Jacqueline Levy Johnson, MSIE PMP CSPO

I attribute my success to three main things that work together like a tripod. First, I've stayed true to who I am as a woman and embraced my God-given talents and natural abilities. I don't try to be someone I'm not, but I'm always looking to learn and improve and become better. Second, I stay at the forefront of my industry by staying abreast of the latest in engineering, technology, and sciences, and I keep that inquisitiveness and curiosity alive. I never stop learning. Third, and this is so important, whatever success I've had has always been through collaboration and working well with other people, whether those were people who reported to me, people I reported to, or my peers. I've always felt like I could go much further being a team versus being a solo player. I think it's very important to really learn how to collaborate, give credit to others, and do it as a team. I don't think success was ever intended to be a solo journey. Even in this world of AI and remote work, I value my hybrid schedule because I still get face-to-face interaction, those water cooler talks, or as I tell my 29-year-old daughter, the Keurig conversations when you make your coffee in the morning. That's where you get to know people, understand their strengths, and figure out where they may need your help.

The best career advice I've received has come from the examples set by the people who have inspired me most. My mother, who wasn't college educated, showed me through her actions what it means to serve others. She would secretly send me into the electricity company to pay part of someone's electricity bill for neighbors, widows, or people with multiple children who didn't have a husband. She would pick up people to take them to church, to meetings, or to voting forums. We didn't talk a lot about it, but her actions spoke very loudly and showed me the impact of doing so much with so little. My grandfather, Levi Pearson, was a sharecropper who didn't have much but did a lot with what he had. He risked his life and livelihood to purchase a bus so all kids could ride to school instead of walking. His case was the very first of the five cases that make up Brown versus Board of Education. His legacy taught me not to take things for granted and that it's not just about yourself and your table, but about helping others. That's where my love for mentoring and coaching comes from. Dr. Sherry Ford, who I worked for as a consultant, gave me so much confidence. In her eyes and to anybody who would listen, Sherry always made me think I could do anything I wanted to do. She was always very encouraging and complimentary, but also provided real guiding hands. And finally, my children inspire me. It's a real point of honor for me to see the things they're doing, how they're having their own achievements while giving credit to those who have helped them, and how they're reaching back to help others. They give me continued hope and inspiration.

I would give young women three pieces of advice that work together like a tripod. First, continue to be true to who you are as a female and embrace the things that make you unique. Stay true to your God-given talents and natural talents that you already have. That's not to say you're not great as you are today, but always look to learn and improve and become better. Start with embracing your talents and your foundation of who you already are, but always look to improve to get better. Second, stay at the forefront of what your industry and your particular trade is. For me, that's engineering, technology, and the sciences, so I stay abreast of what is the latest and always keep that inquisitiveness and curiosity in place. Third, I've found that whatever success I've had, it has always been through collaboration and working well with other people, whether those were the people that reported to me, people I reported to, or my peers. I've always felt like I could go much further being a team versus being a solo player. It's very important to really learn how to collaborate, give credit to others, and do it as a team. I don't think it was ever intended to be a solo journey.

I think the biggest challenge and opportunity in my field right now is finding the right balance between technology and the human element. There are so many positive aspects of where we are with AI and all the technology that's available, solving medical problems, making you feel more secure and safe at your home, cars being able to drive on their own, watches being able to detect if your blood pressure's dropping. All of that is fabulous, and I appreciate all the benefits they serve. But I think sometimes from day to day, as we are managing and operating in the businesses that have a large part in developing that technology, we're not paying as much attention to the people part. I feel like we're missing that personal touch. I would like to see more personal touch being blended with the benefits of AI and all the IT and technology gains that are being made, even in how we train people to utilize those technologies. I think there's such a difference between being a manager and a leader, and I feel like we need more focus on developing true leaders who can bring together the technology with genuine human connection and face-to-face interaction, even in our hybrid and remote work environments.

The values most important to me center around service to others, continuous learning, and making a meaningful impact. I feel extremely blessed to have experienced what I have, to make the contributions I've made, and to see so much of the world and different cultures. That's why I spend my free time volunteering in the community. My two biggest areas of focus are children and youth development, and healthcare access and education. As president of the Levi Pearson Scholarship Foundation, being able to play a part in young people's dreams and their abilities to contribute in a positive way to the world is truly priceless. I also volunteer my services as a certified medical technician at conferences, serve on the nurse's staff at church, and volunteer at health fairs to take blood pressure and educate people, because I believe health is wealth and everyone deserves access to good healthcare. These values come from my mother and grandfather, who showed me through their actions that it's not just about yourself and your table, but about helping others. That's where my love for mentoring and coaching comes from. I want to do more leadership training and mentoring when it comes to managers and leaders, bringing together more training in managing and operating businesses with face-to-face and personalized guidance, combining technology with the personal touch to really create great leaders and prepare people for their futures.