Women’s Equality Day Spotlight: Kelly Clabbers

Describe your job in a sentence or two. I am the supervisor at the DEMIL center in Kaiserslautern, Germany. I work with and manage a small, knowledgeable, and cohesive team.

How long have you worked for the federal government including military service? I started with DLA in February 2016.

What is your favorite thing about your line of work? Every day is its own challenge and comes with the opportunity to learn something new and further my knowledge of logistics and leadership.

What is the best piece of advice someone has given you? Specifically, in regards to employment, I was once told that if I remained flexible and open to relocation that I would "go far" in my career. That advice has proven more than fruitful, and the opportunities that I have been presented within the past eight years and experiences I've had not only advanced my career but my love of everyday life.

What do you think about when you hear Women's Equality Day? I think about all of the challenges that women have faced over the years and the changes in women's rights.

Why is it important to you that we celebrate Women's Equality Day? Throughout history, there have been forward and backward changes in women's rights. It is important to acknowledge and know this history so we can better understand the challenges that women have experienced and are currently experiencing and continue to progress with forward momentum.

What challenges do women face today and how can understanding history help us overcome them? I think one of the biggest challenges that women still face today is overcoming gender-stereotypes. I am an expectant mother with a toddler who is fully employed in a male-dominated field. I have had my fair share of interactions in past years that could have easily made me feel "less-than". Women can both excel in their career and be a loving mother, the two are not mutually exclusive; it is important to understand the history of women's rights and have knowledge of notable women/pioneers that stepped out of the idea that a woman's ultimate goal in life is to marry and have children.

Name your favorite/recent book(s) you have read. I love any work by philosopher Alan Watts, my favorite being "Become What You Are".

What was your first job? My very first official paid job was as a "Kennel Technician" at a local veterinary hospital.

What did you want to be when you grew up? From middle-school to the start of college I dreamed of being a world-class epidemiologist.

If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? I could put something exciting here, but my life is exciting enough. If I could choose to do anything for a day I would sleep, read, and watch movies without interruption. While I would not trade my life or family for anything, a day of silent rest would not be taken for granted.