West Virginia engineer selected among international group for Harvard leadership program

Jones spent two days last week on the Harvard campus as part of Women in Aviation International’s Women in Leadership: A Program for Emerging Leaders curriculum. This professional development program was designed to provide in-depth leadership training for high-performing women in the aviation and aerospace industry.

Nearly 150 applicants from across the world pursued the opportunity. Jones was the only participant from West Virginia and the only engineering consultant accepted. She joined the ranks of U.S. industry giants like Boeing, Amazon Air, and United Airlines, as well as internationally based professionals from Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom, Canada, Kenya and Nigeria.

A civil engineer by trade, Jones found a passion for aviation shortly after starting at The Thrasher Group, a West Virginia-based engineering, architecture and field services consulting firm. While she was hired into the firm’s site development team, she quickly found a niche for herself in the airport design world.

She spent several years learning the ropes of airport engineering and worked her way through the ranks. In 2022, Jones took over as head of Thrasher’s aviation market.

“This really seemed like the perfect opportunity at the perfect time,” Jones said. “Because of this program, I have a new set of skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my career — I’m eager to use them to help make an impact, not only for Thrasher, but for West Virginia’s aviation industry.”

Heavily involved in the industry, she is not only a member of Women in Aviation International but also the West Virginia Airport Managers Association and the West Virginia Women in Aviation group.

“A lot of people don’t realize the truly phenomenal aviation industry that exists in West Virginia,” Jones said. “Not only do we have more than a dozen airports situated around the state, but major players in airplane maintenance, aviation technology, and manufacturing are all located here. It’s a robust market with high paying jobs that has an enormous impact on the economic health of the state.”

One thing lacking, though, is a strong female presence. According to a recent report by the Women in Aviation Advisory Board, women make up less than 20% of the workforce in the majority of aviation-related occupations. Organizations like Women in Aviation International and the educational programs they provide are one of the keys in changing that statistic.

“While I’m thrilled for the personal growth the Emerging Leaders program offered me, it was truly transformational to spend time with other women who are pushing the industry forward,” Jones said. “The relationships and knowledge I gained through this program will help me find new ways to uplift women in this workforce and promote the industry to girls who may never have considered it as a career option.”