Paula Ward Ep. 119 - Would you like to break the glass ceiling? Are people moving up the corporate ladder but you feel like you are stuck in place? Would you like to retire at age 36? If you did, what would you do with the rest of your life? Meet Paula Ward who shares her journey from a childhood in the segregated south, to college-marriage-family-career in the Los Angeles metro area; and a return to the Atlanta metro area and the "new south" after achieving multiple breakthrough career moves in California. How would you "get to the top?" Find out one of her secrets to break the glass ceiling. Then find out how to achieve life fulfillment without a "career."
Top Takeaways:
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- The importance of getting started with education as a working mom and looking for all available financial aid means
- The value of helping women get ahead in their education and careers through volunteer work
- Understanding why racial discontent is a result of lack of conversation
- How to advocate for equality to give women of all race's equal opportunities in education and employment
Listen in to follow her trajectory to find out what her next role was.
"It's knowing that you can do it before you start doing it." -Paula J. Ward
Best Podcast for a Black Female in Telecommunications
Paula Ward takes us through her career moves, starting with AT&T as a telephone operator and moving into managerial positions in telecommunications, all the way to becoming Telecommunications Bureau for the City of Los Angeles Department of Airports, responsible for developing, managing, and planning, telecommunications services for four airports under the department's authority.
She then went on to become Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Vice-President of Communications Group, Inc., returning to work in the private sector promoting the business development, strategic partnerships and expanded presence and commercial successes of women and minority-owned businesses at Atlanta's Hartsfield airport, long recognized as the nation's largest airport in passenger loads, followed by LAX.
Volunteer and Change Agent
She went on to become a volunteer and community change agent at California State University-Dominguez Hills, serving on the Women's Center Advisory Council; followed by a 5 year commitment as a volunteer, member, vice-chair and chair of the Commission for Sex Equity, Los Angeles Unified School District. She was actively involved in the Coalition of 100 Black Women, from the chapter level through positions at the national level and today serves on the Board of Directors and several national leadership positions.
She was on several boards including the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, the Airport Minority Advisory Committee, the Association of California School Administrators and the Community Involvement Teams and several commissions including the Fulton County Millennial Commission and the Fulton County Community Development Citizens Review Panel.
Listen in to learn how you can juggle working, school, and being a mother to reach your life and career goals. You will also learn the importance of advocating for the girl child to get equal opportunities as the boy child in school.
Key Moments:
Paula explains her experience as a child growing up in a segregated Jacksonville and her impression of people in leadership [5:31]
How volunteering to assist helped Paula move ahead in her career [9:50]
She talks about her decision to take early retirement and what she did after that [12:13]
Paula describes how she handled being a working and studying mom plus why women shouldn't stop themselves from going after available opportunities [16:44]
How Paula got involved with the Women's Centre to volunteer and help raise women [21:07]
The cultural inclusion that Paula ensured was established at the Women's Centre during her regime [22:40]
The importance of conversation in settling racial differences and creating an equal environment for women of all races [25:12]
How they ensured that gender equity was maintained during sports scholarships division in the Los Angeles school districts [27:48]
She explains how she evolved to working with women and the minorities as a woman and a member of the minority group herself [31:34]
Paula talks about her family values that have been passed through generations plus the longevity of her maternal family members [35:00]
Resources:
National Coalition of 100 Black Women
American Minority Advisory Council