Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Elder.
Hi Lisa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
When I was 15 years old, I gave birth to my son, Vincent. Having grown up in a low-income household of 6 children and two adults, I was determined to escape poverty and give him a better life. This then became even more complicated when I ended up in foster care after my father became incarcerated. Despite all of these challenges, I had a goal in mind, and no one was going to stop me. I continued to attend school and care for my young son as I navigated my way through foster care before my aunt and uncle were able to obtain custody of me shortly before graduating high school. After graduation, my aunt and uncle were gracious enough to help me with my son while I went on to pursue my associate’s degree in paralegal studies. I successfully completed the program in 2010. While searching for a position in the paralegal field, I began a position as an Animal Care Technician with the Wayne County Humane Society and later being moved into an Adoption Coordinator position before landing in the legal field as a corporate paralegal at a local prestigious law firm. At this point, I also had my daughter and had decided to go back to school for a bachelor’s degree in business. In 2021, I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in business with a specialization in business intelligence and analytics management when I decided that it was time to give back to my community in a big way. In November of 2021, I became the Executive Director of the Wayne County Humane Society, and for the last two years, I have worked tirelessly to help those who cannot speak for themselves, improving the working conditions of the employees and bettering the processes within the shelter to increase efficiency.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Over the years, I have held several differing roles, but one thing has held true throughout all of my roles. I am a corporate paralegal who enjoys giving back to our community through nonprofit work as well as supporting local businesses to help our community thrive. I have an eclectic set of skills that make me an asset to our community. My paralegal training has taught me to be organized and think things through before taking action, which oftentimes allows for the best course of action to be taken while minimizing negative results. I also have a keen sense of control, even in stressful situations, that comes in handy when needing to pivot from the original plan. A side skill that I have acquired over the years was being able to use Microsoft Word extremely well (so well that I even decided to get a certificate as a Microsoft Office Specialist in Microsoft Word). I enjoy using it, which has helped me hone my skills. In many of my positions, I have been the go-to Microsoft Word person. I am proud of my accomplishments at the Wayne County Humane Society with getting the shelter more organized, improving efficiencies, and creating a more professional work environment. We were able to help over 1,200 animals last year!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Over the years, I have held several differing roles, but one thing has held true throughout all of my roles. I am a corporate paralegal who enjoys giving back to our community through nonprofit work as well as supporting local businesses to help our community thrive. I have an eclectic set of skills that make me an asset to our community. My paralegal training has taught me to be organized and think thing through before taking action, which oftentimes allows for the best course of action to be taken while minimizing negative results. I also have a keen sense of control, even in stressful situations, that comes in handy when needing to pivot from the original plan. A side skill that I have acquired over the years was being able to use Microsoft Word extremely well (so well that I even decided to become get a certificate as a Microsoft Office Specialist in Microsoft Word). I enjoy using it, which has helped me hone my skills. In many of my positions, I have been the go-to Microsoft Word person. I am proud of my accomplishments at the Wayne County Humane Society with getting the shelter more organized, improving efficiencies, and creating a more professional work environment. We were able to help over 1,200 animals last year!
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
One of the most important lessons I have learned over the years is to listen more than you speak, but speak when it is important.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wchs.org/
Image Credits
Lisa Elder
Charlie
Crystal Speicher
