Tonya Walley (she/her)

Tonya Walley is the Vice President of Field Operations and Plant Maintenance for Cox Communications Virginia. Prior to joining Cox, Tonya fueled her passion for helping people by serving as Vice President of Logistics for Community Food Bank of New Jersey.

What’s a challenge you’ve faced and how did you get through it?

When I look back over my career in telecommunications and cable, my fierceness is what I feel most proud of. There were moments when I felt I wasn’t good enough to be in the same space as techy men who spoke more technically than I did. I remember being the only woman at work and feeling so uncomfortable. As my career evolved from front-line field technician to leadership, I focused on my core strength of being a compassionate, servant leader who speaks tech very well, and I’ve used that to fuel my success. I pushed past my own boundaries. Growing up, there were many obstacles that could’ve permanently derailed me from my journey, like losing my mother at a young age to cancer, to dropping out of college after her death, to struggling with my sexual identity. Now, I’m proud to be the first college graduate in my family. I’m proud to openly represent my LGBTQ family. And I’m proud to be a leader who blazes trails for other women.

Abby Knowles (she/her)

Abby is the Vice President of Network and Technology at Verizon, leading a team of engineers that build and operate the wireless network. She was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica and attended University in Trinidad and Baltimore, where she majored in Electrical Engineering.

What’s a challenge you’ve faced and how did you get through it?

I had always dreamed about competing in track and field at the professional level after being a college athlete, but an unplanned pregnancy made me consider other options. After the initial shock, I quickly re-focused on my role as mother and my future career as an engineer. The support of my faith, husband, and family were vital as I found myself embracing a new future. I was truly blessed, not only with my first daughter, but also a second. I raised them with my husband, and they bring us so much joy!

What’s something you’ve done that you’re really proud of?

I’m really proud of helping the teams I’ve led achieve more than they thought possible. Sometimes it was turning results around for the better, or taking already great results and shifting them into high gear. I’ve had many personal accomplishments, but nothing beats seeing others achieve amazing results.