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By Lynnette Keller
One of the Diversity, Equity,
& Inclusion Committee major topics is what diversity means to me. After spending 30
years in human resources, how could I possibly pick one of the hundreds of stories along my diversity journey? That’s why I decided to share my personal journey, one as a woman
in leadership through the professional world.
The summer before my senior year of high school, I started
a job at a manufacturing company as an administrative co-op. This was a time where
it was very common to have risqué calendars hanging openly in maintenance shops, and when women in leadership positions were few and far between and often viewed as tokens. At that time, there was little talk of diversity. The focus was instead on affirmative action plan requirements
and EEO-1 statistics, which were requirements issued
by the federal government
to ensure companies were making good faith efforts to hire pre-designated minority classifications and veterans into the workplace.
Back in the early 90’s, having only two women in leadership roles within a company of 30-40 cumulate leadership positions was very common.
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I recall both of these women where I worked clearly. One was in a senior leadership position and one was a
young building supervisor of the Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) plant. As a student with great aspirations, I admired these women and their persistence. I would think about how difficult it must have been when I would see watery eyes holding back tears retreating to a closed-door office after being bullied by male counterparts in meetings. I remember when the supervisor, a chemical engineer by degree, found herself in the midst of an
HCL leak and was seriously burned. Her crew, made up of older men, swooped her up, stripped her clothing, and put her in a safety shower – saving her life but exposing her in the process. My heart hurt
for her to have to go through such a horrific experience on so many levels. Regardless
of what these women went through, they persevered. Their tenacity to prove themselves was great. Although they had to work twice as hard to prove themselves, they did it and both went on to have incredibly successful careers.
After graduation, I started my professional career as an HR Generalist. I recall an early experience when I was sent to the CFO’s office by my manager to obtain some
information, where I was dismissed and treated very poorly. Upon arrival back to
my manager’s office, he said, “Come with me, let’s go for a walk.” We walked back to the CFO’s office, at which time my boss proceeded to share with the CFO in some pretty clear terms that he was to treat me with the same respect as if he, my manager, were making the request himself. Talk about an impressionable moment. There were many more bumps in the road for the next four years, but each bump was progress, and knowing I had the support to succeed was something I would forever be grateful for.
Shortly after my manager
and first professional mentor retired, I interviewed for a position at a much larger location with around 1,500 employees requiring HR support. When I showed up for the interview eight months pregnant, I figured it would
be a quick interview. I was pleasantly surprised with how professionally the interview was conducted and was surprised when I received a call the next day. I took the position and worked for that same director for 11 years in several different roles, gaining significant knowledge and progressing through my desired career progression.
I was exposed to some challenging experiences but
WHAT DIVERSITY MEANS TO ME