Paris Forest is an information technology (IT) director for product systems at The Boeing Company and a nominee for the 2018 Women of Color in STEM New Media Leadership Award.

Forest’s advocacy for the advancement and inclusion of people of color in IT has positioned her as a true leader in the industry.

Her IT journey began in 1999 as a programmer with McDonnell Douglas Integrated Financial Management System, when there were only three other women of color in the organization.

Forest remained in that group for the first 18 years of her career eventually becoming the first woman of color to be a development lead, and the second in management.

In 2017, Forest became the first woman of color from that organization to achieve IT executive rank.

Currently, she serves as a mentor for 20 people throughout the Boeing Company and as an executive speaker for employee resource groups.

Forest also sits on the executive board of the Boeing Black Employees Association and launched an inclusion group called Bridging the Gap.

The group aims to connect employees with resources for moving their careers forward.