This month we are highlighting Lisa Derico, HR director at Hammond Group, Inc., mom of an awesome daughter and one of 13 siblings! Derico started at Hammond 17 years ago as a temp and is now an active member of WGBI and a leader in the industry. What follows is a short write-up of a phone conversation with Lisa:
Where do you get your industry news?
I always read BEST magazine and get a lot of information from the BCI website. I also learned a ton from BCI’s convention earlier this year. For HR news, I am always reading the Society for Human Resource Management‘s materials. Outside of industry news, I read any book or article about leadership and especially enjoyed Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In. And finally, I can’t recommend Michelle Obama’s book, Becoming enough!
What support are you currently getting or what support are you looking for that you aren’t currently getting?
My executives really support me and I truly have no complaints, this is especially important as a Black woman in this industry. They are the reason I am involved in WGBI. I want to encourage and support other minority women in this industry to be more engaged and attend WGBI activities and events. Come join the Energizing Conversations and the mentor program, they’re a lot of fun and the people involved are like my sponsors!
How do you decompress outside of work?
I am the local alumnae chapter president of Delta Sigma Theta, an organization of Black women that values sisterhood, scholarship and service. It’s a great way to bond (and network!) with fellow professional women.
Any last piece of advice?
This is a really unique industry, and I really enjoy it. I joined up not knowing anything and now I know A LOT and I ended up meeting a lot of great people!
