How STEM motivated Heather Robinett to enter politics
By MeiMei Fox for Forbes
After witnessing the protests, rioting and unrest that took place in 2014 in her town of Ferguson, Missouri following Michael Brown’s death, Heather Robinett was inspired to get involved in local politics. “I wanted to step up and serve my community where I thought I could make a difference,” she says. She credits her 2016 win and resulting tenure on the city council with STEM reskilling training she received on the job at AT&T. She feels those programs gave her the confidence to get involved in a new area, as well the leadership skills needed to succeed in the political realm.
Robinett has encountered challenges in politics, but she has persevered with the goal of bringing a new perspective to city leadership. With over 500 volunteer hours per year, she has started a tech board for the city of Ferguson, mentors students in STEM at Washington University, and has brought Ferguson High School girls to AT&T to get them excited about careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). She serves as mayor pro tempore for the city, as well. Her current term expires in 2019, and she will run for office again this year. All this in addition to being a mother of five and continuing in her high-tech job in software-defined networking (SDN).
A lover of math from a young age, Robinett received a BS in electrical engineering from Washington University in 1995, and later went on to earn an MS in information systems. She began working for AT&T in 2001, and in the 18 years since has learned many new STEM skills. “I always continue to reskill - taking AT&T training courses to branch out and learn about new technologies,” she says. “I received an internal training badge for software-defined networks that, along with the leadership training AT&T provides, got me to where I am today: the director of a software architecture team.”
To learn more, read "How Reskilling in STEM Propelled This Woman Into Politics" from Forbes.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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