HB Leadership Updates
Newly Elected Roles
Meet CDO Amanda Garcia-Williams: A Passion to Create Healthy Work Environments
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Upon joining the firm in late June, one of the first things that Amanda Garcia-Williams discovered was that a lot of people had been anxiously waiting for her arrival. As the first person to hold the newly created position of Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer (CDO), her agenda has been full from the get-go.
“There is a real commitment to diversity and inclusion here,” she said. “Everyone has made time for me in order to give me context and background, which has been extremely helpful. I’ve learned this is a very friendly firm with a kind culture, and I’ve had a lot of assistance getting information.”
Garcia-Williams spent five years as an associate at Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, and later was in-house general counsel for four years at Jackson National Life, where she went on to become Associate Vice President and Head of Diversity & Inclusion and Talent Acquisition. During her time as an associate, she worked in the firm’s labor and employment group.
“As an L&E attorney, there is a lot of natural overlap between that sector and inclusion work,” she said. “We were proactively working with HR departments to mitigate risk by improving their work environments.” She also was active on DE&I committees at the firm.
“The opposite of a hostile environment is an inclusive environment,” she said. “We were always working to create healthy cultures and working environments.”
The C-level status of her new role “demonstrates the firm’s commitment that this needs to be an executive position, which will help ensure that our group will be part of the decision-making process,” she said. Garcia-Williams, who is based in Michigan, works remotely as part of The Link virtual office. “From a diversity perspective, The Link allows the firm to recruit from places where we don’t have an office, which really opens up the prospect field,” she said.
Many of her goals for the year revolve around diving into DE&I ideas that are waiting to be implemented.
“Together with leaders throughout the firm, I look forward to creating work environments where employees can bring their best selves to work and know that they have a path for career development and advancement.”
Read more:
New OMPs Named in Five Locations
Five new Office Managing Partners have been named by the Executive Board. They are responsible for driving brand awareness of the firm in their community, creating a positive work environment within the office, and serving as a liaison between the office and firm leadership. The leadership transition will take place over the next few months to ensure a seamless and smooth transition. Congratulations to our newly appointed OMPs – and sincere thanks to those who have served:
Austin: Jody Rudman (succeeding Lorinda Holloway)
Dallas: Eric Weatherford (succeeding Rick Illmer)
Denver: Barbara Grandjean (succeeding Kevin Kelley)
Madison: Jon Anderson (succeeding Mindi Giftos)
Milwaukee: Rebecca Mitich (succeeding Jack Enea)
Robert Blaisdell Named Boston OMP
Additionally, the Executive Board has approved Robert Blaisdell to serve as Office Managing Partner for our new Boston office, effective October 1. Bob is a partner in the firm’s Healthcare, Life Sciences & Education SBU. He has nearly 25 years’ experience advising healthcare clients, and has represented hospitals and healthcare systems, physicians and physician groups, and nursing homes. Bob served as Managing Partner of Summit Health Law Group, which combined with Husch Blackwell on September 1. Congratulations to Bob in his new role.
Amy Wachs Named New Environmental PSC Leader
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Our Practice Specialty Centers play an important role in the success of the firm by helping our attorneys deepen their legal knowledge of a given area and by assisting with cross-office collaboration. Amy Wachs has been named the new Environmental PSC Leader, effective immediately. Amy has deep experience in all environmental, health and safety regulatory programs, including hazardous and solid waste management, water discharges, air emission permitting, and federal and state chemical regulations. She focuses on providing practical advice to integrate regulatory compliance into everyday operations, ensuring the businesses run smoothly and successfully. Congratulations to Amy on her new role.