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Roya Maher
President & CEO , A3L Federal Works LLC
AMANDA LARCH
Photo by IrisMagic Photo Studios .
“ SHE BELIEVED SHE COULD , so she did .”
This quote has inspired Roya Maher to overcome many obstacles throughout her life , including immigrating to the U . S . from Iran with her family when she was 15 and starting her own company in the male-dominated IT industry .
In 2014 , Maher founded A3L Federal Works LLC and today serves as the president and CEO . With a background in engineering , bachelor ’ s and master ’ s degrees from Cornell University and a lifelong love of math and science , she started her career working as an industrial engineer for General Motors ( GM ).
“ As a young female , recent college graduate and engineer , I had to work hard to gain the trust of factory assembly workers who were all union members and leery of young graduates who sometimes had attitudes of superiority ,” she says . “ I loved the world of manufacturing , and I was eager to learn and be part of their team . It took a while , but I was accepted as a valuable member . I was honest , I worked hard , and I cared about my colleagues .”
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE