Emerging Professionals Spotlight

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Danyelle Grossman, HR Director for the California Faculty Association

Briefly describe your organization, role, and how long you have been involved.

I am the HR Director for the California Faculty Association, which is the union for the faculty, lecturers, coaches and counselors of the 23 California State University campuses. Understanding racism as systemic and intertwined with other oppressive structures, we center anti-racism and social justice in all the work we do. A big part of my role here is working closely with our internal staff union to ensure that working conditions are the best they can be for all of our staff. I joined the organization near the beginning of the pandemic, in June 2020.

How did you get involved with HR?

I got involved in HR in 2013 when the jewelry store I was managing was closed for a company wide restructure. I was able to train in HR for a year through the EDD, and happened to land a job that was transitioning HR to inhouse after having it outsourced for some time. This position allowed me to build the HR infrastructure that was needed to support the organization for years to come. From there, I moved into a director role at my current company and earned an MSHR from Pepperdine.

What part of HR interests you most?

I love almost all aspects of HR, but particularly training, recruiting, onboarding, and data analytics.

Where do you see yourself professionally in 5-10 years?

I'd like to be working on a larger HR team for a global organization

In your spare time, what do you do for fun?

I am a lover of nature so in my free time, you are likely to find me hiking to a secluded river spot to pan for gold, swim, and camp. I also love gardening and tending to my vast collection of indoor plants.

What is one thing most of your colleagues don't know about you?

I don't share many details of my private life with colleagues so they might be surprised to know that I love attending live music shows and festivals.

Rachel Sloss, HR Business Partner for VSP

Briefly describe your organization, role, and how long you have been involved.

I currently work for VSP (Vision Service Plan), and have been here since November 2016. VSP is most known for providing vision care insurance, but actually operates with five other lines of business that work together to optimize the delivery of eye care and eyewear to individuals across the US and globally. I have been working in an HR Business Partner role for a little over two years, supporting the Customer Experience Center in Vision Care. The role brings with it a wide range of duties, including employee relations, performance management, leadership coaching and development, training facilitation, and various projects supporting the operation of Vision Care.

How did you get involved with HR?

I got involved with HR based on my passion for human behavior and the employee experience. As a young adult working in various entry-level positions, I learned quickly that providing a workplace culture that supports engagement and enablement, creativity, and inclusiveness is key to the success of any business in any industry. I majored in Business Administration with a concentration in HR Management after switching from a Psychology major. My first HR-related job was as a Recruitment Specialist for a startup IT consulting company.

What part of HR interests you most?

I'm still figuring out what part of HR interests me the most! As I become further established in my career, I foresee that answer changing. At the moment, I find the most interest in employee relations, as it's important to me to be able to play a positive role in employee engagement and enablement by effectively resolving issues, supporting performance management, and helping employees feel heard and valued.

Where do you see yourself professionally in 5-10 years?

In 5-10 years, I see myself in a position that has visibility to strategic decision-making that affects the business I support. It's important for anyone to be a successful HR partner to understand how that decision-making affects the operations of the business and the people that keep the business running. I'd like to be an expert HR Business Partner within the next few years, and I would like to pursue a leadership position to develop my skills in effectively leading and managing employees directly reporting to me.

In your spare time, what do you do for fun?

I am passionate about fitness and staying active, so I spend a lot of my spare time exercising. I like to run, hike, play soccer, and lift weights. It frees my mind and often stimulates creativity as I'm able to think freely and clearly in a different setting.

What is one thing most of your colleagues don't know about you?

Most of my colleagues don't know that I'm into reading. I almost always have one or two books that I'm working on. Sometimes they are work-related, sometimes they aren't. I value continuous learning through reading, and it keeps my mind stimulated during times when I'm feeling exhausted from a long day at work.

SAHRA Mission Statement

The Sacramento Area Human Resource Association will, through the efforts of committed volunteer members, inspire, engage, and develop HR professionals to meet the challenges of a constantly changing business environment.