Company Description: Nextel Communications, Inc. is the nation’s leading provider to business of fully integrated, all-digital wireless service.
Education: B.A., Cornell University
J.D., Cornell Law School
Department Size: 23
Immediate Prior Position: Partner, Dow, Lohnes & Albertson, P.L.L.C
1. Do special opportunities or challenges exist for minorities in your industry?
Opportunities are excellent today. In the telecommunications industry, the historic challenge for minority participation was that it was a large, established, and stable industry without rapid growth. Twenty years ago, there was just one main game in town. There was neither a wireless industry nor small companies struggling to compete. The old boy network persisted, and there was no easy way to get into the industry.
There has been a sea change, and we have a new environment. It doesn’t matter where you were 20 years ago. Now things are more competitive, with new players and new opportunities to get into the industry since the break-up of the Bell System. Minorities gained experience and new skill sets in the Federal Communications Commission as well as state and regulatory bodies. So they were able to move from regulatory to in-house positions at telecommunications companies. They brought insights and knowledge that were very valuable for the new entrants.
2. Please describe an attitude change that was pivotal to your career.
In the fourth year of my career at the Federal Communications Commission, I encountered difficulty advancing. I had developed good skills, but I wanted greater responsibility. I didn’t see many opportunities at the FCC.
I was close to leaving the FCC, but didn’t get the position I sought. So I stayed at the FCC and learned more. I rose through the hierarchy, pressing on. In other words, I didn’t give in to impediments and barriers. Often a challenge is an opportunity to learn about yourself and to do well, even when you are unhappy with a situation.
In difficult circumstances, you must continue to put your best foot forward. People will think about you in positive ways. You should not be depressed or display other negative attitudes. Instead, you present an enthusiastic face to the world, and you remember that each encounter or meeting is tantamount to a job interview. Showing up and knowing what to do when you get there are the keys to success. A person will think that when he or she gets into a difficult situation, he or she will want your advice.
3. What is the best career advice that you have ever received?
A colleague told me to feather your own nest. Follow your bliss; focus on things that are meaningful and true to you, and throw yourself into it. Use your commitment and enthusiasm as a guide to finding the things that are right for you to do. Finding what is right for you should be part of your overall mission.
Also, you must recognize that your commitment is greater than eight hours daily. We forget sometimes that the law is a learned profession, and that means it’s more than billable hours or a fixed work day. So your role is important; you are expected to walk that extra mile so that benefits result for you, your client, and society.
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From the December 2001 issue of Diversity & The Bar®