Throughout February, we will be recognizing Black History Month, an annual celebration of the achievements and contributions of African Americans throughout U.S. history.
At Republic Services, we value being inclusive of our employees’ diverse backgrounds and experiences. To celebrate Black History Month, we are highlighting a few of our employees, along with historical leaders who have made significant contributions to our country. Stay tuned for stories throughout the month!
Javara P., SVP, Operations Support
Javara leads operations at Republic. He works with the BU teams to promote safety and customer service, while making sure employees have the tools needed to do their jobs. Prior to working at Republic, Javara held leadership roles at a Fortune 500 healthcare services company and a global consulting firm. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Javara views Black History Month as a time to reflect on both how far our country has come, and how far we still have to go. He has been inspired by several black business leaders throughout his career, and now he is leading an effort to support black employees at Republic. Javara is the executive sponsor of Republic’s newest business resource group, the Black Employee Network, which launches later this month.
Javara says, “I am extremely proud to be one of the founding members of our Black Employee Network. I’m excited to create a culture where all employees can bring their full, 100 percent authentic, selves to work. I truly believe this will make us an even better company.” Watch for details later this month on how you can join the Black Employee Network!
Dr. Mae Jemison, first African American woman in space
Like Javara, Dr. Mae Jemison is an engineer, holding an engineering degree from Stanford University, as well as a medical degree from Cornell University.
After serving as a medical officer in the Peace Corps, Dr. Jemison was inspired to apply to NASA’s astronaut training program and was one of 15 people selected from 2,000 applicants. From September 12 to 20, 1992, she flew on the 50th space shuttle mission, becoming the first African American woman to travel into space. She spent more than 190 hours in space and orbited the earth 127 times.
Since leaving NASA, Dr. Jemison started her own technology research company, as well as a nonprofit educational foundation. She has received many awards and honors, including induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame and the International Space Hall of Fame.
Dr. Jemison has served as an inspiration and role model to many other African American scientists and astronauts, and famously reminds us, “Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.”
These two outstanding leaders share an engineering background, a supportive nature, and a pioneering spirit. They even met at a conference in 2012 (pictured)!
