Vanessa Polanco
Vanessa Polanco is an operations supervisor in airline catering, currently working with gategourmet in Queens, New York, where she ensures strict compliance, accuracy, and readiness before every flight departs. Her role requires oversight across multiple regulatory bodies, including the FDA, OSHA, PSA, and aviation authorities, with a strong focus on critical “housekeeping items” such as tongs, mittens, and other essential onboard supplies that determine whether a flight is cleared for departure. Known for her meticulous approach, she performs double and triple checks on all flights to prevent errors that cannot be corrected once a plane is in the air.
With a background spanning IT, operations, and logistics, Vanessa brings a diverse skill set to her leadership in the aviation catering industry. She began her career in technology before transitioning into operations at Amazon, where she built a foundation in process improvement and systems thinking. Over the past several years, she has worked her way through increasingly complex operational roles, ultimately finding her “dream job” in airline catering, where precision, safety, and teamwork are essential to success.
Beyond compliance and operations, Vanessa is also passionate about efficiency and innovation in the workplace. She applies her analytical and creative skills to building advanced, user-friendly Excel systems that streamline processes, reduce labor inefficiencies, and improve team coordination. One of her proudest achievements was successfully leading a Delta contract launch for Donco with no delays during its first week—an outcome that exceeded expectations and demonstrated her ability to deliver under pressure in a highly regulated, fast-moving environment.
• Lean Six Sigma White Belt Certification
• Procore Certification: Procore Administrator
• Project Management General Contractor
• Procore Admin
• Project Manager: Core Tools
• Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology- B.E.
• Guttman Community College CUNY- Associate's
• ABC News studio tours for students
• Fresh Air Fund
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to strong mentorship—especially a high school art teacher who believed in me—along with persistence and the practical, hands-on operational experience I’ve gained throughout my career.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The most impactful career advice she received came from a high school art teacher who encouraged her to develop strong technology and computer skills, which helped shape her confidence in adapting to new tools and opportunities throughout her career.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Never stop, especially to all the women that are told Latina. I always say, use yourself as an advantage. And why I say that is, depending on the field, like if you're going into computers or engineering, you are 10 steps ahead of any other female that wasn't planning to come into this field. Never stop for your dreams, because dreams don't stop being fulfilled. You don't know who's in your network that can open that door for you, or that can expedite your opportunity. Building your network is so important, and maintaining your network.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The biggest challenges in my field include ensuring compliance with multiple regulatory bodies, preventing flight and service discrepancies before departure, and managing the learning curve that comes with launching new contracts. At the same time, there are strong opportunities in building and maintaining a robust professional network, which can open doors and accelerate future growth.