SHE LEADS – with Troy Skorkowsky

Job Title

Construction Planner III, Cox Communications

What would you tell your younger self?

Be confident in the actions you take to move forward. Learn early to separate personal feelings from professional choices.

What was your inspiration and what helped you become successful? How do you define success?

My greatest inspiration in becoming who I am professionally has been all of the people and leaders who were lessons and blessings along the way. I have been fortunate enough to have people invest in me at the right times but more importantly there were (and still will be) people who want me to fail; people who have been lessons. Those lessons taught me to be teachable, diverse, resilient but malleable, merciful, and mentally strong. Without the vast array of people leaders I could not be as well rounded as I have become.

What is your favorite quote?

“It is not what you just did but rather what you do next”  How you go forward from the things that happen defines who you are.

What’s your favorite part of your job and why?

Being at job sites and watching a project actually come to fruition is my favorite part of what I do. There is something very rewarding about seeing a plan I put into action play out the way it should.

What is your favorite hobby?

Watching fastpitch softball is my hobby. I grew up playing, spent many years coaching, and am a lifelong fan of the WCWS.

What advice do you want to give the next generation of women leaders?

Always gather the facts and information necessary to be confident in putting your knowledge to action. Without doing that you leave yourself vulnerable to your own insecurities.

What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership to me is the act of investing in and building the confidence in another person’s character in order to launch them in to personal or professional successes greater than your own.

What’s your advice on mentoring?

When I mentor:  I Teach all of the things and speak all of the truths I wish someone had shown me.

What’s your favorite ice cream?

Chocolate Chip