Migdalia Rios Martinez
Migdalia Martinez is a dedicated professional with extensive experience in supervision, human resources, and employee relations. Currently serving as a DOD Supervisor at Team Wendy, she oversees operations to ensure quality, safety, and on-time delivery, while mentoring and training employees to achieve their full potential. Her career spans roles in production management, site supervision, and administrative support, demonstrating her versatility and commitment to operational excellence.
Migdalia’s leadership style emphasizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and empowering teams. She has managed large teams, coordinated Out-of-School Time programs, and implemented strategies that foster growth and engagement among employees and community members alike. Her background also includes hands-on experience in production, quality control, and process optimization, reflecting a strong ability to balance people management with operational demands.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Migdalia recently earned an Associate’s degree in Human Resources Specialist from Bryant & Stratton College, further enhancing her expertise in HR and employee development. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she is passionate about mentoring, creating supportive work environments, and giving back to her community, making her a respected leader both on the job and beyond.
• CPR & AED
• CPI
• Mental Health FIRST AID
• Bryant & Stratton College- Associate's
• Instituto Biblico Ebenezer
• CPR & AED HSI Donesafe
• CPR & AED Esperanza
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the guidance and support of my parents, Migdalia and George, who were my first mentors and taught me the value of hard work, perseverance, and integrity.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
“Focus on people, not positions.”
Explanation:
In management and HR, it’s easy to get caught up in job titles, organizational charts, and performance metrics. But the most effective leaders understand that people drive results — not positions or processes alone.
Here’s what this advice really means in practice:
- See potential, not just current performance.
- A good manager doesn’t just manage tasks; they develop talent.
- Great HR professionals look beyond a person’s résumé or current role to see how they can grow, contribute, and lead in the future.
- Build trust before influence.
- Employees won’t follow a leader simply because of their title.
- Trust, empathy, and consistency make your leadership credible — and that starts with truly understanding your team.
- Create culture, not control.
- The best workplaces don’t rely on rigid policies; they build strong cultures where people feel safe, valued, and motivated.
- As HR or management, your role is to shape environments where people can thrive, not just enforce rules.
- Invest in relationships — they’re your long-term capital.
- Your network, reputation, and the way you treat others will outlast any single job or company.
- People remember how you made them feel more than what you achieved.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
“Don’t shrink yourself to fit into the workplace — help reshape the workplace to fit your values.”
Your voice, perspective, and presence matter. The more young women step into management and HR with confidence and authenticity, the more inclusive and successful workplaces become.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
- Get comfortable with both people-skills and technology/analytics. HR isn’t just “soft stuff” anymore — being able to understand data, tools, change is important.
- Develop a learning mindset. You’ll likely need to help others upskill/reskill, so being ahead is a plus.
- Build your business acumen: understand how talent strategy links to organisational strategy, financials, performance.
- Be a change-agent. Organisations will value professionals who can drive change, lead transformation, and manage the human side of change (resistance, culture, engagement).
- Embrace flexibility and new ways of working. If you can lead or support hybrid/remote teams, design remote-first processes, you’ll have a strong advantage.
- Lead with purpose and inclusion. As expectations rise around culture, belonging, purpose — being able to champion and operationalize these will be key.
- Own your value: With so much change, HR/management roles are more strategic — that puts you in a stronger position to influence, grow, and advance.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in my work and personal life are faith, empowerment, and goal setting, while I also cherish family time, staying active as a basketball mom, and personal growth through learning and reflection.