Celebrating Women's History: Adding value, assuming more responsibility pays off

Adding value, assuming more responsibility pays off

Published March 22, 2019
Becky Moser, Transatlantic Middle East District

Becky Moser, Transatlantic Middle East District

Becky Moser is currently a project assistant working for Transatlantic Middle East District’s Project Management Division. She described her duties as “… the right (and sometimes the left) hand of six project managers for the Saudi/Bahrain Group. I recently moved out of an administrative position and am now doing more technical PM work.  It is a bit like drinking from a fire hose at times, but I really enjoy it.”

Moser was born and raised in Newport News, Va., studied English Literature at Oklahoma State University before joining the Navy with hopes of attending Defense Information School. There were no billets available and she was assigned elsewhere and then reassigned to make better use of her written communications skills. Moser assisted with Public Affairs duties during Operation Desert Storm. “As you can imagine, learning on the job during ODS was far better training than I could have ever received at DINFOS.”

Moser has been with USACE and TAM for nine years now. “During that time, I have always tried to focus on the contribution I can make to the team. Because I show the willingness to learn and take on more responsibility, I have been given just that. I work with a terrific team of mentors, especially John Philpott, Patrick Tilque and Jason Zorger,” she said. 

Moser was inspired and influenced by Lady Byrd Johnson. “She was a true steel magnolia and broke new ground as First Lady by interacting directly with Congress, employing her own press secretary, and making a solo electioneering tour,” Moser explained. “Lady Byrd was a mover and a shaker for causes from highway beautification to gender inequality. Lady Bird often served as a mediating force between her willful husband and those he encountered. She accomplished all of this with the grace of a true lady, an attitude often missing in today’s society.” 

Ruth Bader Ginsberg has been another inspiration for Moser, reciting this quote: "When I’m sometimes asked when there will be enough women on the Supreme Court, I say ‘When there are nine.’ People are shocked. But there’d been nine men and nobody’s ever raised a question about that." 

Moser’s free time is spent baking. She started a pop-up Bakery called Becky’s Bundts a little over of a year ago.

“I was in a difficult place and needed a distraction,” she said. “I remembered the pure joy of being in the bakery where my grandmother worked and the happiness it brought her to make delicious cakes for others. I guess I’m carrying on the family tradition. There is little more pleasurable than the look of pure delight on someone’s face when they bite into something you’ve made with quality ingredients and lots of love.”

Becky’s little cake business reunited her with a high school friend she hadn’t seen in more than 30 years. He saw on Facebook that Becky’s Bundts was taking part in an event. He and his partner came from DC just to see Becky and try her cakes. “I tell this story because it is a testament to me when you do things you really love, good things, dare I even say, more love comes from it,” Becky said.