Biggest Challenges For A Chief Of Strategic Communications At California High-Speed Rail
Melissa's biggest challenge as Chief of Strategic Communications is being a woman in a male-dominated transportation industry, where female representation can be as low as "one to 4%," making it difficult to ensure that her voice is heard; this motivates her to advocate for increased female representation and create a more inclusive environment for future generations.
Overcoming Challenges, Workplace Challenges, Leadership, Communication, Gender Inequality
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Melissa Figueroa
Chief of Strategic Communications
California High-Speed Rail Authority
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
none
Creative Writing, Journalism
Government & Public Sector
Communication and Marketing
Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. The underrepresentation of women in the transportation industry, with statistics as low as 1-4% in some areas.
2. The challenge of having her voice and opinion heard as a woman in male-dominated meetings and presentations.
3. The importance of advocating for future generations of women in the industry to avoid facing similar challenges.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
My biggest challenge in my current role is being a woman in this industry. I'm in the minority.
Studies show that the female workforce in transportation is about 15%. Depending on the specific area, it can be as low as 1% to 4%. We recently had a presentation for an outreach event on women in construction, which includes trades like carpentry and ironwork. This sector within transportation is only 1% to 4% female, which are terrible statistics, but our organization is working to change that.
I feel fortunate that our department is about 50% female, which is atypical nationally. We're making news for this because we're trying to push the envelope. Still, it's not uncommon for me to walk into a meeting or a presentation and be the only woman.
Amongst intelligent engineers and planners, it can sometimes be difficult to have your voice and opinion heard. Finding ways to do that professionally and be respected is always a challenge. This shows why it's important work because we don't want those coming up behind us in this industry to face the same challenges. It's a fight worth having.