International Women’s Month included a special day at LaGuardia where General Manager Lysa Scully held the 4th annual Women of Aviation Awards celebration.
The conversations and advice from the awardees centered around inclusion, recognition, pride and making a difference in the aviation field.
Said Scully at the opening, “This recognition is from all us to recognize each other for the female perspective of providing empathy, and compassion to the aviation field”.
Remarking on a special posthumously award to Sue Baer, Scully remembered her pointing out that “ Sue was the ultimate pioneer in women’s achievement. She ran the largest US aviation system and shattered by glass ceiling.” Adding advice to the women present Scully inspired by saying ,“ Be a human, be yourself, take a risk and bring others along with you.”.
Held in the iconic, art-deco Marine Air Terminal or now know as Terminal A, dozens of women gathered to show respect and support for six of the women Scully awarded and presented recognition plaques. The awards included women from Sheltair, LaGuardia Gateway Partners, American Airlines, and Port Authority.
Ninety-nine percent of the attendees at the event were women. This was in bright contrast to the lesser number of women who were represented recently at Aviation Day sponsored by IATA in Manhattan recently. Patty Clark was critical at the lack of diversity at the mostly male Aviation event sponsored by the International Association of Airlines Association. There were only two people of diversity who were speakers on the panels
she said. But she had good words as long time employee of the Port Authority. She said, “I am proud of what Port has done in terms of diversity and women.” she said referring to the many changes in inclusion over the years. As to the future of aviation, “She reminded all the women” You can make a difference”. This sentiment was echoed by Jeanne Olivier, Assistant Director of Security Operations of the Port Authority had this advice, “Don’t wait to get noticed, let people know your ambitions.”
