Sierra McCray
Operations Management for Chelten House
Sierra works in Operations Management for Chelten House, a manufacturer of premium organic and all natural food products. Prior to Chelten House, Sierra worked for TH Foods, Inc. and Cargill, two other industry leaders in food manufacturing. Sierra earned her Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering specializing in Food and Bioprocess Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She is also a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, committed to continuous improvement both in and outside of work.
In her spare time, Sierra enjoys traveling, tech, cooking, DIY home improvement projects, and aerial aerobics. Connect with Sierra on Instagram and Twitter.
- What’s a challenge you’ve faced, and how did you get through it?
Maintaining a balance between authenticity and acceptance is a continuous challenge in my line of work. From studying engineering in college to leading operations teams in high speed manufacturing environments, I am often the only woman or person of color in a room. At times I found it difficult to “fit in” with the rest of the team because of my conflicting viewpoints. However, I was able to lean on a network of friends, other women of color, and a mentor to talk to about their experiences, and it helped me realize I add value by not fitting in.
If every team member had the exact same thought on every topic, very little innovation would take place. I have become very comfortable contributing my unique perspective regardless of if I am the only woman or person of color in the room. As a result, I am able to share ideas and receive feedback from team members while being my authentic self.
2. What’s something you’ve done that you’re really proud of?
I am proud to be the first woman in my family to pursue a career in engineering and study abroad in Hong Kong. I am even prouder to have set a new standard rather than being an exception by influencing the younger women in my family to explore STEM careers and the world. One of my sisters works in web design and studied in London, the other is a chemical engineer who studied in Tanzania. My niece will start college next year and wants to become a biochemical engineer. Currently, I support STEM education for women and African Americans through my involvement in the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) local Las Vegas chapters.
3. What’s something that’s been on your mind this Black History Month?
The importance of positive representation of African Americans in the media has been on my mind. Too often than not, the accomplishments and lasting impact achieved by African Americans go unrecognized. I would love to see more success stories in 2018. I challenge every African American to continue taking action to reach your goals, support success of others, and remember you possess infinite capabilities. One of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. is: “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving.” It echoes my desire to continuously improve and adapt to reach my goals.
I believe embracing diversity and empowering those around you to strive to become the best version of themselves is essential to personal and professional growth. I encourage everyone else to participate in an exercise to open your mind to something unfamiliar to you. During Black History Month, find a common interest between you and a person of a background different than your own. Repeat this exercise again the following month and again each month after that, until getting to know someone and understanding differences becomes a habit.
