Sonya Cork, Vice President, Defense and National Security Sector, Verizon
Sonya Cork has almost 12 years under her belt with Verizon, leveraging three decades’ worth of public sector experience to support the missions of the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security and other national security organizations. Cork says two of her team’s main focuses are delivering secure, managed enterprise IT solutions and extending the information enterprise through mobility solutions.
Can you talk about the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career? How did you conquer that challenge?
Striking the right balance between my personal and professional life. Appreciating how the two intersect and complement each other. It is my passion to support this community: I know that a “mission accomplished” also impacts the quality of my personal life as a U.S. citizen.
What would you say to young women who are thinking about a career in technology or related fields, or just starting out in their careers? What’s the best advice you could offer for success?
Don’t be afraid to be your authentic self. Your insight, experiences and creativity are needed to enable a transformed future. Be open to new ideas and to meeting new people – build a network of relationships. Be curious!
Why is it important to you to empower women and other minorities to join more technical and technology-related fields?
I believe introducing more diversity into technology-related fields will produce better outcomes and better enabling technologies. There are multi-dimensional ways to look at and solve problems. Even though the numbers have been few, women and minorities have made significant contribution to technological advancements thru the years. Adding more to the talent pools in STEM will help to accelerate our nation’s advancements.
