Nicole Nelson-Jean, EM Associate Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Field Operations, participated in the Women of Waste Management program at the Waste Management Symposia 2021.

Panelists talked about their careers and offered guidance to students and early-career professionals in the program sponsored by the Fluor Corporation.

Nelson-Jean’s advice: “You can go as far as you want to go, and do any job or any particular thing that you would like to do in your career. I would not want anyone to set their limitations to someone else’s standards. I never set limitations on myself. I would say, talk to as many people as you can about their own journeys. I was always open to possibilities in my career and did not pigeonhole myself to any particular job. I would tell anyone to always be open because people always want to work with people who are willing to say yes, willing to do something new, to get a little bit uncomfortable. Sometimes to be able to move to the next step you have to get a little bit uncomfortable.”

Other featured panelists were Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, former Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security and Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration; and Cheryl Cabbil, Amentum senior vice president, operations. Jan Preston, Fluor Corporation senior director, operations, served as moderator.