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SHENANDOAH VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Harrisonburg, Va.
DaMes Likes To Keep On The Move By IAN MUNRO
Daily News-Record
For Nadia DaMes, 34, of Mount Crawford, there’s not enough time in the day. “I’m always up for a challenge,” she said, “which is why I like doing so many different activities at once.” DaMes is not only the president and operations manager for UMA Inc. in Dayton — she is also a leading member for many local religious and community groups, including Faith in Action and United Way. In Faith in Action, DaMes is a representative for the Islamic Association of the Shenandoah Valley, while she is on the
community impact committee for United Way. UMA Inc. is a small manufacturer of instruments for the aviation and health industries, she said. “It’s hard to say that the aviation world overlaps with community service projects,” DaMes said. “But I feel like in other areas, I try to build character more.” DaMes helped to establish the new “Know your Neighbor” group in Staunton, which hosts quarterly potlucks and helps to collect donations for food banks. This year, DaMes finished her first oneyear term as president of the Bridgewater Rotary Club. “While I was president, my main goal
was to bring in new membership and get people to know what Rotary is all about,” she said. Now, she is the public relations chair and helps to spread the word and get others involved in the club’s work. And now, as one of the youngest members of the club, she helps to run its the social media accounts. “I might as well,” she laughed. DaMes said the community helps support her, just as she helps to support it. “I have a whole support system behind me,” DaMes said. “Between organizations, friends and families, I wouldn’t be here where I’m doing what I am without them.” Contact Ian Munro at 574-6278 or imunro@dnronline.com. Follow Ian on Twitter @IanMunroDNR
DaMes
How Should Diversity Factor Into Hiring The Right Team? Assembling the right team is essential to having a thriving workplace. It is important to know what you need when hiring your key positions. Unless you are extremely selfaware, you might not know what you need. That’s why diversity is a key component of any human resources strategy. Diversity doesn’t just have to be limited to what people look like on the outside. While that is helpful to assembling a strong team, it’s important to go deeper than that. It’s essential to know how to hire based on what your team looks like on the inside. Here are three things to think through when applying diversity to hiring your key team members.
not strong. If you are a visionary — but execution is not your strong suit — then you will need people around you who can help you act on your ideas. Building a solid foundation of action-oriented people will help you move forward. Alternatively, if you are action-oriented, but have a hard time developing vision, then you likely will want “ideators” as advisers. They will help you think beyond the present day and develop possible courses of actions. Diversity of skill sets in your key team members will help balance you out. Having that range of abilities will solidify the strength of your business.
1. Skills
2. Experiences
As the leader of your business, you have had to rely on your strengths to get to where you are today, but you might not be fully aware of your weaknesses. It’s important to have your key team members be able to fill in where you’re
Depending on your professional background, it’s best to have people in key positions who have had experiences different than yours. Your experiences have brought you to this point, but it’s helpful to have people who have done other
things to help you move forward. If you have spent your entire career in your industry, then it may serve you well to bring in some key people who have served in other industries. Getting team members who have worked for your suppliers can help you understand better how to deal with those
Leadership Robert McFarland
See LEADERSHIP, Page 11
Congratulations
STEVEN FAUGHT
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