The theme for International Women's Day 2021 is “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world, “ and focuses on the efforts by women in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. For LER, making sure that women are surviving and thriving in the workplace during the pandemic is a goal of so many of our graduates. We'd like to introduce you to Sarah Krikorian, AM 91, the CHRO for the American Lung Association.

"I find it hard to imagine a more gratifying professional role in a more turbulent year.  When I joined the American Lung Association almost two years ago, no one could have predicted that a respiratory virus would shut down the country for over a year.  Likewise, we could not have seen that this would be the year for a national reckoning with racism and an overdue examination of how we treat all people fairly—in both the workforce and in our communities at large.  Like my HR peers, I found myself guiding our organization through unchartered territory – relying on fact based information about COVID-19 to inform our response, acting as a steward to the organization as it absorbed a financial impact, and helping us pivot to a work from home protocol to keep our staff healthy and safe as they continued to deliver our critical public health mission.  The work I am most proud of this year was my leadership role establishing a Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity counsel to guide our organization to best practices internally and externally  as we approach our work in public health.

I would say that being a woman prepared me for a year that required equal parts operational expertise and emotional intelligence.  Like most of the country, our staff was rattled and confused at the onset of the pandemic.  Bringing an empathetic approach was key to helping our nationwide team ease into a tense year with relatively strong productivity and focus.  But when fundraising events were cancelled due to the pandemic, like so many other businesses, we had to reduce our staff size.  This is by far the toughest part of being an HR professional, and our organization managed these decisions and conversations with fairness and compassion.  Last, navigating the environment after George Floyd’s death took patience, humility, and close collaboration with our staff.  By creating a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Council, we had to first create openings for uncomfortable conversations and make a commitment to change.  It is messy, imprecise work that requires trust and a willingness to make mistakes, but it’s necessary if we are to create a work environment where everyone can thrive, just as we work tirelessly to eliminate lung health disparities. 

I think it is fair to say my life experience as a daughter, sister, friend and mother gave me experiences to draw on to get through this year.  As importantly, I credit LER for grounding me in the technical knowledge and skills to solve problems creatively, with an emphasis on collaboration and respect as key leadership tenants."