my race. Historically speaking, the industry was led by men. Like most industries, businesses in the sector are recognizing the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion as a good practice, which has led to initiatives to recruit women. Jobs in maritime are vast and diverse from terminal operations, seafaring, trucking, longshore, etc. My personal career is on the port authority side, and I have seen progress.
Allies and advocates
Looking back at my early career — not surprisingly — my mentors were men. Men like John Pilcher and Kent Christopher who encouraged me to grow, develop, and train. This reminds us of the importance of true allies who are also strong advocates as we move toward inclusion. I can flash back to over 23 years ago when I casually mentioned to John that I was thinking about purchasing a condo. That was in September. By Thanksgiving, I was moving into my place. I can remember Kent — recognizing a skillset in me — offering a developmental opportunity for training under the illustrious Robert Hannus that directed my career path to the position I am in now. I can also remember Kent adding two customer visits a month with a member of the marketing team to my development plan. As an introverted, (sometimes) shy person, I was horrified. However, that extra nudge was just what I needed, and I was able to develop relationships with amazing people while stepping outside of my comfort zone.
Over time, I have witnessed the industry change. For many years, I attended the annual Transpacific Maritime (TPM) conference. The first time I attended TPM, (many, many, many years ago) there were hardly any women. There were so few women, that the women’s restroom felt like a ghost town. Over the years, I noticed more and more women attending. Then finally one year, behold: There was a line in the women’s restroom. It is strange to think about now, but I can remember being extremely pleased and excited to wait in line. I just had the chance to attend TPM 2022 in March. The conference is a lot more diverse from when I first started attending all those years ago — gender and race — which is nice to witness. There is actually a picture from TPM 2012 used in a TPM 2013 promotional piece. It is me surrounded by a sea of men.
Pay privilege forward
Having privilege is not the issue. The issue is learning to identify it and using it to help others when possible.
As I mentioned earlier, it is important to have true allies. I can point back to people who advocated, encouraged, and spoke into me, and it is important that I pay that forward using whatever influence I have. The word privilege is a buzzword I see and hear a lot. The thing about privilege is that it is something that we may all have in some area of our life, and we tend to use it, even if subconsciously. Having privilege is not the issue. The issue is learning to identify it and using it to help others when possible. So, while I have neither race nor gender to fall back on, what privilege do I have, and how am I using it to help someone else? Interestingly enough, it was through travel that I learned that I have privilege, and it was a jarring experience for me.
Recognizing my leaders
In closing and in celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to acknowledge a few amazing women who have mentored, inspired, encouraged, or walked with me during my career at the port, which may be the closest to an Oscars speech that I will give.
I will start with Linda Styrk, who has been a friend, boss, and mentor. Linda’s name may be familiar because she was the first female Managing Director for the Port of Seattle’s Seaport Division. We talk about work/life balance, and Linda is a person whose juggling of career, family, and self-care amaze me. Linda makes the buzz phrase, “Having it all,” seem achievable.
Speaking of mentorship, having positive role models and representation are important. Bari Bookout, Susan Coffey, and Tong Zhu have been amazing examples of qualified, hardworking, and driven women in leadership during my time with The Northwest Seaport Alliance.
Education and sharing knowledge and wisdom are important, so I would like to acknowledge Christine Wolf, Clara Burnett, and Anh Huynh who spoke into my young life about the importance of saving and investing. Yes, I was paying attention to what you ladies told me!
We spend 40+ hours at work each week, and coworkers become friends who become family. I would like to acknowledge Desiree Prewitt as an example of the importance of building sisterhood with women you can trust, lean on, and depend on. Des and I started our careers around the same time, and it has been an honor to navigate life with her.
Last, but not least, I would also like to thank Cathy Swift for opening this amazing door for me to write for the Port of Seattle’s blog. It is both an honor and privilege I enjoy immensely.
I applaud the Port of Seattle for not just talking about equity, diversity, and inclusion — as a box to check — but also backing a stated value with action.
To all the women in maritime — past, present, and future — I salute you. I am because you are.
Learn about the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Top photo credit: "Quote of the day. 'We rise by lifting others' #linkedin #notes" by koka_sexton is marked with CC BY 2.0.
