Sometimes being included means dragging your chair to the table unprompted. As a double-diverse employee, Dr. Anna Alicea, cotton campaign manager for BASF, has learned to be selective and tactical in bringing her unique skills and personality to the table in agriculture.
A North Carolina native, Alicea muses that most African Americans in the South have a familial connection to agriculture.
“I’m the first person from my family to return to agriculture. Interestingly enough, though, my great-grandparents were sharecroppers,” Alicea said. “My dad is in his 60s and attended segregated elementary — we’re not far away from that era in agriculture.”
Alicea says she inadvertently fell into agriculture based on her childhood interest in environmental science. “I’ve always had a knack for chemistry, soil science, environmental chemistry, and plant physiology,” she said.
After graduating from North Carolina State University, Alicea began her career researching water quality with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and then looked at heavy metals in soil with the Environmental Protection Agency. This experience eventually led her to a job with BASF working with the global environmental fate team.
“It was eye-opening to see exactly how long it takes to move an active ingredient to market and how much money it costs to put together all of the scientific studies — it takes a whole host of experts to make it happen,” said Alicea. “It’s amazingly satisfying to see how a successful registration can help a grower use that chemistry to get good weed and insect control and improve their yields.”
Gaining traction without losing yourself
Alicea has been with BASF for almost 10 years. Some of her biggest challenges center around finding her niche in a male-dominated space.
“How do I maintain and keep my authenticity? The way that I talk, dress, choose to wear my curls, even down to how I express disappointment and excitement,” Alicea said.
Especially at the beginning of her career, she was learning how to keep her naturally born ability to connect with people while learning discernment in instances where she needs to be firm and extremely direct to be heard.
“I can assure you that other diverse females have experienced this too — I need to ensure I’m included,” Alicea said.
Despite her skill set and history with the company, Alicea says that as a double-diverse employee, it’s easy to get overlooked and excluded — not always with malicious intent.
“People are more comfortable with people who look like them,” she said. “It takes a very conscious effort to make sure you have diverse voices at the table and the confidence to tell people, ‘I have some value added to this meeting or project. I deserve to be here.’”
Before COVID-19, Alicea says there was a focus on increasing minority populations in agriculture. But, now, ensuring that a growing female and ethnic minority population is more than just about numbers: “We need to know where these diverse people are in terms of ranking in their organization” Alicea said.
Being fearless in stepping up and telling people what you know is integral. Alicea has found that, the more you open yourself up, the more people can relate.
Finding focus in your career
Career sponsors can help to elevate your career and place you in new roles. However, there were times in her career when she felt over-mentored.
“Finding a sponsor can take a lot of time,” she said, “but those who are happy to mention your name in a room full of opportunities makes a huge difference.”
One of Alicea’s most significant achievements was adapting to political unrest during COVID.
“A light bulb went off for me — just how many extracurriculars I was volunteering for,” Alicea said. A member of several employee resource groups, including the National African American Employee Group, Alicea said she learned how to network.
However, discerning what was serving her career eventually became paramount.
During the murder of George Floyd, when a lot of organizations were beginning to introspect, Alicea says that she may have overdone it.
“I learned a lot in all of the roles I participated in — how to influence people without direct authority, how to get people to follow you if they don’t have to,” she said. “I learned how to speak on sensitive topics.”
At that point, Alicea began focusing more on hands-on experience to help her move away from exposure and into demonstrated experiences.
No matter where you’re at in your career, Alicea said, “The only thing that’s constant in this world is change, so ensuring that you’re ready, excited, and intentional in figuring out what to do next — that’s all your responsibility.”
Not only do diverse employees need to ensure they have the skills, education, and projects, but they also need to be interventional about their development. “Learning on your network is good, but you own it,” she said. “My development is mine, and I think that’s made a world of difference for my career.”
Heidi Crnkovic, is the Associate Editor for AGDAILY. She is a New Mexico native with deep-seated roots in the Southwest and a passion for all things agriculture.
