Vice President of Safety at Terminal 4 Traded a Ticket
to Paris For a Ticket to Success in the Aviation Industry
22 AIRPORT VOICE, APRIL 2019
BY JESSICA MILITELLO
At terminal 4 of John F. Kennedy airport, Barbara
Margulis holds the incredible responsibility of
overseeing the safety of employees and visitors alike
in her role as the vice president of safety and performance
in the terminal.
For over 30 years Margulis has worked in the
aviation industry and it has been one of her proudest
accomplishments to ensure that everyone in the terminal
and on the tarmac are safe and being offered
the best experience possible in terminal 4. Margulis
handles many duties such as implementing polices as
well as constantly reviewing existing ones and it is
certainly not a role that she takes lightly.
Margulis has worked very hard to be able to earn
such important responsibilities, but she enjoys what
she does and expresses gratitude for all of the people
she works together with, as well as the relationships
she has formed throughout her career.
“I just love it,” said Margulis. “Everything is with
contact with individuals, so you meet those people
and the people you work with are partners. It’s so
important because we wouldn’t be successful if we
weren’t a fabulous community; you can’t be successful
if you’re alone.”
Margulis, who was originally born and raised in
Paris, France, happened upon the aviation industry
after a chance encounter at the Air France ticket office
on 5th avenue in New York City. She was purchasing
a ticket to go home to France, when she was offered
a customer service agent position. At the time,
Margulis spoke little English. She gave back her
ticket to France and instead accepted a job. From
WOMEN of ACHIEVEMENT
OCCUPATION /POSITION: VP Safety & Performance
Management
EMPLOYER: JFKIAT – Operator of JFK Terminal 4
HOMETOWN: Paris, France
MENTOR: My Mom taught me empathy, respect,
loyalty, strength, and commitment
HOBBIES: Marathon running (I’ve run 15 Marathons
and one Ultra Marathon (60k), hiking, and
travels
FAVORITE BOOKS: The Brothers Karamazov by
Dostoyevsky
FAVORITE MOVIES: Schindler’s List, Black Earth
Rising and Green Book
HAPPY PLACE: Paris for its history and beauty;
Vermont for its Green Mountains
FAVORITE QUOTE OR MOTTO: Life is a marathon
forged in the fire (self)
there she worked in Air France for 10 years, gradually
moving up in the ranks before eventually earning
her role now at JFK.
And while Margulis certainly faced many challenges
throughout her career and in her life, she
believes those trials are what make it all worthwhile.
“If wouldn’t be fun if there were no roadblocks,”
said Margulis. “You have to have a little bit of that to
really push past your limits. There is nothing that
one person cannot do, I really believe that.”
Entrepreneur in the Construction Industry Seeks to Uplift
and Inspire Women and Give Back to Her Community
BY JESSICA MILITELLO
Herlema Owens worked in the construction industry
for over 29 years and her experiences inspired
her to become the founder of the Association
of Women Construction Workers of America in order
to give back to her community.
Throughout Owens’ career, she was often one
of few Black female construction workers. Despite
her many successes, she continued to face discrimination,
inspiring her to reach out to other Black
women in construction to assist others in her community
through AWCWA.
Owens realized there needed to be a space to
support opportunities to education and training for
better jobs for women, especially women of color.
“There is a definite need for education to get a
seat at the table,” said Owens. “Construction is often
specialized and to be taken seriously, women
and minorities must level the playing field in their
favor to be considered equal and move ahead.”
Before Owens came into the construction industry
she was working in the beauty industry. At
the time, Owens needed a more secure career, and
at the suggestion of a friend, gave the industry a
try. After three years, Owens earned a position as
foreman, but found that other supervisors did not
give her equal treatment. Owens worked on many
important projects, including the AirTrain terminal
at John F. Kennedy airport. Despite all these
strides, Owens continued to experience discrimination
based on her race and gender. These experiences
inspired her to create AWCWA in 2006 to advocate
for better treatment for women and people
of color in the construction industry. The organization
WOMEN of ACHIEVEMENT
OCCUPATION /POSITION: Founder/Former Construction
provides 15-week workshops and provides
information in order to earn better jobs, contracts,
and projects in the construction industry. AWCWA
offers educational programs to gain entry into
many roles.
For Owens, the ability to help others and give
back to her community is something she is very
passionate about in her work.
“I know I am doing good for the society I live in,”
said Owens. “Specifically, the residents and trainees
of Southeast Jamaica. Being able to develop people
to expand their lives through meaningful livelihood
in the construction industry makes my heart
sing.”
Worker
EMPLOYER: Association of Women Workers of
America, Inc.
HOMETOWN: Newport News, VA
MENTOR: Too many to name, but all wise
HOBBY: Dancing
FAVORITE BOOKS: Anything dealing with constructions
FAVORITE MOVIES: Black Panther (Wakanda
Forever)
HAPPY PLACE: Feeling all warm and cuddly inside.
FAVORITE QUOTE OR MOTTO: "Educating for a
better-informed workforce."