I fell in love with the work and the impact I could continue to make at H-E-B. That was 18 years ago!
Let’s start with your H-E-B story. What brought you to H-E-B?
My mom, actually! She has worked for H-E-B for the past 31 years, so it feels like I’ve grown up with the company in some ways. Because of that, when it came time for me to get a job, H-E-B just seemed like the obvious choice. Over the years of watching my mom interact with her job I could tell she loved it, and I wanted that too. Her career started in the bakery so every day that she worked she’d come home from her shift with a box of donuts, and it’s always held a special place in my heart. In 1998, when I was in high school, I went to work as a bagger part-time, then moved on to cashier before I was transferred to our business center. Even back then I really enjoyed it and I just remember how nice it was to be able to make my own money!
What did your journey look like after that? Did you always plan to stay at H-E-B long term?
No, surprisingly, I didn’t. After graduating from high school, I attended the University of Texas and pursued a degree in psychology. H-E-B was supposed to be my part-time job while I was in college, and after I graduated, I became a department manager. My ultimate goal was to be a forensic psychologist and I even worked as a background investigator for a while. I realized shortly after my role as an investigator that I loved the culture at H-E-B and was passionate about investing in people more than any other role outside of H-E-B. When I was offered a role in HR at H-E-B and accepted, my career path quickly became apparent because I fell in love with the work and the impact I could continue to make at H-E-B. That was 18 years ago!
During that time, my career has taken me all around Texas, starting in my hometown of Laredo and heading to Austin while in college. I returned to Laredo after college after starting in HR, and I got the opportunity to move to Houston because they needed a bilingual HR Manager. Houston and Laredo are like night and day, and it was a bit of a culture shock at first, but it didn’t take me long to realize I was meant to live in a big city! Houston was especially exciting at that time because of all the growth we were experiencing. While I was in Houston, I supported Mi Tienda as an HR Manager, and even took on the role of a project manager for a time, helping open several of our Houston H-E-B stores. Eventually, I was offered a position as the Talent Leader in the region, which was one of my all-time favorite roles.
After a decade, Christy Banazek, my leader, offered me a new challenge — supporting NWFD as the Director of HR. It was an easy decision for me; I thrive on challenges and was excited to be part of H-E-B’s expansion into the Metroplex, a goal I’d heard about since joining the company. It was a big deal!
Wow, you’ve had a very exciting career! What’s your favorite part of your job now?It’s been super exciting! I’ve enjoyed getting to be in so many different places over the course of my career, but really my best days are when I get to see our Partners reach their greatest potential. No matter the position I’ve been in, I’ve always loved getting to support our Partners in reaching their goals and celebrating them when they get there, and that’s something I’ve gotten to do in some capacity or another throughout the entirety of my career.
What’s been the most challenging?
We all have lives outside H-E-B, and when our Partners are struggling in their personal lives the greatest challenge can be how can I or my team find them the right resource or be the resource they need. Taking care of our Partners isn’t one size fits all, and there’s a lot of opportunity in that to make a difference in their lives, but it can also be a challenge.
Has your psychology degree helped you in your career at H-E-B?
Psychology is all about the mind and the psyche, and so much of it is about understanding people. Even though I didn’t pursue what some might call a typical psychology career, I feel like I’ve used so much of what I learned in my career because H-E-B is all about people and connections. I even returned to school to get my master’s in psychology, and it’s only benefited me over my years here.
How do you feel your contributions are valued?
Not long ago, I got a call from a Partner, whom I had worked with 20 years ago in Laredo, letting me know he’d gotten promoted to the job he wanted (a job that didn’t even exist back then) as a trainer in the border. Although we’ve had some contact over the years, the fact that he thought of calling me after two decades to share where he landed in his career meant so much. To me, that speaks the most to how my contributions are valued by the company.
What’s next for you?
That’s a tough one! When I look back over the past 25 years, I never imagined building a career at H-E-B and having the passion for the work that I do, but I am so grateful to be here. Because of that, I don’t really think of ‘what’s next’ regarding my role, I’m just hoping that whatever I do I continue to have this level of passion for it. The job I have today is one I really enjoy, so what’s next for me now is continuing to do that work to the best of my ability and with passion —because we’re not slowing down in the Metroplex any time soon!
What’s been a memorable moment for you at H-E-B?
While I have so many, entering the Metroplex tops the list for me. Entering a new market is always a challenge, and this was no different. Shopping at H-E-B is a new concept for the DFW area, so we had to ensure we made a good impression and supported our Partners and customers there. This truly was a team effort and we brought in Partners from across the state to make this a success. So, while there have been a fair share of challenges and learning lessons, it’s been such a neat thing to see everyone come together on this. And for me, I love being a part of the team here. I know we have a long road ahead of us, but all I can see is more growth for our Partners and more opportunity to take care of our customers.
You’re pretty involved with our Hispanic PRG – what is that like?
I was born in Mexico City and raised in Laredo, so my background has been heavily influenced by Hispanic culture. It’s such a huge part of who I am, so getting to be a part of our Hispanic PRG was important to me. Before the PRGs even expanded companywide, we had the Hispanic PRG in Houston. I was there at the time, so I got to be a part of its growth and outreach inside the company as well as within the community. We had so many amazing outreach programs in Houston that greatly benefitted the Hispanic community there, so I am very excited to see that continue to evolve as it expands. Every PRG elevates what we do for our Partners but also in the communities we serve and I’m excited to see what the future holds for not only the Hispanic PRG, but also the entire PRG network.
What advice would you give others about working for H-E-B?
Do something positive to leave a positive impact on those around you. Be a good human, be kind to others and you will be remembered. At the end of the day, it’s about what we are doing for others and how we are having a positive impact on the people around us. Keep doing that and the special H-E-B culture we all enjoy will live on!
