2009 Women of Color Special Recognition Honorees
Lily O’Byrne
Some of O’Byrne accomplishments include establishing busi-
Vice President, Program Assist
ness rhythms with corporate entities and with each product
Information Systems and Global Services
line to foster stronger relationships and ensure seamless inte-
Lockheed Martin
grations. She has also had an excellent track record in previous
BA – English, Soochow University
assignments, including leadership of more than 1,600 profes-
MA – linguistics, University of Illinois,
Urbana Champaign
sionals responsible for implementing business technology
systems used throughout Lockheed Martin.
O’Byrne’s outreach initiatives and volunteer efforts are making
Lily O’Byrne has more than 29 years
a difference as well. She serves as executive sponsor for Lock-
of managerial experience. Current-
heed Martin’s Council for Asian American leaders and for the
ly, she is responsible for ensuring
IS&GS Asian-American affi nity group. In addition, she men-
program management excellence
tors 12 early-career professionals on a monthly basis through
within information systems and
roundtable sessions.
global services. IS&GS has 4,000 programs, and O’Byrne’s
role as vice president of Program Assist is to help drive large
Besides her corporate duties, O’Byrne acts as a mentor to the
priority programs to help the IS&GS business sector meet
Overseas Chinese Women’s Society and supports its mission to
its goal of bringing together Lockheed’s IT competencies to
build schools in China. She also helped with raising funds so
deliver products and services in diverse global markets.
that local Rotary Clubs can provide computers in classrooms in
more than 200 schools.
Wilhemina J. Pierce, PE Sheila Prather
Resident Engineer, Special Ops Resident Office, Manager, Systems Reliability
Savannah District Northrop Grumman
US Army Corps of Engineers
BSc – mathematics and physics, Clark
BSc – mechanical engineering, North Carolina College, Atlanta, GA
State University MSc – information systems, George
Washington University
Wilhelmina Pierce is one of the Corps
outstanding construction profes-
Reliability is a critical discipline
sionals. She works on projects close
within Northrop Grumman
to what offi cers call the “sharp end” of the
engineering. As a senior technical
warfi ghter’s spear. Pierce, a certifi ed professional engineer,
leader focused on complex sensor
manages projects with high-security features for Special
systems, Sheila Prather has contrib-
Operations Forces such as the troops engaged in combat in
uted to the contract wins and successful implementation of
Afghanistan.
many programs. Her expertise has been recognized through-
out the organization and she was named a Fellow Engineer, a
Over her 22-year career, Pierce has set high standards for oth-
rank requiring approval by Northrop Grumman’s Professional
ers to follow. She was Savannah District’s fi rst African American
Qualifi cations Board.
female to become resident engineer, and she’s poised to blaze
new trails in an area where women make up only 12.5 percent
Since joining Westinghouse Corporation in 1984, which sub-
of the second-largest engineering discipline, and even fewer
sequently was merged into Northrop Grumman, Prather has
still are recognized as professional engineers.
achieved positions of increasing responsibility.
She began her career as a building systems engineer with the
Currently, she manages a group of reliability engineers and
North Carolina Offi ce of State Engineering in 1987. In addition
she has been instrumental in growing and expanding the
to her engineering responsibilities, Pierce was an advocate for
organization to support the postal-automation business area.
diversity in contracting. From 1990–1992, she traveled across
The fl at sorting system (FSS) program involves an $880-mil-
North Carolina raising awareness of strategies for inclusion in
lion contract for the development and limited production of
government contracting and new opportunities for small and
“building-size” sorting machines capable of 1 million pieces
minority business owners.
of mail a day—sorting and packaging such that every letter
carrier in a large post offi ce will receive a package of mail to
Pierce joined the Corps in 1992 and she has been employed
distribute in the order of his or her individual route.
in four different districts over a 17-year period. Based on her
record of achievements, she was selected for an international
As a member of the African American Task Group, Prather
assignment as offi ce engineer for the Corps’ Far East district in
participates in recruitment efforts at Alabama A&M Univer-
South Korea from 1997-2000. She went on to oversee projects
sity. She also serves in company, professional and community
at the Yokota Air Force base in Japan from 2000–2002. After
activities, such as SWE conferences, the BEYA Nomination
returning to the states for a position at Fort Bragg, NC, Pierce
Committee, and the African American Leadership Institute.
provided oversight and monitored testing for award-winning
She has served as a school volunteer in the Baltimore area over
projects in military facilities.
the last 20 years.
www.womenofcolor.net WOMENOFCOLOR | FALL 2009 51
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76