Her Story
About Kathleen
My career spans 45 years in upper-level management positions in human resources and management, working across nearly every industry you can imagine - healthcare, manufacturing, oil and gas, sales and marketing. I started out in office management with an accounting degree, but realized human resources was my true calling. I worked my way up from director positions to executive director of HR and law, developing extensive expertise in human resource law and diversity issues, even going into the courtroom to work on cases. Throughout my industry career, I was teaching as an adjunct faculty at Regis University because I've always had such a passion for teaching - I did that for over 30 years while working full-time. In the last 5 or 6 years, I semi-retired from industry and went full-time in academia, and now I work as a senior lecturer at Anderson College, business college and computing. My main area of expertise today is helping people understand the importance of management and leadership, and the way we can make companies successful. I still stay really busy with HR consulting for small businesses, helping them put together their business plans. I'm deeply involved in volunteer work, particularly at the Denver Rescue Mission where I work with people who have already detoxed, helping them get their resumes together and doing mock interviews to get back into the workforce - I do that 2 or 3 times a month. I also run a RAAC group that does random acts of kindness, raising money and delivering funds, food, or clothing to various organizations. I've published extensively, including documents and books, with my most recent publication being about the four pillars shaping today's successful leadership. I've also published a poetry book called 'Inspirational poems to guide your spirit' that I give to students to provide guidance during difficult times.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kathleen
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to hard work - very hard work. Throughout my career, I've stayed true to my values, even when it meant making difficult choices. There were a couple of times where I was asked to do something that I did not feel was ethical, and instead of doing it, I left the job even when things were pretty difficult for me, thinking how am I going to support my family, because I was a single mom for a period of years. That was very difficult, but I had to just say no and walk away. I think it's important to stay on the side of being ethical, because once you cross that line, it becomes easier and easier to do it again and again. I've always believed in doing the right things for the right reasons and treating people equally, working at being a strategic partner in HR throughout many decades.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is: if you find your passion in a job, if you're passionate about a job, you'll feel like you never worked a day in your life. This advice has guided me throughout my career, and it's why I've been able to stay engaged and committed for 45 years. I always tell my students, don't ring the bell - you're gonna have mistakes, and it's just like in the military, when you ring the bell, it's over with. You need to continue to pursue things and not give up when things get difficult.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to focus on knowing what you're doing and knowing the subject matter. Make sure you approach things with good critical decision-making and that you have done your homework. You need to know what you're talking about when you sit at the boardroom table. It's about learning and being prepared so that you can speak with confidence and authority. Don't just show up - show up informed, prepared, and ready to contribute meaningfully to the conversation.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I think there's an opportunity to change people's lives for the better - to help them advance, to help them graduate and get really good jobs. For example, there was a student who contacted me after graduating about two years ago. He had gone into a field and wasn't happy with his job. I told him, then don't do that - find where your passion is and figure it out. I helped him change careers, gave him a letter of recommendation, guided him, and met with him. Just last week I got a text from him saying thank you for being there for me, for talking to me, for helping me, for guiding me, for the letter of recommendation, and he's real happy now. He went from one entirely different field to another. That's the kind of opportunity we have in this field - to truly impact people's career trajectories and help them find fulfillment.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The greatest value to me is that you need to be ethical in everything that you do. I think ethics is extremely important. I've walked away from some situations where people have asked me to not be ethical, and at the time, it was like putting my job on the line, but I chose to leave because ethics was important to me. Once you cross that line, it becomes easier and easier to do it again and again, and you can get caught up in that. I think it's important to stay on the side of being ethical. I also believe strongly in honesty, doing the right things for the right reasons, and treating people equally. I talk to my students constantly about critical thinking, good decision making, and being ethical in all their actions.
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