Celebrating #InternationalWomensDay at Georgia-Pacific
March is Women’s History Month and today is International Women’s Day. They are both reminders to commemorate and celebrate the vital role of women in American history, our society and in our workplace. They also give us a chance to recognize the progress we’ve made as a society to remove barriers that constrain opportunities for women. Many of these constraints, like the right to own property or vote, today seem unimaginable. But looking forward, we must continue identifying and eliminating barriers that persist for women and all individuals.
Much of the progress made has been fueled by women – social entrepreneurs – that have been willing to challenge and drive change. But, groundbreaking women aren’t limited to history books, they’re all around us in our communities and workplaces — and as a #GirlDad of two young women – they’re all around me.
As a leader at GP, I know that creating an inclusive work environment for women is essential to reaching our company’s full potential. Although that seems obvious, it is worth stating. And, it doesn’t stop at the end of March—it is a continuous commitment.
One way we’ve done that is to form great partnerships with organizations such as The Mom Project, Women in Technology and #SeeHer, because we know that women are an integral part of the workforce. While I’m very proud of the work that GP has done, I recognize that we still have important work to do.
During the month of March, we’ll be highlighting several women throughout the company on various GP platforms. You’ll see Gabby Gallardo, who started at Palatka and is now an Implementation Specialist from corrugated and Beth Brumberlow, a shift engineer with our cellulose business in Brunswick. You will also read about Nakyia Nix at Talladega Lumber and Kaa Brazer, a production leader at our Brewton bleach board operations. Their contributions, along with countless others, help to create value for our customers and keep GP at the top of our industry.
In line with our Guiding Principles of respect and self-actualization, I encourage the women and all individuals at GP to continue bringing different perspectives, experiences, aptitudes, knowledge and skills to drive innovation and enable us to create value for our company, our partners, and society.
