11/11/04

Lamar brings a background combining fifteen years of hangar and line aircraft maintenance experience at Los Angeles International Airport with decades of public speaking on diversity in the workplace as well as a degree in Applied Anthropology from California State University at Northridge. 

Early in her career, she taught women’s health issues in the United States, Europe and North Africa. Additional time was spent as an IBM customer service technician, the first of her gender in this position. Lamar won the prestigious Aero-Club of Southern California award in 1987.  She again achieved distinction by being chosen Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year by Aviation Technical Publishers in 2001. In 2003 Pratt & Whitney bestowed a complete engine scholarship and in 2004,  she has won Abaris Composite's scholarship.
 

In 1997, Lamar acted as a prime instigator to create what has become the Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance (AWAM).  The success of this young organization is due in part to her creative ideas, first as Vice President and now as President of AWAM.

AWAM participates in four national conferences a year. The association provides avenues for networking, scholarships, mentoring, community outreach, maintenance and career development training. As well as a Members Meeting, Reception and Awards Breakfast. Ms. Lamar handles coordination for all the booths and events during the year. In addition to her other activities, she recruits sponsors and has established many of the highly successful AWAM scholarships.