Executive Assistant Employee Relations

Lani J. Aragon

Diversity and Inclusion leader with specialization in delivering innovative strategies to attract, hire and retain talent. Highly skilled in designing and executing inclusive programming that aligns to business priorities and maximize performance results. Strong operational focus and usage of tools, metrics, data, and analytics to ensure optimal effectiveness and compliance with regulations. Consultative and proactive approach with proven success in the management of relationships with corporate officers, management, employee resources groups, and external partners.

Diversity & Inclusion Leadership

Strategic Planning

Trainer/Facilitator

Change Management

External Diversity Partnership Relations

External Reputation & Branding

HR Compliance (OFFCP)

Business Resources Group Leadership

University & Alumni Relations

Project & Budget Management

Professional Experience

JLL, Chicago, IL 2016 - Present

Director, Inclusion, Diversity and Culture Americas August 2018 – Present

•Build, manage, and leverage key relationships with colleagues, executives, business resource groups (8,500+ employees), business line councils and our Americas D&I Council, and our external diversity partners by helping guide our diversity strategy to support our 31,000+ employees across the Americas.

•Expand and drive firm’s inclusive go-to-market recruiting practices and strengthening relationships with diversity organizations and non-traditional talent pools by functioning as a thought leader and adviser.

•Globally project manage our People Survey, analyzing results for leaders to drive change.

•Work with national business resource group leadership teams to ensure events and activities align to overall firm strategies and goals, HR, and overarching national D&I goals and address identified needs, wants, and gaps of employee populations.

•Partner with business leaders and talent acquisition team to develop strategic and tactical plans to attract and retain diverse talent to specific business units based on data, forecasting, and goals.

•Create and deliver educational, learning and developmental training to support management and employee development (Ex. Unconscious Bias, Diversity Recruiting Toolkit, Contextual Leadership, Microaggressions and the mitigation of them).

•Drive key national and global initiatives designed to promote and build a value-added diversity and inclusion proposition securing brand presence, community respect and recognition.

•Review, provide feedback on, or create HR processes and procedures that support our overall D&I efforts to assist with better measuring, streamlining, and capturing D&I subsets of data.

•Maintain insight on diversity best practices, market conditions, and benching marketing to better service our internal key stakeholders in the joint effort of improving diversity and inclusion efforts.

•Serve in as an employee relations and ethics liaison on diversity and inclusion employee concerns.

•Define metrics of success. Establish metrics and dashboards that track diversity and inclusion within multiple business functions and processes.

Manager, Executive Support March 2016 – August 2018

Project Management for the Americas CHRO and HR.

Facilitate the Human Resource Leadership Team and support the Americas Executive Committee (C-Suite for the Americas).

National lead for possABILITY, JLLs BRG (Business Resource Group) for people with all abilities. Involved with several other BRGs and their initiatives.

Lead for the Champion of Excellence program for the firm. (Lifetime achievement award) Involves video production of family and colleagues without the knowledge of the winner. Event planning and travel coordination for the awards across business lines and events.

Created and ran our HR Forum, a weekly communication call for the HR function.

Event planning, HR and firm wide, large and small, events.

Support the HR function implementing process improvements and best practices.

Maintain CHRO’s calendar, meeting schedule, as well as travel and logistic planning.

Research issues on behalf of the CHRO and take necessary action or provide response, as appropriate.

Key stakeholders include C-Suite and the Americas Executive Committee.

Track data and analytics for key metrics for the firm.

Franciscan Ministries, Inc. Wheaton, IL · 2005 – 2016

Assistant to the President

Developed and implemented a full day new associate orientation providing new associates with vital information leading to less down time and lower staff turnover.

Process improvements: Implementation of long-term electronic storage for Board of Director’s materials and associate medical records.

Facilitated Employee Engagement Survey’s and action planning, across 32 sites.

Created and implemented on-line trainings in for associates to meet OSHA requirements.

Independently conducts daily operations of the office of the President, determining priorities based on knowledge and understanding of current business priorities.

Prepare materials for Franciscan Ministries, Inc. Board of Directors and all of its Subsidiary Board’s utilizing information obtained from the President, Chief Financial Officer, Senior Regional Manager’s and the Director of Resident Services, ensuring timely distribution of all materials.

Maintain current progress on the Strategic and Mission Integration Plans, obtaining information from executives, ensuring that all timelines are being met. Liaison with the System Vice Presidents ensuring proper reporting.

Maintain President’s calendar and meeting schedule.

Maintain professional relationships with all internal and external customers.

Administrate and coordinate the Worker’s Compensation Program.

Manage and oversee associate medical files to ensure we are in compliance with assisted living regulation in each state.

Chair of Restaurant Selection, and assist on Auction Committee for the Generous Gourmet, an annual fundraiser to raise funds for children’s programs.

Create and maintain organizational and legal involvement charts.

Manage and organize hospitality services for corporate visits and employee events, resulting in well-planned and organized events.

Facilitate onboarding process for new associates including drug testing program.

JDS Uniphase Santa Rosa, CA · 2000 – 2004

Executive Assistant to Vice President & General Manager; Director of Sales & Marketing

Provide executive support to divisional executive team with decision-making authority to contribute to the achievement of corporate goals and growth.

Effectively handle requests and inquiries from internal and external customers to provide accurate information and resolve issues, preventing situations from escalation.

Create and maintain organizational charts in an ever-changing environment to accurately reflect staffing.

Book and coordinated extensive domestic and international travel itineraries.

Prepare presentations, expense reports, correspondence, mailing lists, mail-merge distributions, and divisional e-mail communications.

Manage hospitality services for corporate visits and employee events, resulting in well-planned and organized events.

Chaired planning teams for many events (attendance range of 500-1,200), including quarterly employee briefings, dedication ceremonies, safety and holiday celebrations.

Provide secondary support to human resources, sales, marketing, and public relations staff.

Act as lead administrator for division, cascading corporate communication to divisional administrative team, monitoring workload distribution and problem-solving as appropriate.

Human resources background includes recruitment, drug testing, hiring, benefits administration, supervision, discipline, and termination.

Co-chartered the Administrative Support Council, a networking group involving eight JDS Uniphase locations across North America; as a team member, created work instructions, identified common vendors, maintained Intranet site, and developed training resources for new hires.

Conducted new associate orientation classes for retail sales and service associates and managers.

Education

Diversity Best Practices, 2019

JLL Real Leadership, 2018

Unconscious Bias Training, 2017 and 2018

JLL Best Manager Program, 2016

USBLN Disability Awareness and Best Practice Courses, 2016-2018

American Management Association: Getting Results Without Authority, 2013

deep SEE Consulting: Seeing Through a New Lens: Building Effective Relationships, 2013

Corporate Learning Institute: Leadership Academy, 2012

OSHA, Injury and Illness Recordkeeping Training, 2012

Rock Hurst University: Business Grammar & Usage, 2011

Skill path Seminars: The Administrative Assistants Conference, 2008

American Management Association: How to Communicate with Diplomacy, Tact and Credibility

American Management Association: Business Writing Strategies, 2007

Franklin Covey: 7 Habits for Highly Effective People, 2007

Santa Rosa Junior College: Psychology, various general business courses; 1990 to 2004

American Management Association: Conference for Administrative Professionals; 2001

Skillpath Seminars: “How to Become a Better Communicator”; 2000

Skillpath Seminars: “The Conference for Assistants”; 2000

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