Toni L. Chester has earned a BS in Applied Mathematics and a BS in Statistics from the University of Central Florida. She has over 18 years experience in design engineering, transportation and systems engineering. Before being displaced in August 2001, Toni had been working as a computer consultant providing end-to-end application development, project management and business analysis to corporations and firms including Lucent Technologies, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, AT&T, and Ernst & Young, LLP. Before this Toni worked on the design of steam turbine piping applications and automation of these processes for Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Currently Toni is employed on a short term consulting assignment at a large, global law firm based in Manhattan, New York where she is designing, developing and implementing a new HR system.
It's interesting to note that many of Toni's former customers have either insourced software engineers from foreign countries, or sent the application development functions offshore, yet Toni finds it difficult to find opportunities in her area of expertise.
Toni has provided written testimony before the House Judiciary subcommittee on Immigration concerning her personal experience with the H-1B Visa program and guest workers under this program. Toni was dismissed from her position on the Agere Systems spin project while the H-1B Guest Workers were retained. She learned quickly that the opportunities once afforded to her were no longer available.
During her long term unemployment, Toni was put in a position of telling her son that a college education was not a viable option. Based on her experience, she realized that her education and experience had no bearing on her ability to find or hold opportunities. It became worthless in her eyes. She communicated her frustration to her 14 year old son and advised him to pursue opportunities that may insure him a future, opportunities in a trade. Toni's son will be joining the freshman class at the University of South Carolina in the fall where he will pursue an education in Electrical Engineering.
Toni believes that all professions are at risk. She believes that changes must be introduced and implemented to insure that career opportunities are available to American Engineers, Scientists, Programmers and Technical Professionals.
Toni is an intelligent, talented, spirited, ball of fire and will be an inspiration to others and an asset to AEA.
