Kenya Brady
Kenya Brady is a Supervisor of Maintenance, FAA Inspector, and Lead Painter at Collins Aerospace in the Pensacola metropolitan area, where she oversees shop floor operations and ensures all aircraft maintenance meets strict FAA and company standards. In her leadership role, she assigns daily tasks, creates and manages work orders, conducts inspections, enforces safety protocols, and verifies compliance through final sign-offs on completed aircraft components. She is also responsible for continuous improvement initiatives, quality control processes, and coordination across multiple departments to keep operations running efficiently and safely.
Her career began with a strong foundation in hands-on mechanical work, starting in automotive repair straight out of high school, where she trained as a master mechanic. She later expanded into auto body and refinishing, developing advanced painting and restoration skills before moving into boat manufacturing, working with fiberglass and gel coat materials to build and restore high-performance vessels. This diverse technical background ultimately led her into aerospace, where she found her most challenging and rewarding work yet, combining precision, problem-solving, and innovation in a highly regulated environment.
Throughout her career at Collins Aerospace, Kenya has demonstrated rapid growth and leadership in a traditionally male-dominated field, advancing into a supervisory role within just a few years. She is recognized for her commitment to continuous learning, attention to detail, and ability to lead by example while mentoring and supporting her team. Beyond her technical expertise, she is known for her passion for design, her ability to develop creative engineering solutions, and her dedication to helping others grow in their skills and confidence.
• FAA Repairman License
• ASC Certification
• FADA Certification
• Platinum Certification in Auto Body
• Paint and Refinish Technology
• Certified Technician
• George Stone Technical College
• Locklin Technical College- A.S.E.
• FAA
• NC3
What do you attribute your success to?
Two things, definitely. One is self-motivation. Self-motivation is a big one for me. Getting fulfillment out of my job and what I do, being proud of what I do, that's what really motivates me. Having my parents be proud of me is also huge, of course. I'm the oldest of 4 kids, so I try to lead by example for them. It all just goes into self-motivation. That's a big one. The second one would definitely be my mentors, because it would be a lot harder if I didn't have their support, and if they weren't so great at training me, giving me advice, and helping me along the way. The kind of mentors you have around you are definitely important.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say that the sky is not the limit. Whatever you set your mind to, you can and will get there. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. Don't let anybody intimidate you or drag you down. You know, it's your life, your career path. Only you can make it happen. It's your life, you're the only one that's gonna live it, so do something that's fulfilling, because if you're doing something that gives you fulfillment, you know, like they say, if you love your job, you never work a day in your life.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The company I work for, Collins Aerospace, or RTX, has actually been quite amazing with opportunities, and as long as you put in the legwork, you'll always get to where you want to be. I haven't really dealt with major challenges personally in my workplace. The only challenge that I really do face is just availability. If there are other roles that I want to pursue or other things I want to get into, it just depends on what is available, because if the position's already filled or if they aren't hiring for those kinds of things, that would definitely be a challenge. But besides that, nothing super major, at least at my facility.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Definitely trust and mutual respect. 100%. You can't get very far without either of those things.