NUWC Division Newport’s Federal Women’s Program hosts speaker for Women’s Equality Day

NUWC Division Newport's Federal Women's Program hosts speaker for Women's Equality Day

By NUWC Division Newport Public Affairs

Newport, R.I. -

Leadership - how we are influenced, how we influence others and how to be successful at leading - was the focus of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport's Women's Equality Day celebration held on Aug. 29.

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Abaigeal Hillyard, deputy director of the Human Resources Center of Excellence at Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island, spoke in honor of the annual Women's Equality Day on Aug. 26, which commemorates the 1920 adoption of the 19^th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that granted women the right to vote. Hillyard discussed her naval career and how it shaped her into the leader she is today.

Hillyard, who was promoted to the rank of commander on Sept. 1, shared her definition of a leader.

"You're a leader if you have influence over someone," she said. "Any human being that interacts with other human beings has the ability to, and will, influence someone else. So please think of it in that light - you have the ability to influence someone and therefore you are, a leader."

Hillyard, who grew up in Greenport in Long Island, New York, said that from a young age, she has always been a "planner."

"In eighth grade I was trying to ensure that I would be a well-rounded candidate for college, and I decided to join the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) in high school so that I would send the message to colleges that I was disciplined, committed and professional - and I ended up loving NJROTC."

The senior officer's early involvement in the Navy set the tone for the rest of her school and professional career - she went on to attend Boston University in Massachusetts, on a Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship and graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology. For the next four years following graduation, Hillyard was homeported in San Diego and served tours aboard the amphibious ship, USS Germantown (LSD 42) and the destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110). She then decided to advance her education, enrolling in the Naval Postgraduate School, earning a master's degree in operations analysis and after that, moved to Millington, Tennessee, where she pursued a career in human resources. In July of 2023, Hillyard became deputy director for the Human Resources Center of Excellence, located at Naval Station Newport.

"I love education and wanted to have the deputy director job where we're responsible for the human resources learning continuum for all Navy HR officers and also the supporting programs for our community," she said. "I really enjoy my job and our mission to educate and develop our community."

With more than 20 years of experience in the Navy, Hillyard has crossed paths with colleagues, superiors, and subordinates, all of whom have impacted her growth as a professional and as a leader.

"It's really important to talk about and challenge each other to reflect on and adapt our own leadership styles periodically," she said.

"After speaking with your Technical Director [Marie] Bussiere, I understand her second of three priorities is 'Leadership and Workforce Brilliance,'" Hillyard said. "I personally love that priority, and I believe if leadership is working well, your workforce will be equipped and motivated to be brilliant and adequately address priorities one and three: 'Warfighter Readiness for the Fleet of Today and Tomorrow' and 'Technical and Business Excellence.' People are at the heart of all we do."

Hillyard said that she wants to leave a legacy of being someone who shows others that they have value and someone who has helped others develop and achieve success. Three practices that Hillyard said will positively influence her leadership legacy are "choosing your words wisely, knowing your people and showing them you value them, and asking for help."

She shared an example about the impact of someone's words during a time when she was thinking about her personal future - starting a family and her concern for how that might affect her career.

"Something that a lot of females think about and potentially worry about a little bit more than their male counterparts in the military is having children," Hillyard said. "You're worried about the timing, especially the warfighters that we support. A lot of them are really worried about that - whether or not they can actually continue their career and if they'll be competitive for advancement, if they have a baby at the wrong time."

Hillyard was inspired by a colleague who had two children while in command, which gave her more confidence for the future.

"She did fine, and she succeeded in both tours and went on to do great things, making a good name for herself and her community," Hillyard said. "That was so encouraging to me, and I kept that with me so when I did end up having a baby [while] in command; I knew that someone had gone before me and did it and was still successful. A short conversation, but it was so impactful."

The presentation concluded with a question-and-answer session and one audience member asked Hillyard what career aspects she may need to improve upon?

"I am self-aware and it's a positive and a negative," Hillyard said. "I'm highly self-aware, but I'm highly self-critical. Things that I focus on are things that I need to work on. I found myself a lot in my O-4 command getting stuff done when I didn't need to, and I wasn't empowering folks or delegating. I need to continue to work on delegating. If I delegate better, I'll have the opportunity to show people that I value them."

Johanna White, a newly appointed supervisor in Division Newport's Ranges, Engineering and Analysis Department, asked about opening a dialog with her team.

"I really care about the feedback that my team gives me - how do I open lines of communication/ How do I open that so that they're going to give me honest feedback and I can build that rapport and trust with my team?" White asked.

"You said the word," Hillyard said. "Trust. If your team trusts you, to be able to say, 'Hey supervisor - you're doing something wrong, or this isn't effective,' they need to feel safe that you're not going to hold that against them. They also need to trust that you're going to act on it - and if you're not going to act on it because you don't think that's appropriate feedback or it doesn't fit the mission, then have that open communication back with them and say why."

NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher's Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.

Join our team! NUWC Division Newport, one of the 20 largest employers in Rhode Island, employs a diverse, highly trained, educated, and skilled workforce. We are continuously looking for engineers, scientists, and other STEM professionals, as well as talented business, finance, logistics and other support experts who wish to be at the forefront of undersea research and development. Please connect with NUWC Division Newport Recruiting at this site- https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NUWC-Newport/Career-Opportunities/ and follow us on LinkedIn @NUWC-Newport and on Facebook @NUWCNewport.