Her Story
About Bridget
Bridget Jones is an experienced engineering and community relations professional with 14 years at ABB in the NEMA Motor Division. She currently serves as Community Relations and Workforce Development Manager, where she develops community engagement strategies, manages stakeholder relationships with schools and universities, organizes events, oversees internship and apprenticeship programs, and creates employee engagement activities including volunteering and United Way campaigns for the Fort Smith region. Before transitioning into community relations three years ago, she spent 10 and a half years as a Mechanical Engineer in ABB's research and development teams, advancing from associate engineer to senior level engineer. She began her career with an engineering internship at ABB. She holds a Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering from U of A Fayetteville and an MBA with an emphasis in leadership from John Brown, combining a strong technical engineering background with leadership and community engagement expertise.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Bridget
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having a phenomenal leader and people at ABB who have poured into me throughout my career. Having those people that will invest in you has allowed me to see more success, and now I love to give back and pour into younger ones.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
It's okay to fail and try new things. Be okay with change because things will change and get hard. Make tough decisions or lateral moves rather than always going upwards, as a lateral move might get you further up the ladder quicker.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Getting more girls into STEM education and working on skilled trades. Society has pushed college too much, but college isn't for everybody. We need to offer jobs with tuition reimbursement to upskill employees without incurring debt.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Always doing the right thing and following my moral compass, even when it's the hard thing. Treating others how you want to be treated, the golden rule, is incredibly important. I tell my kids to be nice and respectful young people.
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