In 2022, The Boeing Company celebrated Native American and Indigenous Month by highlighting the skills, experience, and innovation of their Native American and Indigenous teammates.

One such teammate, Kathleen Jolivette, has been given opportunities to reach her full potential. She is committed to showing Indigenous youth the many career possibilities within aerospace and providing professional training opportunities for Indigenous communities.

Kathleen's achievements were recognized when she received a Women of Color STEM award in October 2023.

Ted Colbert, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, praised her inspirational journey.

"KJ's story is one of resilience and integrity. She's an incredible leader and person, and we're glad to have her on our team."

At the awards gala, Kathleen spoke about how humbled and honored she was to be recognized. She emphasized how the many STEM programs, mentors, and opportunities within a great company like Boeing helped her achieve her dreams.

Kathleen's journey to becoming the Vice President and General Manager of Vertical Lift for Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) is remarkable.

Raised on South Dakota's Rosebud Reservation, Kathleen started her aerospace career as an intern at The Boeing Company in 2002.

Over more than 20 years, she worked her way up from various positions in finance, supplier management, procurement cost analysis, accounting, contracts, estimating/pricing, financial planning, program cost management, and international business development.

Kathleen is now responsible for managing a division with a revenue of $2.9 billion, a fleet of over 2,500 aircraft in 30 countries, and more than 9,000 employees.

Her portfolio includes a range of rotorcraft capabilities and planes, such as the AH-6 Little Bird, AH-64 Apache, H-47 Chinook, MH-139A Grey Wolf, V-22 Osprey, and future vertical lift solutions like DEFIANT X.

Kathleen's story is a testament to the importance of hard work, perseverance, and self-belief. She continues to inspire many with her journey and serves as an incredible leader and role model in the aerospace industry.

Kathleen has held various leadership roles, including director of U.S. Army Services for Boeing Global Services, chief of staff for the Office of President and CEO, and director of investor relations for BDS.

After earning her high school diploma, she served in the Army as a supply sergeant, earned an undergraduate degree in finance/accounting from Lindenwood University, and received an Executive Master of Business Administration from Washington University.

Kathleen's journey at Boeing began as an intern, and she worked her way up. She has managed people, work groups, functional departments, and multiple programs or projects as a leader to achieve organizational objectives and goals.

Apart from work, Kathleen is involved in various organizations and serves as a role model through her involvement in Boeing's business resource groups.

She values diversity and volunteers for groups such as the Native American Heritage Association and AISES. As vice president & general manager of Boeing's vertical lift, she engages with local area tribes and advocates for employment opportunities for veterans.