LIAT appoints Guyanese as first female engineer

A  Guyanese woman is the first female engineer to be appointed by regional airline LIAT in its 53-year history, the carrier said  in a news release yesterday.

Guyanese Tesia Alexander, 28, has been employed with LIAT for the past two years, having joined the company in 2007 as a licensed mechanic.

“We are particularly pleased to welcome Ms Alexander to our engineering staff,” Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Brian Challenger is quoted as saying in the release from St. John’s, Antigua.

“LIAT’s Engineering Department has a proud history of achievements and this record can only be enhanced with the addition of our first female engineer,” Challenger added. LIAT also has at least one more young female engineer in training and the carrier said it can expect to see an increasing number of female professionals as part of its engineering team.

According to the acting CEO, “this can only auger well for the future of the company and underlines LIAT’s role in building human resource capabilities in the Eastern Caribbean”.

Also congratulating  Alexander on her achievement is LIAT’s Director of Engineering Alan Alexander who said she has demonstrated the qualities the company strives for in the aircraft maintenance field – honesty, integrity and diligence.

“She continues to deliver good quality and professional work, constantly striving to deliver safe and comfortable aircraft to our customers,” Alexander said.

Meanwhile, Alexander is encouraging other females who are contemplating a career in engineering not to be afraid to step up to the challenge. “I would encourage them to join the engineering field as it has been a very rewarding and satisfying experience for me,” Alexander said.

“In my opinion the glass ceiling was broken way back in 1963 when the first woman went into space, so now it is just a matter of women dreaming dreams and realizing them,” the Guyanese aircraft engineer said.

She noted that while working in a male dominated environment can be quite challenging at times, for the most part it has been quite exciting and dynamic.