Articles

Member Spotlight on Sara Lamkey, MBA

Q: Were you born and raised in the St. Louis area?
A: I am from Leavenworth, Kansas, and moved to St. Louis to attend SLU. I started working in human resources while I was still in school, and now we are building our family here.
 
Q: What is your history with SHRM St. Louis?
A: I’ve been involved as a member off-and-on for several years. A few years ago, I took a job opportunity where I was going to be the “solo HR person,” and realized I missed having a great network of HR friends nearby. At that point, I got involved with the Young Professionals Committee and later took the reins from Andrew Metcalf. This year, I was lucky enough to serve on the Board of Directors as the VP of Development.
 
Q: Why did you decided to focus on employment/human resources?
A:  I fell in love with the variety of work. My first HR job included building management training, filing Affirmative Action Plans, leading an internship program, and creating compensation analyses for a global company. I’ve stayed in the field because I love working with businesses to understand the human impact of our everyday jobs and how we can improve the experience for everyone.
 
Q: Please describe your job.
A: I’m the Director of National Employee Relations at Graybar, a Fortune 500 headquartered here in St. Louis. I am responsible for our employment practices and policies. I lead a team that includes Human Resources Advisors who provide direct support to our employees and leaders across the U.S. My team also provides strategic HR guidance for our subsidiaries, investigation support for our compliance practices, management coaching, and employee relations expertise throughout the organization.
 
Q: What is your favorite part of the job?
A: My favorite part of the job happens when I’m working with someone on a particularly complex management issue, and I can start to see them getting excited about the outcome. Complicated work is never easy, but when you can prove that it’s worth the effort, my day is made.
 
Q: What is one example of a positive experience that you’ve had in this field?
A:  I love seeing the success of friends in the field. St. Louis has a well-connected HR community, and when you see teammates (former or current) take on new challenges, get promoted, or just share their unique wins, it is a great experience. The great thing about HR is that it is fairly industry agnostic – we can work anywhere and make a difference.
 
Q: Who introduced you to SHRM? How did you initially become involved?
A: I was introduced to SHRM while I was still a student but got really involved more than ten years later when I started working at a small organization. I met with Andrew Metcalf, who was leading the Young Professionals Committee at the time, and got more involved from there.
 
Q: What have you gained thus far through your SHRM St. Louis membership?
A: Connecting with HR folks across the St. Louis area is great for your well-being, and I’m grateful for this group. For example, during the early days of COVID, I had at least a dozen SHRM connections that I could quickly network with and share best practices. With the current talent landscape, it is great to have a “brain trust” of professionals who are easy to connect with. 

Q: What are your hopes for SHRM St. Louis for 2022-2023?
A: I am so excited for the next year of SHRM St. Louis! We have a lot of great momentum coming out of the pandemic, and a genuine appreciation for the complexities of our human resources roles. My hopes are that we encourage members to connect more in person, build trusting relationships, continue to elevate the role of HR in our organizations, and take care of each other. 
 
Q: What non-professional activities do you enjoy in your spare time?
A: I’m a huge fan of spending time at Tower Grove Park. My husband and I are members of the Botanical Garden, and love walking there. We’re also expecting our first child in November, so we will be looking for recommendations on family-friendly activities in St. Louis!
 
Q: What is a favorite quote of yours and why?
A: “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” - Amelia Earhart
I love this quote because it is so simple, but can provide you encouragement in a lot of different ways – on a difficult assignment, adding your voice to a decision, taking a risk, seizing an opportunity, etc. Plus, since Amelia and I are both from Kansas, a little advice from our home state is always welcome.
 
Q: Who would you consider to be your mentor and why?
A: I have a lot of mentors. I am a fan of the idea of having a “personal board of directors.” This is a group of people you trust and respect, and know they give you direct feedback and support. I’m thankful for them every day.