2023
Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion
INTERNATIONAL
AWARD
Lorri Oliver-Goldmann
Setbacks in your career and life are tough but with a strong foundation you can make it
Education: Doctor of Education (EdD) Candidate, Organizational Leadership, University of Massachusetts Global; MBA, Brandman University; BA, Organizational Leadership, Chapman University Company Name: Avenue5 Residential Industry: Real Estate – Property Management Company CEO: Walt Smith Company Headquarters Location: Seattle, WA Number of Employees: 2,800 Your Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Words you live by: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” –Maya Angelou Who is your personal hero? Everlena and Gale, my parents What book are you reading? The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama What was your first job? Cashier at McDonald’s Favorite charity: Birthday Party Project Interests/Hobbies: Family, friends, community involvement, cooking, music and traveling Family: My amazing and loving husband, Raimar, my supportive parents, siblings Gale Jr., Tina, Sean, Wesley and Richard and a host of nieces and nephews.
44
2023 Fourth Quarter
I’m honored to be selected for the Black Leadership Award by the Profiles in Diversity Journal, standing alongside other esteemed leaders. I want to thank my employer, Avenue5 Residential, and my peers for their unwavering encouragement. Looking back at my career, I see the importance of passion, perseverance, and adaptability. Initially, I faced challenges that made me doubt myself and my abilities. However, my passion led to perseverance and adaptability over time, which helped me grow. From the start, I wanted to make a meaningful contribution, leading me to pursue education. However, I quickly realized that education alone could not solely pave the way for success. As a result, I began looking for opportunities to help me strengthen my abilities and better leverage my new role as Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion. In this role, I have actively sought out projects to enhance my skills and deepen my understanding of how I can support others while making a lasting impact. I have enjoyed establishing the Avenue5 Diversity and Inclusion Collective, an initiative which aims to integrate diversity and inclusion across all aspects of the business. The launch of this collective featured a dedicated webpage, a robust learning track, live webcasts with experts, monthly blogs, expanded recruiting platforms, and more. This project allowed me to harness my education and passion to cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. Throughout my career, I have inevitably encountered setbacks that tested my resilience and determination. Despite these setbacks, I remain passionate, hard-working, and adaptable as I advance in my career and strive to inspire others. I always look for opportunities to encourage others, help them embrace change, and navigate with resilience. I am fortunate to have had amazing mentors, personally and professionally, to help guide me through my career and life. Of all the advice I have received, my parents, Gale and Everlena, gave me the best advice. In my twenties, I came home in tears about work and told my dad I wanted to quit my job. I was tired of being held to a different standard while others would receive praise for doing the bare minimum at work. He listened to me and said, “Don’t worry about what others are doing; they are not trying to get to where you are trying to go in life.” I remember looking over at my mom in frustration, and she just hugged me and whispered, “Remember who you are and what you are made of.” At the time, I didn’t fully understand the wisdom shared with me, but their words stayed with me and have helped me through disappointments, challenges, promotions, and relationships. I stay true to my vision, set my own standards for success, and take the necessary steps to achieve my goals. As I reflect on past advice, it ignites my passion to encourage and empower others. If one negative person can have such a profound impact, I aspire to be the positive influence that inspires people to live their best lives. I believe our foundation is everything. For me, that foundation is my faith, family, and friends. When I am weak, they strengthen, encourage, and see me through. Regardless of what others may be doing, I have a solid foundation to support me. www.diversityjournal.com