Employee Spotlight: Alva George

My name is Alva George, and I am an accessibility inspector for E&A Team.  It is an honor to be featured in this month’s Employee Spotlight on E&A Team’s blog because February is Black History Month.  I have always been an anomaly in many ways and being a black woman accessibility inspector is one of those ways.

From birth, my life has deviated from what is standard, normal, or expected. First, I have a unique name. One would think that “Alva George” would be a man. Alva and George are both male-dominated names, so I have not one but two male names.  I was born in a predominantly white culture. I come from the Pacific Northwest, which has a low percentage of black people, roughly 4.4%.   I am a born and raised Washingtonian, and as a child, I was the only black person in my elementary school.  I later graduated as one of five black students out of 300 from Redmond High School.  

My grandfather was a Building Contractor. My father was the Electrical Inspector for the City of Bellevue, Washington, and my mother a Graphics Designer for the Boeing company. Due to the nature of their jobs, I became interested in Architecture, which is another anomaly because it is largely a male-dominated field.  After graduating as the first Black American woman from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies and a Bachelor of Architecture, I went to work as a Site Accessibility Specialist at The Easter Seals Society of Washington State.  My background in architecture is where my interest in accessibility was sparked.

My family and I moved to Savannah, GA., after the death of my father.  I worked at Savannah College of Arts & Design (SCAD) as an Associated Designer & ADA Specialist.  I was responsible for making the campus accessible and designing layouts of residential housing for students with disabilities.  I worked as the project manager on numerous architectural projects and as an accessibility inspector on large commercial projects.

I was introduced to E&A Team by a former coworker who had the forethought to understand that I would love such a delightful opportunity to be involved in such a great organization.  The multifamily housing project accessibility inspections I do for E&A Team are extremely rewarding.  I am treated with the utmost respect no matter what part of the country I may be in.  Being a black woman accessibility inspector does not make a difference to me; my humanity comes first. 

I love people and enjoy doing anything I can to make a difference in helping others.  I feel that people with disabilities are often discriminated against just like blacks and other minorities.  Civil rights for all people are imperative to me as a black American woman, and I want to use my talents the best I can to encourage that right.  Because I love people and enjoy being around them, I have learned to be a good listener.  I have never had an issue with getting along with others, and I always try to meet people where they are.

Most people are like me and are interested in what they can do to make living and life easier for others.  I make sure to be personable, and if an issue should arise, I do my best to address it at the time, then and there, if possible.  If I do not know the answer to something, I tell them that I will look into it and find someone that does.  I have a wonderful job, and I can utilize my experiences and educational background to help others.  I never get tired of hearing tenants say, “I can now live independently on my own.”  What more can I ask for?