The Chairman's Corner

By John Chipman, Jr.

May 2021

On March 24, 2021, CMSA’s Northern Regional Chapter hosted a first-time-ever event: Women on the Move. The virtual event included a panel of distinguished speakers, including Olga Garcia, Laurie Griffiths, Shiree Hammer, Casey Myers, and Jeanette Homan. The event moderator was the Chapter’s Co-President, Griselda Gonzalez.

During her introductory remarks, Griselda noted that March 24th, was also a sobering benchmark: Equal Pay Day in the USA. The day is symbolic of how far into the calendar year women must work to make up for the pay gap with men, according to Griselda. It’s also an acknowledgement of how much further we need to go.

Griselda, Contracts Manager at CG Moving in South San Francisco, warmly welcomed the 65+ virtual participants, followed by roll call and the pledge of allegiance. For the panelists, the day allowed CMSA the opportunity to acknowledge the contributions that women make to the moving and storage industry.

Here are several important highlights from the Women on the Move panelists.
For Laurie Griffiths, CEO of VIP Transport (“VIP”) in Corona CA, what women need is the opportunity to succeed: “There’s no shortage of women in the moving business, but they are mostly in supporting roles. There is a lack of confidence in women’s ability to move ahead – to be leaders.” Laurie doesn’t lack confidence or support from her company. And, her success has really helped VIP. During Laurie’s tenure as CEO, VIP has expanded business operations in Orange County (Merit Moving System), Upland CA (Golden Eagle) and to Las Vegas, NV. Laurie is also one of two women on the Board of Directors for UniGroup (parent company of United and Mayflower), a billion-plus-dollar-a-year enterprise. What’s Laurie’s advice for women (and men!) ready to move ahead? “Never stop learning, which means having the strength to admit when you don’t know something…this is a great way to get mentors.”

Olga Garcia, Customer Service Manager at CG Moving, would like employers to develop talented women: “Ideally, companies would make it a priority to invest in women. Whether through training, coaching, and learning events, like conferences. It’s money well spent, because it will help companies grow and it turns employees into better businesspeople.”

Shiree Hammer, CFO of California Relocation Services in Garden Grove, CA has straight forward advice for women: “Lead by example; including getting involved in your professional career.” For Shiree, this has meant leading CMSA’s Orange County Chapter as President since 2018. Shiree is also currently CMSA’s Secretary and Treasurer. And, following her installation during CMSA’s 2022, convention in Reno, NV (Yes, this will be CMSA’s next, big in-person event!), Shiree will be CMSA’s Chairwoman. If you want to demonstrate confidence, Shiree recommends “being prepared, mentally present, and able to ask questions during meetings.”

What about women who might be struggling professionally? Casey Myers, Vice President at Champion Risk & Insurance Services, and a CMSA Associate Board Representative, advises: “…don’t give up. Persistence pays off. And don’t let your fears or insecurities hold you back. Just go for it.”

As the President and owner of Lambert Transfer & Storage in Lemoore CA, Jeanette Homan knows workplace flexibility is very important to employees, especially moms with children. The ability to work remotely is not only good for working families, but it makes good business sense for companies looking to attract and retain employees. During the event, Jeanette said: “Emotional intelligence is a useful skill, which prevent making decisions based on emotional biases means doing what’s best for your business…and flexibility is a core value; it shouldn’t be limited to crises, like the Pandemic.” Jeanette is a big proponent of women helping each other: “Age and experience brings confidence and the ability to share with other women.” Her tip for career advancement is “continue your professional development, even if it’s outside of the moving industry.” For example, Jeanette served 16 years on her local school board: “I believe in thinking outside the box; there’s always room for growth and improving the way we do things.”  

CMSA salutes the contributions women make to our industry every day. In fact, the advancement of women as leaders is our only path forward if Movers and Suppliers want to grow and prosper. During her concluding remarks, Griselda summed up the opportunity our industry has with respect to women: “We are stronger together.”

May 2021- CMSA Communicator