The HR Executive of the Year  - Large Company : Award Recipient & Finalists

The DallasHR HR Executive of the Year award recognizes an HR executive who has exemplified the strategic role of human resources in the past 12 months and who is an outstanding leader within the HR community. Awards will be given in two categories based on company size; Medium 51-499 employees and Large 500+ employees.  

The Award committee for the DallasHR Executive of the Year is chaired by the 2018 President of DallasHR and includes four current DallasHR members and/or previous award winners, and the DallasHR Executive Director​.

Award Recipient

Andrew Pryor - ECI Solutions

As Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Andrew is ECi’s idealist. He dedicates his time to making ECi the best it can be in every aspect and works tirelessly to ensure employees are engaged and working in an optimal, enjoyable environment. Andrew’s passion is utilizing the platform of HR to help employees build stronger careers for themselves and, in return, better lives for their families. 
In 2018, Andrew was named by the International Business Awards as the Gold Winner for International Human Resources Executive of The Year.  The International Business Awards (The Stevie® Awards) are the world's premier business awards.  In 2018, Andrew has also been recognized as winner of the 2018 Award of Excellence Communicator Award, 2018 Gold Winner of an AVA Digital Award and 2018 Gold Winner of a Hermes Creative Award.  In 2012, he co-authored the book SMILE GUIDE – Employee Perspectives on Culture, Loyalty and Profit.

Upon graduating from The University of Texas at Arlington, Andrew was named a White House Intern by President George H. W. Bush. During his time at The White House, he worked on the President’s Thousand Points of Light project.  Andrew has served on the Advisory Board of Directors for the University of Texas at Arlington School of Business for ten years and he is a past president of the SHRM Fort Worth Chapter. 

Award Finalists

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Tracy Brightman - FedEx

Tracy Brightman is the senior vice president of human resources and communications for FedEx Office, an operating company of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX).  In this role, Ms. Brightman oversees workforce strategy and analysis, employee relations, compensation and benefits, staffing and recruiting, leadership development and succession planning, training design and delivery, diversity and inclusion initiatives, talent and performance management, organization design and efficiency, as well as communications, crisis management, charitable contributions, social media and events. Under her leadership, the human resources team successfully works across functions and operating companies to further company initiatives and to maintain safety and remaining independent strategies.  

She travels as often as she can to visit both established and new operations, including retail stores, print manufacturing plants and transportation centers, and connect with the team members at the frontlines of the FedEx Office business.  She also spends time with the field sales team on customer meetings and business reviews.

During her 16-year tenure at FedEx Office, Ms. Brightman also served in the legal department as vice president, assistant general counsel and managing director of litigation and employment counsel.  Ms. Brightman earned her Juris Doctorate from The University of Virginia School of Law and received a Bachelor of Arts in English from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is admitted to the State Bar of Texas, and is also is a member of the Corporate Leadership Council.

Ms. Brightman is an active member of the philanthropic community. She currently sits on the board of directors for Elizabeth Toon Charities, which supports organizations providing education, assistance, comfort and therapy to children and their families who have been impacted by abuse, grief, poverty, disabilities and terminal illnesses. She has also provided volunteer hours for North Texas Food Bank’s Love Packs program as well as several other DFW-area family and children’s nonprofit organizations. Outside her professional and charitable work, she enjoys spending time with her family (and dogs), traveling the country, reading and honing her cooking skills. 

Natashia Stephens, PHR, SHRM-CP - Conifer Health 

Natashia Stephens is a Human Resources Director who works with Conifer Health Solutions and serves as an employee advocate, trusted advisor to leaders and change agent. She is a continuous learner and has a passion for developing leaders.  

Natashia’s passion can be found on display as she facilitates Conifer’s newly launched leadership development curriculum.
Natashia is a dedicated volunteer, serving on the DallasHR Member Engagement Committee. She also provides subject matter expertise for HRCI certification exam development.  

 

Gianna Venturi - Eyemart Express 

Gianna joined Eyemart Express in December 2016 as the Chief People Officer.  Eyemart Express is a Private Equity backed specialty retailer with aggressive growth plans.  Gianna’s main focus in this role is to develop and lead the strategic direction for Human Resources, drive the Company Culture and Customer Experience initiatives, while building sustainable HR solutions for the business’ growth.  
Prior to joining Eyemart, Gianna spent 2.5 years with Coach, Inc. where she was a Vice President of Human Resources.  In this role, she was responsible for the full global HR support for the COO, Finance, HR, IT, Supply Chain, Procurement and Architecture & Store Construction teams.  In addition, Gianna was responsible for HR Operations globally, which consisted of the employee call centers in USA and Asia, HRIS systems and processes and US Employee Relations.  Prior to Coach, Gianna worked for Kimberly-Clark Corporation for 16 years, occupying various senior leadership roles in their Human Resources and Strategy functions.  

Gianna has broad-based HR leadership skills and experiences, including succession, leadership development, compensation & benefits, and labor relations.   She has worked at a country, regional and global level, across expansive geographies and cultures including the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and North America. Gianna began her career in South Africa, where she was born, and has lived and worked in Africa, Europe and North America, where she currently resides.   

Gianna has a Global Executive MBA with Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management.

Cydney White, SHRM-CP - Stream Energy

Cydney White has extensive Human Resources proficiency resulting from 18+ years of experience within small to medium size organizations.  Specialized knowledge in privately held, high-growth, start-up companies in the technology and energy sectors.
 
An innovative Human Resources leader with a record of developing and driving high-impact strategies and organizational development initiatives that support a cohesive, performance-focused environment. She is a knowledgeable partner to top executives, with the ability to synchronize long-term vision with immediate action/change initiatives to optimize capabilities and support business goals. Cydney has hands-on experience in all facets of HR operations and is reputable for designing and implementing solutions that resolve issues and restore stability.

Strong experience in building award-winning, performance-driven corporate cultures, founded on trust and communication.  She is a demonstrated change leader with a focus on continuous improvement and customer service.  She is a relationship builder, strategic business partner and trusted advisor for senior management.