An International Women’s Day Tribute
Mary Ahern Snyder ??03.08.23
An International Women’s Day Tribute
Today marks International Women’s Day!! I am so proud to be a woman in 2023 who has started her own business and works side by side with more than 50 incredible women.?When I started Significance, the name meant so much to me, especially four of the letters in the middle of our name: I CAN!?I wanted to send a message, to prove to myself to others, including my daughter, Holly, that with tenacity, hard work, and integrity, women can do anything.??
I do not need to look far to appreciate the power of women. There are so many women in Significance that have contributed to our success. Many of them have also overcome personal and professional obstacles, and I applaud their resilience. The Significance women have a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities, interests, and experiences, but every single one is impressive, credentialed, and successful in their own right. Ultimately, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and collectively the impact we have on our company culture, clients, teaming partners, and colleagues is substantial.?
I wish I could write about each one of the amazing women in this company because they all deserve accolades.?I am going to highlight some of our leaders that have both witnessed and faced struggles of women. It is so admirable to see women who have achieved so much even when faced with substantial obstacles.
First, there is Adriana “Obi” Obogeanu who was born and raised in Romania and courageously moved to the United States at 19 years old to pursue opportunities she knew could be available to her in the United States if she worked hard . She was led down an unexpected path into serving for her new country as a US Marine where she excelled, also became a working mom, as she enjoyed a successful military career. She retired from the military last year, and joined Significance as our Director of Financial Systems Integration, but she is not done yet!! Her thirst for knowledge and desire to continue to grow is the motivation behind her pursuit of a Doctorate in Public Policy, Foreign Affairs. As she says in Romanian, to all the women– “La Multi Ani”!
Then there is Kate Yuan, our very own Chief People and Culture Officer, who has an entirely different background. She grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee and pursued her career to save the world, so she studied Social Work.?She received both a Bachelor and Master’s degree.?Kate’s social work led her to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault by running a safe house and 24-hour hotline.?After spending years witnessing women on the worst day of their lives, she saw how women could be stronger and more resilient than they ever thought.?She worked with many women that were in the middle of experiencing extreme trauma. Kate’s empathy and compassion have enabled her to transition into her role at Significance where she oversees company culture, communication, our company’s community impact efforts, and much more.?????
Next up is Andrea Fisher, who is originally from Bolivia and moved to the US when she was 3 with her brother and parents. Growing up, Andrea had very strict parents who were invested in Andrea’s success and had little tolerance for overly indulgent Americans. They were insistent that she focus on her studies she had no choice but to become an over-achiever. Andrea interned with Deloitte during college and got a full time offer upon graduation. Andrea has been in Information Technology consulting ever since. She was usually one of the only women on a project. She knew early on if she wanted a seat on a project as the woman, she would have work twice as hard. Andrea knew the deal and did the work.?Andrea is currently running Significance’s IT work streams and continues to expand Significance’s footprint in the male-dominated IT space.?
Finally, another woman that I want to mention is Kelly Willis. At age of 27 working in the Casino business in Mississippi, Kelly found herself to be a single mom. Despite having the odds against her, Kelly worked, cared for her daughter, and pursued the completion of her college degree in accounting. Seven years later Kelly finished her degree. Then Kelly took a huge step and moved with her daughter to the DC area to start a whole new career in federal government consulting. Kelly sacrificed and had to live with extended family for years with her daughter until she could live on her own. Kelly continued to exemplify resilience as a woman when she then survived breast cancer and endured other tragic family events. She sets an example to her daughter and the rest of women that women are strong.?Kelly now manages Significance’s NAVY ERP work and her daughter that turns 30 in May can feel proud that her mom is a winner.?
The caliber of the women at Significance and their strength is undeniable. I am honored to work beside them. They are not only incredible at their jobs within the company, thriving professionally while they juggle their other roles as mentors, coaches, students, mothers, daughters, friends, adventurers, veterans, and wives (the list goes on).?They managed to build great careers while also raising families, traveling, nurturing relationships, and caring for aging parents.?I’m proud to have assembled this great group more than 50 women who are such vital members of the Significance team.?I am so appreciative of all their efforts to make our company and culture what it is today.??
The women of Significance on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2023:
Julie Botero
Sarah Chaplin
Rachel Doss
Casey Gosein
Rebecca Harris
Elizabeth Lanham
领英推荐
Kimberly Loprete
Christina Martinez
Brittany McMillon
Robin Moyer
Jo Ann Navarro
Patricia Schools
Meeriam Seboka
Holly Weaver
Tracey Weeks
Kelly Willis
Financial Analyst at US Navy
2 年Congratulations
Managing Partner. Summit Talent Group is a female owned, led, and staffed executive search firm. Our reputation and success is predicated on our unwavering commitment to serving our clients.
2 年A great group of women!!!