Leaders shine at luncheon

In keeping with this year’s theme, ““Nevertheless She Persisted: Women Who Fight All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,” four community leaders told stories of perseverance because of, and in spite of, life experiences.

The first speaker was Dr. Yvette Weber, Armament Directorate.  Weber offered insight into her career path.

During a high school career day, she was shown a model of an X-29 aircraft.  It was equipped with forward swept wings, for increased maneuverability, and other advanced experimental features.  It got her excited. 

“I thought, ‘give me some of that.  I want to be a part of that’,” Weber recalled.

That experience led her to an engineering degree and civil service in 1992.  She credits her success, in part, to hard work in preparation for advancement opportunities that came her way. 

Weber gave the attendees two pieces of advice.

“Find your purpose and be excellent,” she said.  “When you do those things, you can succeed.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman, the color of your skin or your sexual preference.  Excellence always rises to the top.”

She ended with a call to action.

“We need to invest our time in women,” said the mother of two daughters.  “We contribute to the workforce, we are nurturing and we are caregivers.  We need to keep talking and listening to each other, while we keep reaching for success.”

LaTanya Bryant, 96th Test Wing finance chief, said she owes her success to the persistence of her mother, whose childhood was marred by abuse.

“All she ever wanted to be was a good Christian, a good wife and a good mother,” Bryant said.  “My Mom said somehow her mind was protected, so she could raise children who could make a difference in the world.  She persisted so that I, and my sisters, could persist and contribute to other people in some kind of way.”

Bryant, a mother of three, encouraged the audience to persist through their own challenges, and reach back to help people who count on them for guidance.

For Lt. Col. Jill Evenski, Armament Directorate, it was the first time as guest speaker at a Women’s History Month luncheon.

She joined the military after deciding to become an astronaut while in high school.

“I did some research and discovered I had to be an engineer,” said Evenski.  “Most of them were either in the Navy or the Air Force.”

Evenski said her engineering graduating class was about 10 percent female.  She was one of 20 females in her ROTC class. 

She cited two instances in her Air Force career where she was treated different from a male.

“As a new lieutenant, my first boss would hit me in the behind with a rolled-up piece of paper,” she recalled.   “That happened three times before I had the courage to approach him.

Years later, during a job interview, she was asked if she intended to have children.

“I replied ‘I don’t think you can ask me that question,’” she said.  “I ended up getting that job.”      

Evenski said she isn’t sad about those experiences.

“They helped me become a better me,” she said.

Retired Chief Master Sgt. Debra Kosche said she didn’t recall personally fighting against female discrimination, but she knew it was there.

Kosche said though the pay was equal to men back then, women in specialized career fields received less pay, less job and promotion opportunities and less respect.  Many jobs were closed to women.

The retired chief joined the Air Force in the 1970s, at a time when significant changes were implemented, to eliminate discrimination.

Among them, the Women’s Air Corps ended in 1976.  Women were admitted into the service academies.  The policy permitting women to separate from the Air Force when they got married ended.

Also, the pregnancy separation policy was amended, to give women the choice to either remain on active duty or separate, according to Kosche.

Some women’s motives for joining the military were questioned and at times they were told they only earned something because they were women, Kosche said. 

“And yet, we persisted,” she said the mother of two.  “We showed our male counterparts we could do the job, accomplish the mission and contribute to the security of our country.”