“I hope what I have been able to experience and achieve will serve as an example…to let young women, and females in general, know that there is nothing to fear in the “man’s” world. Once you prove yourself, you will be respected.” – Paula Mc AdamBy Leonard GildarieThe evidence is clear. More and more women are taking the reins of influential positions traditionally held by men. As a matter of fact, business magazine, Forbes, said that 2012 was a standout year for women in business. For the first time in history, there were 20 female CEOs at the 500 biggest U.S. corporations, with several foreign businesswomen moving into global power positions and a growing number on major company boards.In Guyana, there are numerous examples of women stepping up in male-dominated areas. This week’s ‘Special Person’ is a perfect example. Though working behind the scenes, Paula McAdam has worked her way up in the aviation industry, now holding one of the most powerful positions in the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) – the body that regulates the country’s airspace.Paula Mc AdamShe has achieved many firsts in an industry which has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, most notably with the expansion and accreditation of Ogle Airport.A mother of three and set to retire this year,Terza Maglia Juve 2018/19, Mc Adam is currently GCAA’s Director of Aviation Safety Regulation – and the longest serving staff member.Her career spans more than three decades. She was appointed Air Traffic Control Officer in 1979 – Guyana’s first female to have been hired for that job.She was also the first female to be appointed Senior Air Traffic Control Officer; Assistant Aviation Inspector – Personnel Licensing; Aviation Inspector – Aerodromes; Deputy Director Acting and currently Director of Aviation Safety Regulation.She is the lead investigator in the Flight BW523 accident that occurred on July 30, 2011, which left a Caribbean Airlines aircraft broken in two and the spotlight on the aviation industry. She is tasked with preparing the crash report of that high-profile accident. It would be the first time that Guyana would undertake such a report, and it will have to withstand international scrutiny.SHOT AT…Paula Mc Adam has not had an easy time. Her home at Annandale was shot at and grenades thrown during the crime wave that rocked the country in the mid-2000s. Gunmen mistook her visitors for rival gang members. She almost gave up and left Guyana. That home has been sold.In the 1990s, while flying to Aishalton, a small plane she was in encountered bad weather and had to make an emergency landing in a half-completed runway. She still receives calls every Holy Thursday, wishing her a “happy birthday”, for her miraculous escape.She was heavily pregnant in late 1970s when the training began for new Air Traffic Control Officers. She gave birth and eight days into the training, a determined Paula who dreamt of becoming an officer, attended classes. Her perseverance paid off and she became the only female among the 10 or so persons hired.Moments after receiving a plaque from Prime Minister Samuel Hinds at a recent ceremony honouring women in the aviation sectorKaieteur News caught up with the former Bishops’ High School student at her office. She is about to proceed on pre-retirement leave and there are talks to have her stay on.The fifth of 10 children, the little city girl always knew she wanted to do something different. When all the girls were eyeing careers in teaching, and as office clerks and secretaries, Paula took classes in cartography, landing her first job at 17 years old at the then Lands and Surveys Department..“Being in the middle, I was forced to carve my own way. I was always independent.”Paula’s father was a postal worker, retiring eventually as Chief Postmaster at Linden Post Office.While her father held his job in Linden, the family stayed in the city, living in West Ruimveldt and then Lamaha Gardens.“My dad would come down on the weekends. As we got older and became independent, my mother spent more time with him.”While working at Lands and Surveys, Paula saw the advertisement for Air Traffic Control Assistant at what was then called the Civil Aviation Department. The interviewing process was a tough one, testing applicants’ simultaneous capacity to listen, write and answer questions, all at the same time.“Yes, it was stringent, with the pass mark at 70%, but I did well.”IMPORTANT TO BE ALERTIt was not easy work in the beginning. Paula had to travel from the city to Timehri working the shift system at the Control Tower, and it did take its toll on her personal life, but she persevered. She was promoted seven times.Her first major incident involved a BWIA flight which encountered bad weather as it was about to take off.“I gave the okay for the flight to take off. The area was clear around the tower. However, bad weather and poor visibility came on rather sud