How long have you been with your organization, and what originally drew you to join the team?

I’ll celebrate four years with Ford Gum & Machine Company this November. After many years in larger organizations, I was ready for a new chapter: a smaller company where I could have a direct impact and learn a new industry. Ford Gum offered all of that. As a one-person HR department serving over 100 associates, I’ve had the chance to build our people's practices from the ground up, with inclusion designed in from the start.

1. In what ways does your organization create an inclusive culture where employees feel seen, valued, and heard?

Being small is an advantage. I can sit down with every associate to learn what they’re looking for, how they want to grow, and what work feels meaningful to them, so we can build an environment that truly supports them. Inclusion also means making sure everyone understands what’s being asked of them and why. Our associates speak many languages, so we deliver safety training, harassment prevention, town halls, onboarding materials, and our  newsletter in multiple languages, and audio translators are available whenever an associate needs one. We also span several generations, so we share information by text, electronically, and in hard copy, and each person can get it in the format that works for them. During a new associate’s first week, we check in to ask how it’s really going.

2. How does your organization engage with and support the broader Buffalo Niagara community through DEI-related efforts?

We partner with local schools to help students get ready for the workforce through job preparation, mock interviews, and similar opportunities. Many young people don’t have someone in their life who can coach them through a first interview, and we’re glad to be that resource.

3. What challenges has your organization faced on this journey, and how have you worked through them?

 We started from a low baseline in HR, and doing this work alone means choosing carefully where to invest time. Language barriers and multiple shifts make it hard to reach everyone the same way. We’re also seeing a gap in soft skills and communication across the workforce, which affects how people collaborate, give feedback, and work through conflict. We’ve worked through these challenges by meeting people where they are. That means translating materials, offering several ways to communicate, showing up on the floor, and building communication skills at every level, from equipping supervisors to lead difficult conversations to coaching associates as they grow.  

4. How do you encourage allyship and shared responsibility for DEI across all employees—not just HR or leadership?

Inclusion can’t live only in HR. Our managers are trained to be fair, consistent, and transparent, because the person associates see every day shapes their experience far more than any policy does. We’re intentional about setting examples that associates can see and model in their own work. Our buddy system also gives line associates the chance to spread their wings as mentors, helping newly placed associates find their footing and feel part of the team from day one.

5. What partnerships, collaborations, or community relationships have strengthened your DEI work?

Our partnership with ARC of Western New York, which launched this fall, has opened doors for talented people in our community who are too often overlooked in the workforce. 

6. How do you measure success and impact in your DEI efforts?

We evaluate our production and support teams using core competencies aligned with our mission and vision, focused on what each person truly brings to the table. We want to make sure no one is overlooked and that everyone is evaluated using the same evaluation scales. We also track 30-day turnover, temp-to-hire conversion, and first-week feedback. The clearest result is that communicating in ways people can easily understand has increased engagement and, as a side effect, our production rates. People want to work where they feel welcomed, valued, and like they belong.

7. What advice would you share with other leaders or organizations beginning their journey toward greater equity and inclusion?

Start with listening, and start small. Fix the barriers that keep people from fully participating, hold inclusion and accountability together, and measure what actually changes for people.