About the Women of the Year Awards

The Women of the Year Awards, hosted annually by Women In Technology (WIT), celebrates exceptional women across Georgia who are making a significant impact in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). Now in its 24th year, the WIT Awards honor leaders, innovators, and advocates who pave the way for future women in STEAM.

Can you share your career journey and what led you to your current role in the tech/STEAM field? 

My career journey has not been a direct path! I have a degree in Psychology and thought I was going to go into family counseling. After I graduated, I had the opportunity to go into IT consulting with Sapient, and I was hooked. While in consulting I had the opportunity to work on large technology projects solving business problems for our customers. I worked with some amazing brands and really started to focus on the Retail industry.  

Eventually I made the decision to migrate from consulting to the client side of the business and took a job with The Home Depot. While there I was able to deliver large technology projects in the ecommerce team. After a few years my role migrated from the IT team to the business team where my deep understanding of the systems really helped as we looked to advance the website capabilities. We were able to pursue opportunities using the digital platform, to drive business results.  

 After I left The Home Depot, I was given the unique opportunity to spearhead a project for Carter’s to launch the online business. I spent the first 8 years at Carter’s running the ecommerce business operations, initially as a small, incubated business within the larger organization. Over time the departments grew larger and started to integrate with the respective departments within the broader company. I am very proud to this day to say that I was a big part of bringing our great brands online to our customers!  

In 2017 I was given the opportunity to return to my roots and took a role back in IT running the Office of the CIO. Initially had the opportunity to manage the IT PMO, IT Finance and IT Strategy, which transformed over the years. Today I am Carter’’/:?s÷¿ CISO and VP of Infrastructure, Support Services and Supply Chain Systems. I have learned so much about a broad swath of IT disciplines and have been grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many great teams!  

Can you share a moment or project you are particularly proud of in your career? 

The honor of my career is when I lead the team to bring Carters.com and OshkoshBGosh.com online for our customers! It is not every day that you can bring 100+ year old brands online for the first time! We were a little start-up dream team that was completely supported by the leadership at Carter’s. The channel has gone on to be a meaningful contribution to the Carter’s portfolio of brands and channels.  

What excites you most about the future of technology/your field? 

I have learned that business units and technology go through cycles of innovation and advancement. I get very excited when a division of our company is ready for one of these advancement cycles. This is what not only allows the business to take advantage of new technology capabilities, but also gives our teams the opportunity to upskill our team members. This could be advancements like cloud computing, machine learning or AI. When you tie a technology advancement to a business purpose the outcomes usually speak for themselves.  

How do you use your position to empower or mentor other women/girls in STEAM? 

There are two organizations that I am very passionate about. The first is the WIT Single Mother’s Program. The women in the program are working to earn their certificate in Cybersecurity from Emory University. I really enjoy being able to share resources, connection and just general support for these ambitious women as they work to create better opportunities for themselves and their children.  

The second organization that I work with is FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics. Part of the FIRST Robotics is the Girls FIRST program. As part of Girls FIRST we get to talk to high school girls about what opportunities there are in STEAM, what they want to do, and share our experiences and journey. It is so important for these young women to see women that are in the STEAM field and in leadership roles.   

How do you envision the future of women in technology, and what changes would you like to see? 

I envision a day where we no longer see women, men, race, color, ethnicity, etc. I hope that female leaders in future are recognized for being great leaders, not for being a female leader. In the future, young women will not be subject to societal norms of what girls can, or should study, but will be guided by their talents, strengths and interests. Throughout my career, I have been in meetings in IT and with leadership ranks where I was the only woman in the room. While uncomfortable at times, I recognized the shift that has happened in my 20 years of experience. I look forward to the next generation of women leaders and the progression they too will see.  

What does selection as a finalist for the WIT Awards mean to you, and how do you feel this recognition can inspire others? 

Being a finalist for the WIT Awards is such an amazing honor. I am not comfortable with the attention or focus, but just since the nomination I have come to really appreciate my role in IT leadership even more. I have had several women talk to me about what it means to them to see a woman in a leadership role and the possibilities that I demonstrate for them. This has been very humbling and make me realize that continuing to work with groups like WIT’s Single Mother Program and the Girls FIRST with FIRST Robotics is so important. Demonstrating for other women that we not only have a place in the STEAM fields, but the ability to rise to lead is empowering and important.