February 14, 2024 | 3 min read
No day is the same for Chevon Adams and that’s one of the reasons she loves her job. As a facilities supervisor, she manages a team that ensures every space across the site is clean and in good working order — from conference rooms to chemistry labs, the vast distribution center to the break room.
“I look at my job as a big science experiment,” says Adams. “Each day brings something new and I’m constantly problem-solving with my team.”
The facilities team isn’t the only team she’s part of. She also co-leads the Black Leadership Network (BLN), one of MilliporeSigma’s thriving Employee Resource Groups. She works closely with co-leaders — including Abdi Wege — and members to bring together Black employees and allies to learn, develop and network together.
Year-round, members also engage with their local communities through special service projects, events and programs. During Black History Month this year, the BLN is hosting several employee events, including featured external speakers, a professional development opportunity and, at some sites, food offerings that celebrate African American food culture.
For the last few Halloweens, Adams has come to work as a unicorn. It’s just one of the many ways she helps other smile.
From her role in the BLN to her day-to-day duties, building up a strong team culture and supporting colleagues has always been important for Adams throughout her nearly 10 years at the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA site, and something she continues to prioritize. For her, having fun at work makes working hard easy. For the past few Halloweens, she’s rocked a blow-up unicorn costume. The first year she wore it she asked her supervisor to make sure it was ok. He gave it a green light and then let security know that the unicorn coming into the building was, in fact, Adams.
These seemingly small actions are indicative of Adams’ vibrant and welcoming personality. She enjoys mentoring colleagues, watching them triumph and supporting their growth. During her tenure, she’s advanced to new roles and taken on leadership and supervisory positions. It’s no surprise that people often come to Adams for advice about career growth and next steps.
Her interest in connecting with peers is part of the reason she loved getting involved in extracurricular clubs in school, and the driving force behind why she participates in several Employee Resource Groups at MilliporeSigma. A few years ago, she started getting more involved in the BLN and started serving on committees to plan events — both locally and globally.
For Adams, connecting with colleagues who hold a wide variety of roles and work in different settings is a major benefit to the BLN. “Having another group of people outside of my day-to-day work that I can go talk to and problem solve with has been really helpful,” she reflects.
Working with fellow BLN members to plan and execute programs is also fulfilling. This year, Adams is getting more involved with Black History Month planning and played a role in finding and selecting external speakers. She’s also excited about Juneteenth celebrations this summer. For the last two years, MilliporeSigma has joined in the festivities in Milwaukee, which is one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the country.
A group of MilliporeSigma employees join together for Juneteenth event in Milwaukee, WI. From left to right, Chevon Adams, Amy Wiggins, Tyus Stoltenburg, Abdi Wege and Parthiban Kulandaivelu.
Juneteenth celebrations in Milwaukee are special for Adams as they take place in the community where she grew up. “It’s incredibly meaningful to give back to my childhood community while getting the support from not only BLN members, but also from my supervisors, coworkers and allies,” says Adams.
Adams is eager to leverage her talents as a co-lead to strengthen the BLN — from helping create memorable moments at the Milwaukee site and surrounding communities to organizing global BLN events welcoming all MilliporeSigma employees.
Read On
Get to know Abdi Wege, another leader in the Black Leadership Network. Wege creates a welcoming environment at his site and builds community across MilliporeSigma and beyond.
Uplifting Diverse Voices
At MilliporeSigma, we foster a culture where employees can bring their true selves to work. We are committed to promoting a strong sense of inclusion among our employees. Therefore, we approach Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) with the same purpose as our other global business objectives and aspirations. While we have always been a diverse organization – we currently span 66 countries and have over 64,000 employees from 139 nationalities – we recognize that our success depends on our ability to foster an environment that champions equity and inclusion.
One important way that MilliporeSigma supports employees from diverse backgrounds and identities is through Employee Resource Groups. These groups connect employees with others who share similar backgrounds and beliefs and/or support their communities.
We work to showcase employees across our company, providing a space for them to share their perspectives and personal stories.
To continue reading please sign in or create an account.
Don't Have An Account?