Be a Technical Leader and a Parent - How Do I Make This Happen?

On January 27, SWE-ECI hosted a panel during the lunch hour at Rockwell Collins entitled “Be a Technical Leader and a Parent - How Do I Make This Happen?”  The panel members were Kim Beckman, Software Team Lead for GPS Airborne Navigation; Toshie Bader, a part-time Technical Product Manager in Navigation Products Engineering; and Linda Peyton, Senior Director of Avionics Products Engineering.  The event was well-attended by Rockwell Employees and SWE-ECI members both in person and through teleconferencing.

Kim, Toshie, and Linda answered a number of questions about balancing work and family life.  These three women all have been successful in their careers while having a family, but they took different paths to get there.  Kim has two children and has always worked full-time, but she described sometimes working from home or leaving work at a reasonable hour only to come back once the children were in bed in order to maintain balance.  Toshie has one daughter and she decided to go part-time when her daughter reached sixth grade so that she could attend important events and be at home after school.  Linda has three children, and she took a year off when her youngest was born.  Her husband then decided to quit his job so that she could return to work and take a job with a lot of traveling.  She now depends on telecommunications to keep in touch when she is on the road.  When she is not, she says having family dinners keeps her family close. 

The ladies answered many other questions ranging from how to prioritize family obligations and work commitments to organizational tips.  Having a supportive spouse and a supportive employer were both keys to success for all three women.  Overall, it was clear that there is no “right” way to be a professional and a parent, and it isn’t easy.  However, it is possible, and these women are very happy being both moms and career women.