In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, meet Yaima Braga
Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place September 15 – October 15, is a time to recognize and celebrate the myriad histories, cultures, and contributions of the Hispanic and Latin community. At the helm of the festivities is the ¡HOLA! business resource group.
As we celebrate this special month, we will be meeting different members of the group.
This week, meet Yaima Braga!
Tell me about yourself – outside of work. What is your favorite hobby or passion?
I love being outdoors – being in it, playing in the backyard with my kids, going hiking/ snowshoeing, or simply enjoying a meal.
What you do within Avangrid?
I run the risk management process for two of our offshore wind projects: Park City Wind and Commonwealth Wind. Every month I meet with each department (or package) and make sure risks and opportunities are being identified, quantified, and mitigated. I run various analyses, translating risks into contingencies that are applied to each project’s budget to ensure there’s a good rainy-day fund.
When you come to work at Avangrid each day, what is the most authentic (real, bold, unique) part of yourself that you bring to work?
I believe I bring a different point of view, looking at issues from different angles and trying to identify efficiencies, gaps, and room for improvement. Sometimes each department is too caught up in what they’re doing that they fail to see the big picture around them and I feel like I can help them see that, understand their impact and better their scope and work to ensure we have a successful project.
What is your heritage or cultural background? What is your favorite aspect of that?
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Even for being such a small island, it was a melting pot for a lot of Hispanic cultures, and it was great witnessing that inclusive society. It is important to feel valuable and heard wherever we go so I make sure to always listen to others.
DE&I is the common term, but what about the B – belonging? How do you view belonging at Avangrid, and what are steps you would like to see taken to improve?
The offshore wind team is very diverse, and we take the time to meet others and find common ground that is not work-related. Taking the time to do this, to get to know one another on a personal level and not just at a professional level, has allowed me to feel connections with other people, be a part of their team and feel motivated to leave my mark as part of this amazing, talented team. I hope we continue with social gatherings so we can continue to foster these connections with newcomers (and old souls).
Who or what inspires you?
To be honest, my kids. We unfortunately live in a world of chaos and uncertainty. To see my kids enjoy a world that makes them happy and gives them every opportunity they deserve motivates and inspires me to do my best, especially in a career where I get to help change what that future looks like, hopefully for the best.
