My name is Vicki Weaver, and I am the author of Road 2 Human.

A native East Tennessean, I am a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and a second bachelor’s degree in Latin. I graduated from Vanderbilt University with a master’s degree in Classical Languages (i.e. Latin and Greek).

Having taught secondary education (Latin and mythology) for three years, I took a second job in the finance industry as HR coordinator to help pay bills. Soon after, I said a sad goodbye to education and pursued a full-time position in Human Resources, where I have spent the duration of my professional career, most recently as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at a large community bank.

As an HR director, I have primarily served as a true generalist, with a professional interest in management assessment, organizational efficiency, and employee relations. In my role, I have worked with every level of the organization, from hiring multiple frontline team members, to assisting middle and upper-management with staffing issues, to reporting regularly to the board of directors. This broad range of “customers” has given me a special look at humans in every part of their career – I’ve hired folks for their very first job; I’ve helped some develop skills to advance; I’ve counseled individuals on career decisions; and I’ve helped others prepare for retirement. I have had the joy of offering a job or a promotion, and I’ve had the painful duty of escorting others to the next (unexpected) change of career course.

HR brings the good and the bad. It also forces you to pay close attention to everything you do, and everything others do. It creates opportunities to learn about people every single day, and it presents a special relationship to interact with humans at their most vulnerable – their livelihood. When you impact folks in a way that feeds their families, you see what they care about; you see fierce adherence to their priorities, and you observe hard-working individuals experience many more emotions than most of us want to have at work. I would never say that I always handle things the best way or that I have all the answers – just like everyone else, I am a work in progress, and I hope that I am always engaged enough to continue to learn and grow. HR has taught me to look at life differently, to treat others carefully, and to consider the perspective of others as a critical stop along the Road 2 Human.

Disclaimer: All opinions expressed in this blog are my own. I represent the views of no other person, organization, or entity with the content on this website.