When it comes to role models, Ingrid Colbert has a diverse list: voting rights advocates Ida B. Wells and Fannie Lou Hamer; Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski; and Michelle Obama, just to name a few. Colbert said these women have a common distinction: they were pioneering leaders who fostered progress at critical junctures in history. This Women’s History Month, she aims to do the same.
“I think that representation in federal offices is of paramount importance to bringing in the next generation of energy professionals and environmental advocates,” Colbert said. “Women in government positions need to serve as role models – that's something I’m aware of each and every day I come to work.”
As a woman of color in the workplace, Colbert knows firsthand how Black women sometimes contend with both gender-based and racially driven inequities, but she’s encouraged by overlapping progress in each area, in perception and in practice.
“Pursuing gender and racial equity aren’t always separate concepts,” Colbert said. “We can further both, by implementing laws that level the playing field, improving social perception by fighting prejudice, and promoting fair treatment for all people.”
Colbert first grew interested in government work as a college student and became a clerk typist with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) in the ’80s while enrolled in the Stay in School Program, now known as the Student Temporary Employment Program. She was ecstatic in joining the federal government and began to visualize a career in which she could be in a position of leadership.
“In 1985, my goal was to make $25,000 a year.” Colbert remarked. “That was a lot of money for a young person just starting out — things have changed quite a bit since then.”
With an eagerness to learn and move ahead, Colbert quickly assumed a full-time position with DOD upon graduating from Norfolk State University. While working for DOD, a manager witnessed Colbert’s mastery with numbers and suggested she consider career opportunities in downtown Washington, D.C. Colbert took heed of the advice, which eventually led her to the Department of Energy (DOE) as a Budget Analyst in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. She worked in both the Office of Management and Office of the Human Capital Officer as a Program Analyst before coming to the Office of Legacy Management (LM) in 2008, drawn by its mission and people.
“The first thing I learned about LM was its commitment to protect human health and the environment, and that struck a chord,” Colbert said. "I’d also met a number of LM staff during my daily commute; they were great people who spoke highly of their work.”
Colbert realized LM’s mission was aligned to her own: to uplift the people around her. She's held a variety of roles within the budgetary space but has always balanced her work with mentoring and training both interns and colleagues. She often reaches out to women, encouraging them to pursue leadership positions just as her former manager did early in her own career. This, she feels, is the best way to pay tribute to women who’ve paved the way for her.
"Reflecting on the women who’ve come before us helps us set our sights on the future,” Colbert said. “I encourage women to follow their aspirations, persevere through adversity, and believe in their talents and abilities.”
As a career employee of the Federal government for more than three decades, Colbert is a pioneer in her own right, climbing the ladder to her position as LM’S Supervisor of Financial, Audits, and Contracts Services. She credits her success to inspiration from her role models – as well as her mother, grandmother, and colleagues – who have helped to support and guide her career trajectory.
“Women’s History Month is about paying it forward,” Colbert said. “It's a special opportunity to further both gender and racial equity particularly in professional settings.”
Original source can be found here.
