It may not be a surprise that someone who graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point can speak different languages. For Williams employee Jamie Conrad, those are computer software languages.

Jamie is currently a supervisor of operations in Ft. Beeler, located in Cameron, West Virginia, with a degree in information systems engineering – as she calls it, a blend between computer coding, systems engineering and psychology.

Her career path has been unique. After West Point, she served on U.S. Army active duty for six and a half years in places like Iraq, Germany, Jordan, Texas and more. She worked as a project manager for an upstream oil and gas company, even six years as a stay-at-home mom.

All of this experience has added value to her roles at Williams.

“My education and experiences often give me the role of interpreter,” said Jamie. “Not only are our computer languages and software inherently different, but our employees are as well.”

Jamie said she strives to encourage her team to always consider how they fit into the big picture, how they are each part of the big system and how their viewpoint is critical. Much like how she sees the importance of women in engineering roles.

“We think differently. We communicate and process things differently,” said Jamie. “Seeing another point-of-view can often be an eye-opening experience for people who have been doing the work the same way for a long time.”

Jamie encourages others to not be afraid of coming into these roles.

“Seize any opportunity to be a leader whether in your business or personal life,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes or get your boots muddy, either. You can really learn a lot about yourself in the process.”