Celebrating Diversity (and Salsa) at GE Aerospace: The Co-founder of Unison’s Hispanic Forum Finds Her Rhythm Helping Others Succeed

When the Hispanic Forum at Unison held its kickoff meeting in August 2022, Yomayra Sierra was careful to temper her expectations. A quality engineer who’d been with the company for just nine months, she was launching its newest employee resource group (ERG) in partnership with Unison sales manager Heriberto “Eddie” Rodriguez. While excited about what they might accomplish, she knew that previous attempts to establish a Hispanic-focused ERG on the Jacksonville, Florida, campus had been unsuccessful.

“We came with three PowerPoint slides, and chips and salsa,” Sierra says, describing their minimalist setup for that first gathering. “We thought if 15 people attend, we’ll be happy.”

They should have brought more snacks.

More than 50 people showed up in the auditorium that summer afternoon, eager to learn more. “And we’re not talking only about Hispanics,” Sierra recalls. “Unison in Jacksonville has employees representing nine different countries, and we had people from everywhere, wanting to be a part of it.”

The Hispanic Forum is now one of the most active ERGs at Unison, a GE Aerospace company that designs and manufactures electrical and mechanical systems for airframes. With 13 board members, including Sierra and Rodriguez, and approximately 60 current participants, the group organizes offerings that range from community outreach events, which promote STEM studies and careers in Jacksonville-area schools, to professional development workshops. Their initiatives include mentorship programs designed to support career development for all levels.

And each year during Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 to October 15, the group sponsors special activities for Unison employees, among them culinary experiences, coffee tastings with brews from Colombia, Guatemala, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, and salsa dances, “which our own Eddie Rodriguez instructs,” she notes.

“People ask about the dancing all the time, so it’s something we plan to do every year,” she says. “We’re showcasing Hispanic culture and helping people learn more about it. The support from Unison leadership and the high levels of participation have been fantastic.”

A Focus on Quality

Sierra was born and raised in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, a coastal city 50 miles west of San Juan. She studied industrial chemical processes at the University of Puerto Rico, then earned her MBA while working full-time as a chemical analyst in the island’s pharmaceutical industry. Her husband, who also worked in pharma, dreamed of becoming a firefighter. So in 2011 the couple moved to northeast Florida. There, Sierra’s husband completed the college classes required and eventually found a position with the St. John’s County Fire and Rescue Department in 2014. 

“He was just promoted to lieutenant, and we’re so proud of him,” she notes, the “we” including the couple’s two children, ages four and seven.

While working at major forensics and battery-manufacturing companies in Jacksonville, Sierra shifted her professional focus from chemical analysis to quality engineering. She also developed an expertise in lean manufacturing and kaizen, the Japanese term for “continuous improvement.” As a quality analyst at Northrop Grumman, the job she held just prior to joining Unison, Sierra earned certification as an AS9100 lead auditor and SAFe Agile trainer, mastering the system of stringent quality standards used throughout the international aerospace industry to ensure reliability and safety. 

Both lean principles and AS9100 fluency are critical in her current Unison role as a supplier quality engineer. Sierra works hand in hand with the vendors who provide raw materials for Unison’s ignition systems, speed sensors, and other components. She makes sure that suppliers submit all the paperwork required for shipments, and that it is compliant with industry standards. 

“When suppliers need to make product modifications to meet our standards, I coach them in what they need to do and how to submit their paperwork,” she explains. When they’re based in Mexico and other Latin American countries, she offers to work with them in Spanish, her native language. “Once we break that language barrier, they’re much more comfortable having a conversation,” she adds.

DEI at GE Aerospace: Leading by Listening

Sierra’s dedication to inclusion and diversity has not gone unnoticed by her colleagues. In May, at the first-ever GE Aerospace Cross ERG Summit, Sierra received the peer-nominated Deliver with Focus award for her commitment to the Hispanic Forum. This is the second ERG award GE Aerospace has given her. In 2023, she received the Outstanding Performance Award at the 2023 Hispanic Forum Summit in Crotonville, New York. 

“I was not expecting it, and I was very honored,” she says of her latest award, with characteristic modesty. She explains that her culture tends to value hard work and humility. “We were raised not to boast, so when people say you’re doing a good job, it can feel a little bit uncomfortable.”

While she’s become more accustomed to receiving compliments, Sierra still prefers being a behind-the-scenes force who helps others achieve their goals. “I’m very much an introvert, but when it comes to coaching, when I’m helping people, I become very passionate,” she says. 

The things she values most, both on the job and in her ERG work, include kindness, empathy, and, above all, keeping her ears open. 

“I want to be that person who makes people feel connected and comfortable asking questions,” she says. “I want them to know that I’m here to listen and help, especially when they want to progress in their career. It’s very rewarding to see people succeeding.”

To Sierra, “delivering with focus” means paying close attention not only to project goals and workplace processes but also to the people who surround them. “It’s taking the time to focus on the person’s needs,” she says, “and figuring out how I can support them.”