How did your career start, and what has your work experience been?
I began my career in HR almost six years ago as an HR Coordinator in the Transportation Industry. Early on, I gained hands-on experience with onboarding, compliance, and employee relations, which set the tone for my career path.
Will you talk about your current role at Clean Earth?
I am currently an HR Generalist at Clean Earth, where I support the Southwest and Central regions. I handle employee relations cases, onboarding, promotions, information changes, as well as supporting compliance and HR processes. This role has given me strong experience in both the day-to-day and strategic sides of HR.
Are there any misconceptions people may have about your position?
Of course, a common misconception is that HR slows things down. Some might see HR as a barrier with too many processes. In reality, those processes are in place to protect the business and employees, ensuring fairness, compliance, and consistency.
Let’s talk about some of the highlights of your career. What has been the most rewarding or meaningful part of your work experience thus far?
My latest accomplishment has been earning my SRHM-CP certification. Having this certification shows I have a strong foundation in HR, and it’s helped others within the business trust my recommendations and see me as a reliable partner.
How do you enjoy your time outside of work?
Outside of work, I really value family time, so a lot of my free time is spent with my husband and daughter. I also enjoy staying active with spinning classes and serving as a kids’ ministry leader for the kindergarten class at my church, which has been a rewarding way to give back to the community.
How do you empower other women in our industry? What advice do you want to share?
One way I focus on empowering women in our industry is by modeling healthy work-life balance. Women often carry multiple responsibilities both at work and at home, and it can feel like we must sacrifice one for the other. My advice is to set boundaries, normalize flexibility, and strive for consistency over perfection.
Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at the start of your career?
I would tell myself to not rush and trust the process, but most importantly, to believe that I am capable of everything I set my eyes on as long as I work for it.
How should we encourage the younger generation of women to join the waste industry?
I think the key is visibility. Many young women don’t consider the waste industry because they don’t see role models who look like them in it. We can encourage them by increasing visibility of female leaders and showing how the waste industry directly contributes to sustainability and community impact.