Women of Achievement
November 2013 Vol. 4
Meet
S
Sheila Harley-Washington
heila Harley-Washington, a native Washingtonian, graduated
from Calvin Coolidge High School
where she received an athletic letter
for winning the District of Columbia Field Hockey Championship,
which was rare for female students.
Upon graduation Sheila
attended Howard University where she graduated with honors and
was selected as Who’s
Who Among Students
in Universities and Colleges. She then attended
Washington University
George Warren Brown
School of Social Work
in St. Louis and later
returned to her beloved alma mater, Howard University, to attend
the School of Law program where,
during her first year, she attended
the Sorbonne in Paris, France. Sheila serves on the Howard University’s
School of Law’s Board of Visitors
where she is a major donor and
fundraiser, President of the Metropolitan DC Chapter of Links, Inc.
and a member of the YWCA NCA’s
Persimmon Promise Giving Society. Currently Sheila is President of
the Harley Business Group, LLC in
Washington DC and Vice President lenges you face day to day? SHW:
of Business Development at the net. Realizing that there is not enough
America Corporation in Largo, MD. hours in the day and to have an
appropriate work/life balance. The
YW: Why did you choose your field majority of my day (and nights) are
of study? SHW: I selected sociolo- working and being supportive of
gy, social work, and law with the un- others. Putting myself first is hard
wavering goal of helping for me to comprehend or actualpeople to have a quality ize. YW: What word or phrase do
life and to thrive in pos- you most overuse when hanging
itive and safe communi- out or in the office? SHW: “Where
ties. YW: What did you are we on this pending opportunilove most about your ty?” “What are the next steps?” YW:
career? SHW: The ability Where is the farthest place you’ve
to leverage my academic traveled and what did you enjoy
training, work experi- the most about it? SHW: I traveled
ence, and my unprece- to Beijing, China. While I have visdented global network. ited Asia, including Hong Kong
To provide a road map and Japan more than once, China
and entry for minority small busi- was quite different in terms of culnesses while strategically position- ture, cuisine, and constraints. I will
ing them for government contract forever remember walking on the
opportunities. It is extra reward- Great Wall of China and visiting Tiing to achieve this goal in a highly ananmen Square. YW: If you could
competitive business environment, trade places with one person for
while maintaining personal and the day who would it be and why?
professional integrity. The greatest SHW: My twin sister, Dr. Sharon
reward in my daily life is to help Harley, because I admire her tenacothers. YW: What is the best lesson ity, her discipline, and her academyou’ve ever learned from a mentor? ic achievements. She is a scholar,
SHW: It will all work out, just be pa- writer, and professor who has been
tient, strategic, and purposeful. YW: a positive influence to countless stuWhat are some of the biggest chal- dents at the University of Maryland.
“The greatest reward in my daily life is to help others.”