Describe your role & what you love about it.
Being a part of Human Resources affords me the opportunity to assist in the creation of a productive workplace in which employees are energized and engaged in the business. In partnership with other leaders, HR leads the way in management development, performance management, succession planning, career paths as well as other aspects of talent management. HR can’t do it alone because our culture has shared ownership between HR and all employees. We rely heavily on the leaders to help plan and execute strategies that make our workplace, best in class.
What I love about my role – every day is a new day that provides another opportunity for me to help an employee to excel to new heights.
How many other women inspired you or helped shape your career?
There is no question about the women who played a significant role in my life and its direction. The first was my grandmother who taught me to be humble and appreciate all things. My mother taught me about perseverance and hard work. Cpt. Lemza believed in me and afforded me my first leadership opportunity and trusted in my abilities, even though I was not certain.
I am very thankful for the women listed above who took me under their wings to assure my success in making great strides towards excellence. Each of these incredible women augmented my skills as a leader. They taught me life and business lessons that have allowed me to mold who I want to be as a professional, and to do so in my own way.
I am a firm believer that people come into your life for a reason or a season. It is the entry of people, the good and the bad, that teaches you about life and provides you with the ability to make well rounded decisions, based on what you know, where you come from, and who took the time to invest in you.
What is something that most people don’t know about you?
Most people are surprised to know that I spent 18 months in a combat zone hauling fuel through the Sunni Triangle in Iraq. What seemed like the end of the world, turned out to be the best thing that could have ever happened to me as this assignment challenged me in many ways, and helped me to step outside of my comfort zone.
I was assigned to a Transportation unit in Bartonville, IL along with 85 other service-members from across the Nation. I had just completed transportation training and had no clue what was next. Talking about being vulnerable, I was being called to perform my true duties…….
to serve and protect. After being in the Army for nearly 20 years, I had not been faced with such a task, which meant service not only to my country, but to the service-members that I would be responsible for. I took the initiative to become familiar with my responsibilities and sought out the required training that I would need to be successful. This meant reaching out to service-members who were versed in the area of combat, transportation and soldiers care and concern.
At first I was fearful and uncertain of my abilities, but with a good support base and the input of those more advanced, my tour of duty was successful. Success included the revision of convoy operational procedures which saved lives and were used theater-wide. For these efforts, I received the Bronze Star Medal of Honor for my achievements. This assignment showed me skills I had no idea I possessed and It also taught me that sometimes failure and fear are not options, and for good reason.
Why do you think WICT is important?
I have been a member of the WICT organization and have served in some capacity for the past 20 years. At first I was not sure if WICT would be right for me, or if I would be right for WICT, but after careful thought and consideration, I felt that we could both offer a great deal to each other. There are three types of people, those who make things happen: those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened. I joined WICT because I want to make things happen and not wonder what could have happened. Over the years, being a part of an organization that is true to the meaning of investment, has helped to connect me with other key women leaders across industry as well as helped me grow my career.
WICT has helped me to organize my efforts toward better use and to strive to be beneficial to others. Through WICT I am able to take what I have learned through my life experience and channel it towards a cause that will not only be rewarding for me, but to others as well.
WICT has afforded me the opportunity to touch many lives. I offer reassurance to those who feel that they just can’t go the extra mile, courage to say yes I can, and the ability to see pass their faults and use them to their advantage……this is what WICT has been to me.
What do you hope to see the WICT GO chapter accomplish this year?
Over the past year, the Greater Ohio Chapter has made great strides in revitalizing the chapter. Through the team’s efforts, we won several awards such as Most Improved…..how do we top that? Through our continuous efforts to be the best chapter for our members, we provide best in class programming as it relates to Leadership Development, Career Enhancement Opportunities, and Mentorship knowledge based programming such as Tech It Out. 2019 is off to a great start with acknowledgements for surpassing our membership goal, 24 participants in our 2019 Mentorship Program, and a monthly WICT Newsletter created and distributed by our own marketing team– wow! All of this in the first quarter……..we have an awesome team.
We are well on our way for yet another successful year – all due to the dedication and commitment of our board members who are nothing short of just being amazing – WICT Greater Ohio Chapter Boards members, keep doing what you are doing and we will continue to reach new heights. Keep up the good work.
