Bernice Billups, director of global engagement at The Boeing Company, received a Corporate Responsibility Award at the 2022 Women of Color STEM Conference held in Detroit this fall.
Bernice was honored for her efforts to support Boeing's assistance to under-represented communities and provide technology tools and education services for minority youth and adults.
Bernice joined Boeing as an office administrator in 2001 and advanced to manage the Office of the Chairman in 2008. As senior manager of Global Corporate Citizenship in 2015, she increased support for communities of color by 85 percent and doubled the number of grant partners led by people of color.
“Her leadership in the community has enabled Boeing to move the needle and leverage our resources in the most vulnerable communities in the city of Chicago…and around the world,” said Cheri M. Carter, vice president of Boeing Global Engagement.
Appointed director of company contributions and Boeing Global Engagement Central Region in 2020, Bernice oversaw six states and an $8.5 million budget, helping Boeing increase opportunities for students of color in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Her department hosts a yearly STEM Signing Day for Chicago Public Schools, honoring 50 graduating seniors committing to postsecondary STEM studies.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bernice led a Boeing/United Airlines partnership to renovate the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry Take Flight Exhibit. She helped develop resources that took students on a digital tour of the exhibit.
She also led Boeing’s participation in Northwestern University’s FUSE program that challenged more than 22,000 students in 187 schools in the United States, Finland, and Israel.
