Patricia Torres, MBA
Patricia Torres, MBA, is a seasoned Human Resources professional with over 25 years of experience in the customer service industry, specializing in call center operations, talent acquisition, and team management. She began her career at Verizon Wireless, advancing rapidly over a decade while managing teams of 19 to 23 employees and mastering every aspect of call center operations except training. Patricia has also held key roles at Convergis, developing expertise in management, customer service, and HR, and building a reputation for dedication, hands-on leadership, and a deep understanding of what it takes to support high-performing teams.
Currently, Patricia serves as the Human Resources Manager at A First Step, a healthcare organization supporting individuals with disabilities and their families. In this role, she applies her extensive leadership experience to foster a supportive and effective workplace for both staff and clients, ensuring individuals have the resources and guidance they need to thrive. Beyond her HR work, Patricia is an entrepreneur, jewelry designer, and Associate Pastor at Exalting Jesus Fellowship, the church she and her husband were entrusted with in 2017, demonstrating her ability to lead with both vision and compassion.
Patricia earned her MBA in 2014 and is currently pursuing a PhD in Business Administration and Management at the University of Phoenix, driven by her lifelong commitment to learning and professional growth. She is a certified Scholar Practitioner Leader and serves as Treasurer for Upsilon Omega Psi. Passionate about building her professional brand, Patricia advocates for the recognition of call center and customer service roles as demanding, leadership-driven positions, while mentoring others and creating environments where teams can excel and grow.
• Certificate , Leadership
• Scholar Practitioner Leader
• University of Phoenix - BBA
• Grand Canyon University - MBA
• Regent University - MDiv
• Sorority Treasurer (2008-2015)
• Sorority West Area Leader (2008-2015)
• Upsilon Omega Psi
• Homeless Ministry Kitchen Leader (10 years)
• Associate Pastor at Exalting Jesus Fellowship (since 2017)
• Veteran Clothing Donations
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to attention to detail and documentation. In every job I've ever had, everything required documentation, and this is even more important in HR. I also believe in following directions and being thorough - dotting your I's and crossing your T's. I'm a lifelong learner, which has been key to my success. I said I was gonna go to school till I died, and right now I'm pursuing my PhD even though I already have my MBA. You gotta learn, and things right now are different than they ever used to be, so continuing to educate yourself is essential.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering this field to learn good communication - maybe take some courses in it, even if they went to junior college to get an associate's degree in communication, at least to start. Communication is the key in any business. Kids learn differently these days, and the big thing for them is to learn how to communicate and to be able to be detail-oriented at the same time. They learned different in school than I was in school, and they don't teach them the same things. Everything's online now, and it's like, you know, what happened to people? Communication is the biggest thing that young people need to enter into any field.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge facing young women entering the field of talent acquisition, human resources, and customer service is learning how to communicate effectively. Kids learn differently these days, and the big thing for them is to learn how to communicate and to be able to be detail-oriented at the same time. They learned different in school than we were - everything's online now, and it's like, what happened to people? They're not really being taught the communication aspect in school anymore. Communication is the biggest thing that they need to enter into any field.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Servant leadership is the most important value to me, both professionally and personally. I like to be able to serve the people that I work with at the same time as I'm leading. This value extends beyond my professional work into my role as Associate Pastor at our church, where serving others is central to everything we do.