Recognizing the Achievements of Black Americans
Black History Month is an annual recognition of the achievements of Black Americans and a time for valuing their central role in history. Since 1976 every President of the United States has officially recognized Black History Month.
ServiceSource celebrates Black History Month because we value diversity, equity, and inclusion. We foster equitable environments and inclusive practices. Diversity keeps our business progressive and is important to our stakeholders.
We celebrate the contributions of all Black Americans who have made an impact in the community and in our organization. This month, we selected to highlight Mae Aycock, Senior Vice President of Operations. Mae worked her way up to be one of our Senior Vice Presidents of Operations. In the interview below, Mae shares her story and highlights the dedication she has to our mission. We are honored to have Mae as part of the ServiceSource team!
Q&A with Mae Aycock
Q: Please introduce yourself for us.
A: People know me as Mae Aycock. I’ve been at ServiceSource since 1995. When I retired from the military, I was attending Strayer University at the time. I went to a job fair there and applied for a position at ServiceSource. Fortunately, I was hired. That started my whole new career path and my transition from military to civilian life. I really knew that this was where I wanted to be because as a teenager I worked for a family that had a child with a documented disability. Once I read the ServiceSource mission, I became very excited, and since 1995, I haven’t looked back.
Q: What are you most proud of in your career so far?
A: I think what I’m most proud of is that I bring a different kind of leadership style to the table. I have a caring approach combined with an understanding that no one mission is accomplished by myself. It’s always a team effort. When I think throughout the journey that I’ve taken here at ServiceSource, I’ve always made sure that I’m bringing someone else along with me. When I first came on board, it was kind of a male-dominated environment and I’ve had the opportunity to promote and encourage a group of women along the way that may not have made it to be Project Managers, or Directors. It gives me an extreme sense of pride to be able to look out across the organization and know that I was able to touch many, and not let it always be about me.
Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?
A: The advice I would give to my younger self is to never give up. I’ve never given up along the way. There have been times where I have thought about it, especially in a male-dominated environment – but what I chose to do along the way was to learn all that I can learn. Always be willing and open to share what you know. Be open to constructive criticism, but never show a side of weakness. Those are some of the key factors that really have driven me. So, keep the hope. Always be hopeful.
BONUS
Q: Where should we go eat if we come visit your area?
A: I’m in the Capitol Heights and Andrews Airforce area in Maryland, and I would encourage people to order food from Sardi’s [Chicken]. They have the best vegetables – but not better than mine, because I consider myself to be a really good cook.
Written interview edited for clarity
Did You Know?
- Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, PhD an African American played an integral part in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine.
- You can read more on Black History facts at: www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-facts
