LRIW panelists discuss ways to get ahead in the industry

At the League of Railway Industry Women (LRIW) “Women in Rail” panel discussion, which took place at Railway Interchange 2015 on Oct. 5, 2015 and was sponsored by Amsted Rail, the message was all about seizing opportunity.

Panelists included Roquita Coleman Williams, Supply Chain Manager, CN Railroad; Tracy DeLeon, President , International Decal Management Corp.; Kaleigh Reyes, Vice President, League of Railway Industry Women; and Mary Proc, who was just named the LRIW Outstanding Woman of the Year. Wendy Lindskoog, Vice President of Business Management and Corporate Affairs at Alaska Railroad Corp., who was the 2014 LRIW Outstanding Woman of the Year, hosted the panel.

Topics included road blocks/barriers faced within your career, how to accelerate your career, and what role gender had played in the advancement of your career.

“Don’t forget that you also need to be on someone’s team; it’s not just about building your team,” Williams said. Proc followed that up with, “Be the change you want to see; find people to help.”

When it comes to road blocks or barriers in your career, all four women agreed that as females, “we tend to hold ourselves back” and that it’s important to show your boss that it’s not a competition, it’s a team effort,” DeLeon added. At the same time, the women shared how gender had also played a role in advancing their careers, including how sometimes being the only woman in the room “provides a visibility that you don’t have to think about,” Kaleigh said.

“It’s been much more of an advantage than a disadvantage,” Williams said. One disadvantage, Williams added, has been the struggle to maintain professional distance, explaining how she is not as “prone to go out and have that late night beer” as her male counterparts.

Tips on how to accelerate your career in the railroad industry as a female included being an active learner and building relationships, as well as establishing targets for the company and showing signs that you are ready to advance. Other advice included offering help and expressing interest in what others do, as well as keeping up with the changes in technology.

“Opportunities will present themselves, that’s for sure,” Proc said. “Just take them.”