The secret to workplace success? Having fun and a strong team to back you, says Engineering alumna and former NV Energy executive Carolyn Barbash.
Barbash was the keynote speaker at the Evening with Industry event Feb. 27 at the Joe Crowley Student Union. Organized by the student chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the banquet brought together industry and students for networking and celebration. Barbash addressed a crowd of about 300, including representatives from 30 companies and organizations.
“I owe a lot to this University,” she said. “It’s been my ticket to a wonderful life.”
Barbash earned both a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and a Master of Business Administration at the University of Nevada, Reno. After a 34-year career in the energy industry, she retired in January from NV Energy, where she was vice president of transmission development and policy. Most recently, she worked on the $2.5 billion Greenlink Nevada project, a renewable energy and electrical infrastructure initiative.
“Every job I had, I worked hard and had fun,” she said.
She also took new opportunities, even if it meant leaving her “comfort zone.” She focused on the job at hand, rather than plotting her next career move. Eventually, she found herself in management roles.
“When you get into leadership,” she said, “pay more attention to managing your employees than reporting up to your boss. Your own team is what is going to make you successful. And you get the joy of seeing them advance. A true leader is marked by how successful their employees become.”
Breaking barriers, building bridges
Developing professional and personal networks is a SWE core value, and networking also was the goal of the Evening with Industry event.
“This is an opportunity for you to shine,” Haley Marquez, SWE student chapter vice president, said in her address to the group. “Tonight’s your opportunity, and I want you to seize it.”
Chapter President Marlen Badillo Delgado referenced the event theme, ‘breaking barriers, building bridges,’ in her address to the crowd.
“It’s sometimes difficult to move forward alone,” she said. “We build bridges to reach our goals. The bridges you make today will translate to opportunities in the future.”
The SWE chapter also recognized Engineering Associate Dean Indira Chatterjee for serving as its faculty advisor for the past 35 years. Also at the event, the SWE Sierra Nevada Section presented the $2,000 Wendy Alderman Memorial Scholarship to Vanessa Kalentis, an electrical engineering student.
