In this episode of Ordinarily Extraordinary – Conversations with Women in STEM, Kathy and Linda sit down with Lawanda Parnell, a retired technology and utility leader whose career began at IBM in the early 1980s and spanned decades of innovation and leadership.
Lawanda shares her journey from studying business administration with a strong math and computer science foundation at the University of Florida, to becoming one of the few Black women in tech during her era, to leading large-scale projects in the utility industry.
She reflects on:
Transitioning from IBM into the utility sector and the challenges of large-scale software implementations.
How her love of math, particularly calculus, shaped her career path.
The importance of mentors and sponsors, including those who encouraged her to pursue a master’s degree.
Building strong, diverse teams and the value of hiring people smarter than yourself.
Overcoming the fear of public speaking as an introverted techie.
Her perspective on management versus technical career paths and advice for navigating that choice.
Why utilities need to do a better job of marketing themselves to the next generation of STEM professionals.
The conversation also dives into listener advice questions, covering:
Should you move into management if you love technical work?
What to do if your company offers to pay for grad school in a field you don’t love.
Lawanda’s story is one of resilience, lifelong learning, and the joy of finding passion in work while paving the way for future generations.
About Lawanda:
Lawanda Parnell is a retired technology and utility leader whose career began at IBM and later spanned leadership roles in the energy sector, including CPS Energy and Pedernales Electric Cooperative. With a background in business and computer science, she combined her love of math and technology with strong project management skills to lead large-scale IT transformations and mentor future STEM professionals.
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Music by Kay Paulus
Follow Kay on Instagram @kaypaulus8
