By: Laura Phillips
Anyone who has been active with the FCBA Foundation over the last few years or anyone who has attended the Annual Seminar or last few FCBA Spring Receptions hosted at AT&T’s Washington DC offices likely knows Anisa Green. Anisa has dual roles within AT&T as a Director within the External & Legislative Affairs Federal Regulatory team and as the Chief of Staff for AT&T’s Executive Vice President. She has a wide-ranging portfolio and plainly enjoys what she does. I was delighted to have some time with Anisa this month to hear more about what she does, how she came to these roles and made them her own and of course, to hear her advice to younger communications professionals.
Q. What attracted you to the field of communications?
A. Interestingly enough – I fell into this field. I knew I wanted to be a teacher and use a law degree to help those who could not help themselves. But I wasn’t necessarily focused on technology, media and telecommunications (TMT). I’m Brooklyn born and bred, and I started college close enough to home so that I could come back home every weekend; my family is tight knit. After 2 years of that, I realized that the university I was attending was not going to take me where I needed to go as I was attracted to a more liberal arts curriculum than where I was and I moved to the DC area to complete my undergraduate degree at George Washington University in Philosophy of Communications. My plan at the time was to go back home to Brooklyn to get my law degree then set out on my way to saving the world one little mind at a time. And the summer before I was to set out to do just that – I got a temp job that sent me to assist two attorneys at a company called Ameritech. The two attorneys just happened to have worked at the FCC just a year and a few months before I temped for them and the experiences they shared with me were fascinating. Within a week of me starting– they offered me a full-time position as their paralegal / legal assistant. I never looked back, and I have no regrets.
Q. Tell us about the various places you’ve worked through the years and a little bit about what you are doing now.
A. I’ve been with AT&T for over 26 years. I held many positions prior to joining the company – but the resume rule is that you only show the last 10 years of your career so those jobs don’t even show up on my resume anymore and were pretty basic early stuff. I have held responsibility and worked on many subject areas throughout my career at AT&T and I’ve done that from different corners of the DC area. I am an anomaly in that I have not relocated and have been in the AT&T DC office my entire career. My current areas of subject matter expertise where I support the business are a full range of universal service issues – never a dull moment there – and matters involving digital equity. A large part of what I do is collaboration and education outside the company; there is quite a bit of talking involved. I liaison with the FCC in my substantive areas, and in my Chief of Staff role I manage budgets and handle a range of people issues. So quite a lot to do but it keeps things interesting.
Q. Have things unfolded in your career more or less the way you planned?
A. My career has been so much more than I planned. I have been able to not only experience regulatory work and expand my knowledge exponentially – learning from some pretty smart people, I have been able to serve my community, network and travel to places in the capacity of looking like the communities that AT&T serves. I feel truly blessed as I have been supported by leaders at AT&T who allowed me to blaze my own trail – both internally and externally – and fostered a space where I could and did excel. My mother realized this about me when I was very young – give her the project – give her the assignment – and she will get it done. She will find the tools and figure it out. I have had mentors who also saw those qualities in me and not only recognized it but cultivated it. And I flourish in those settings (I’m a true Capricorn)!
Q. What’s the most interesting or challenging thing that you’ve done in your current position?
A. TMT is interesting and challenging at the same time. There is always something new to learn and I continue to experience new areas within TMT in my career. What keeps it interesting is that it is always changing.
I think the most challenging thing that I have done in my current position is navigate the conflicting changes – more recently – keeping the team (and myself) engaged during the uncertainty of COVID. When we were all sent home without an idea of what was happening next, I was challenged with ways to keep our team connected. I had to create some semblance of normalcy – while inevitably blurring the lines between personal and business. I mean folks were seeing the inside of my home on video calls who I wouldn’t have ever invited to my home (no offense)! It was a challenging time for everyone. But we learned so much from that time about new ways to foster connections and to collaborate.
Q. Is or was there something interesting or someone who surprised or impressed you during your career and why?
A. I have had the good fortune of meeting all sorts of people throughout my career. I have attended conferences or events where I had the pleasure of meeting celebrities in the community from authors to CEOs of non-profits. It’s hard to single out one person as the most memorable – but I will say that one of the top 10 folks who left a long-lasting impression on me was Brenè Brown. She is as amazing a writer as she is a speaker. And it helped that I had read one of her pieces prior to meeting her. It felt like she was chit chatting on my living room couch when I saw her – it was as if she was just talking to me and exchanging ideas of how to navigate those common but difficult spaces in life with grace and empathy.
Another top 10 person was Judy Smith (the real-life Olivia Pope). OMG – what an experience – one that is etched in my memory bank in cement. It felt like she was in my kitchen while I cooked dinner for us and my family was family-ing … and she did not bat an eyelash. So regular, so refreshing and so very insightful. To sum up – all of my experiences in meeting folks have been amazing and have shaped my approach to my career. Each one taught me something and stretched me.
Q. What do you enjoy reading?
A. I love a good novel on my coffee table and a good soul hug book on my bedside table. Currently “The Celebrants” by Steven Rowley is on my coffee table and “The Mamas” by Helena Andrews-Dyer is on my bedside table. In general, I love reading pieces that challenge my imagination while also enhancing my vocabulary.
Q. Is there something (a hobby or other tidbit) people don’t know about you that you are willing to share?
A. Most folks who know me know that I love a good shopping day with a good brunch to kick it off and a good DJ to dance the night away. And most folks know that I am a Brooklyn girl with fifty million kids who likes to have fun! Perhaps what folks don’t know is that I come from a line and legacy of educators who, despite facing adversity and inequality in the education system for black folks, went to and graduated college coming out of serving in WWII. That proud legacy can also be seen in bricks and mortar as the Walter Weaver Elementary School in Brooklyn is named after my grandfather who was a teacher and also worked at the New York Board of Education.
Q. Can you share your perspective on the pitfalls to avoid or other career advice for those who are just getting started in the communications field?
A. One of the potential pitfalls to figure out managing through is recognizing and learning how to get out of your own way. Not only are you navigating people around you – you are also growing and learning about yourself and your capabilities throughout your career. Over-thinking has its place, but it should not lead to paralysis. When you face obstacles – especially as you are elevated in an organization – giving yourself some time and space to think through the best approach to a problem or anticipated issue is a good thing. What I am suggesting you avoid is overdoing the overthinking to the point that you are fearful to move. Notice when you begin to over think. Figure out what brings you clarity and helps to stop the cycle. And of course, know how to unstick yourself and keep moving.
Q. How has your life changed as a result of COVID-19 and what are you looking forward to doing next?
A. The depth of COVID times has to be one of the most memorable times I’ve experienced. We have seen many life-changing historical events (e.g. 9/11, first Black president), and this one was way up there. I tend to think that life has changed for the better from having to be resilient and to adapt to get through it. But the jury is still out on that as I realize over time that I’m becoming detached from some of the habits that I formed during that time (reluctantly). I have to consciously enhance and build on the good habits that I developed, such as taking time to get some fresh air throughout the day.
Q. How long have you been an FCBA member, and what to you is the value of FCBA membership?
A. I have been volunteering for the FCBA for over 17 years. I was the AT&T representative at events but initially not as a member as membership in the association was limited to attorneys. When the FCBA changed that restriction, I immediately became a member, but I can’t recall exactly when that happened. However, once I was able to join the FCBA, I quickly became part of a couple of committees or working groups – my perennial staples are the Charity Auction, the Annual Seminar and the Diversity Pipeline Program. I’ve stood for election and served on the FCBA Foundation and co-chaired it. The need for continuity with Foundation work even as people rotate on and off of the Foundation Board led me and my fellow co-chair to suggest a new co-chair framework for the Foundation. The Executive Committee endorsed that, and I am happy to say seems to work well. I also help on other committees – Women’s Leadership and Wireline Committee – as needed. It has been a tremendous honor serving in the FCBA – there are so many opportunities to support the community at large and the membership. What I value most is the close-knit connection to my fellow FCBA members and the shared desire to serve. So, all you non-lawyers out there, I highly recommend you dive right in!