African American Woman & Manager

Submitted by Kelli Daley on Tue, 2009-10-13 10:56

All working parents get thrown off their game now and then. A health crisis, a death or a birth can send even the sturdiest of employees into a tailspin. In such times of turmoil, work-life benefits aren’t just nice, they’re essential. Even more critical: a manager who isn’t afraid to put these benefits into play. We asked a group of our Hall of Famers—companies that have landed a spot on the Working Mother 100 Best for 15 years or more—to tell us about managers who are truly committed to their employees. What did we get in return? Stories of gratitude from staffers who found unsung heroes in their bosses.

IN PRAISE OF Stefanie Chiras, manager, systems and technology group, IBM

“I was taking classes at Marist College and working full-time last spring when I learned that I had brain cancer. I was stunned, so when the oncology team explained the impending surgery, all I could think was, But that’s the day I’m supposed to graduate. Back at the office, I was showered with concern and support. My boss, Stefanie Chiras, got me set up to work from home and visited me in the hospital. I still needed to complete one more class after my diagnosis, but Stephanie was intent on seeing me graduate. When the college allowed me to take the class as a work-study option, she spent hours on all the paperwork. Thanks to her, I graduated on time.”

James Kyle, systems and tech development project engineer, 27-year employee

IN PRAISE OF Ray Acosta, manager of food services, Baptist Health South Florida
“You hear a lot about job perks, but when it comes to actually asking for one, you worry. Last year, I mentioned that I’d like to refresh some basic skills through Baptist Health’s School-at-Work program. Then I held my breath. My boss, Ray Acosta, nominated me for the program immediately. Then he really surprised me: Ray told me to figure out a flex schedule while I took classes. Just like that, the can-I-do-this question vanished. I’m now looking into a college program, and, you guessed it, Ray has already offered to plan my work schedule around my new classes.”

Ninoska Cordova, food services worker, 2-year employee

IN PRAISE OF Suzanne McGibbon, senior partner, Deloitte

“You plan and you plot out your maternity leave, but you still have those nagging concerns that you’ll fall off the radar while you’re out of the office. When I was on leave with my second child, my boss, Suzanne McGibbon, knew that I was anxious. She understood that I had ambitions to prove myself and that I would make a run for partner when I returned from leave. So she stayed in close contact with me, kept me up to date on office machinations and then pointed out a potential opportunity for me to be a senior manager on a new project. She didn’t stop there. She actually helped me relocate to San Francisco from Washington, DC, to be near the client. That project was a turning point in my path to making partner, and her help made all the difference.”

Jessica Kosmowski, consulting principal, 12-year employee

IN PRAISE OF Jim Pazzaglia, associate director of global business services, Procter & Gamble “Technology is great for some things at work—telecommuting, teleconferencing and anytime-anywhere connections. But all the gadgets and Wi-Fi in the world can’t replace the importance of the relationships you form working side by side.

I was worried about this as I transitioned to a new role in multicultural marketing: Most of the group was located in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and I was in Cincinnati. Luckily, my boss, Jim Pazzaglia, is one of those people who get it. Jim enabled me to live and work in Puerto Rico for three months. This practice isn’t common at P&G, but Jim advocated for it anyway. The payoff has been tremendous.”

Justin Buckner, section manager, global business services, 12-year employee

IN PRAISE OF Karen Sones, SVP and HR strategic project director, First Horizon National
“When you learn that your husband has cancer, you expect a certain amount of understanding from your employer. What you don’t expect is the kind of caring and encouragement that I got during my husband’s seven-month battle. Assuring me that my role as a caretaker for my husband was the most important one, my boss, Karen Sones, was there for me, even insisting that I take an annual family ski trip—something I thought I should skip given the days I was already spending away from the office. At the time, I couldn’t see the big picture, but Karen did. Thanks to her wise council, we enjoyed one last vacation together. The memories of that trip are priceless to me now that he’s gone. What a treasure I would have missed had it not been for my boss.”

Patti Fulbright, coordinator, payroll systems, 15-year employee

IN PRAISE OF Kulendran “Kula” Kunaretnam, SVP/head of global network services, Japan/Asia/Pacific/Australia, American Express
“My job typically involves two to three days of traveling every week, which was great until I became a mom. After my daughter, Sophie, was born, my boss, Kulendran “Kula” Kunaretnam, let me cut back on travel and take Sophie with me on all my business trips, then told me to organize my travel schedule to accommodate traveling with an infant. Now I take flights during the day rather than overnight, combine trips to cut down on the number of flights, take an extra day after most trips to help us get adjusted and work from home whenever I need to. Without my boss’s enormous support and flexibility, I wouldn’t be able to be a working mother.”

Katrina Sarah Stuart, VP/group general manager, global network services, Japan/Asia/Pacific/Australia, 8-year employee

IN PRAISE OF Mike Murray, VP, brokerage services, and Margie Salamy, VP, administration, Lincoln Financial Group
“My fiancé, Pete, and I were thrilled when Jacob, our first son, was born in March 2008. When Jaron, our second son, was born 14 months later, we were just as thrilled but uneasy about the time we were missing from work. Pete and I not only work for the same company, we work in the same call center and in the same small business unit. But our managers, Mike Murray and Margie Salamy, went out of their way to ease our concerns and help us put family first. After I had Jacob, I took the first three months at home and peter took the second three, so we didn’t have to put him in child care for the first six months. After Jaron was born, we feared that we had exhausted our team’s patience—but Mike and Margie helped us come up with a schedule that worked for everyone and allowed us to bond with our babies in a way we couldn’t have otherwise.”

Jayna Todisco, producer services consultant, 8-year employee

IN PRAISE OF Darrell Dryer, director of employee relations, Hallmark Cards
“When I became a single mom with 95 percent of the parenting responsibilities, my family went through a rough transition. Working full-time wasn’t an option; I had to work fewer hours. Rather than be dismissive or disappointed, my manager, Darrell Dryer, immediately had my position reevaluated and my hours reduced. In the years that I held that position, he never expected less than my best but never offered less than his full support as I struggled with the issues most single parents wrestle with while raising young children. He simply trusts his employees to always do their best—a rare faith in today’s workplace. As a result of his support, I accepted a promotion last year that I wouldn’t have considered had it not been for his unique management philosophy. Flexing schedules is just one of the tools he uses to get the most for—and from—his employees.”

Amy Winterscheidt, national philanthropic and volunteer manager, 17-year employee

IN PRAISE OF Brad Hopton, partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers
“As the mother of an 8-year-old son with regressive autism, and a tax director, I have experienced both the challenges andtriumphs of being a working parent. Having a supervisorwho not only listens to your ideas but also advocatesfor them is one of the triumphs. That’s why Brad Hoptonis so well-liked and respected. Having experienced similar challenges as the father of a special needs child, he has been a constant advocate for people with disabilities and parents at PwC whose children have special needs. Last year, he championed our idea to launch a national Special Needs Caregivers Circle for the firm. It now has more than 100 members and is an invaluable resource for staffers to connect with other parents whose children have special needs and to share resources.”

Laura Sucharski, tax director, 8-year employee

IN PRAISE OF Andy Hartsfield, VP, public policy and advocacy, GlaxoSmithKline
“Working full-time and raising five children means you’re busy every minute of the day. But life came to a grinding halt when I found out I had breast cancer. Surgery was followed by six weeks of daily radiation. My boss, Andy Hartsfield, was beyond supportive, giving me all the time I needed for medical treatment. But his support didn’t end there. I joined a cancer psychology program, and the group suggested I explore a flexible schedule at work. I had always longed for flextime, but with all my responsibilities at the office I just didn’t think it was possible. Andy made it possible. Without hesitation, he approved two work-at-home days each week. He’s the best boss I’ve ever had.”

Elizabeth T. Seifert, director, public policy, 12-year employee

IN PRAISE OF Yahne Marie Henry, manager of global procurement projects, Johnson & Johnson
“Just three months before my mother was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, I started a new assignment at work. How could I possibly ask for flexibility now? Imagine my relief when my boss, Yahne Marie Henry, was unfazed and approved my request to telecommute from my mom’s home. Last May, I had the honor of sharing my story with First Lady Michelle Obama when Johnson & Johnson was recognized for work-life leadership at the Corporate Voices for Working Families annual meeting.”

Jeanette Rivera Boria, project leader at Ethicon, 10-year employee

IN PRAISE OF Michele Alcazar VP, HR, Prudential Financial
“Pregnant with twins at age 40, I was already consideredhigh risk. But then a complication arose with one of the babies and I was put on bed rest. I was terrified, but in the end I couldn’t have hoped for a happier outcome: My manager, Michele Alcazar, gave me an assignment that let me work from the comfort of my bed. My twins were born healthy at 36 weeks! Then Michele offered me a three-month phase-back plan. She not only sees the value of alternative work arrangements, she isn’t afraid to use them.”

Sonya Medina, manager, HR, 15-year employee