Best Practices Session -  Let’s talk resource groups!

We all know that resource groups create positive change in the workplace by connecting people, purpose, and passion. Join us to see how other companies design their structures, fill leadership positions, engage with executive sponsors, identify allies, and more to drive their mission, vision, and goals. Plus, hear more about how companies can promote and educate colleagues about their resource groups.

Date: Friday, May 14

Time: 8:30 – 10:00 AM

Presenters include:

Genelle Cochran and Miranda Wantland, GE Appliances

Shilpa Kale and Keisha Smith, Humana

Genelle Cochran

Genelle Farley Cochran is the Director of Product Management for GEA’s Ventilation Product Line. In her role she is responsible for leading and driving the product line strategy, end to end profitability, and new product program execution.  Genelle specializes in project execution, inclusive leadership and is an expert in cross-functional collaboration. She has been with GEA for ten years with various Procurement responsibilities beginning with the Controls Sourcing team; from executing cost-out strategies for all EMD components for Cooking, to creating and executing the strategies for Ice/Water and Filtration systems.  In addition, Genelle held the Sourcing responsibilities of all FirstBuild products. 

In her role as a Sourcing Account Manager, Sourced Laundry & Dishwasher Products she was responsible for leading and driving all aspects of those product lines in the areas of total cost, quality and delivery while owning the overall supplier relationship.  Prior to joining GE, Genelle worked extensively in the Oil & Gas industry purchasing natural gas and providing energy and sustainability consulting services for large industrial and commercial clients. 

She is an active member of GEA’s Affinity Networks, where she co-leads Women’s Network Women in Commercial group and co-leads AAF’s Retention and Recruitment team.  She was also the co-lead for Women in Supply Chain (now Women in Operations) for several years. Genelle attended the University of Kentucky and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science Engineering and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Louisville. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and is a mom to twin 12-year old girls, Mali & Chloe.

Keisha Smith

Keisha D. Smith is from Louisville, Kentucky who joined Humana Inc. 19 years ago. She began in Human Resources, Talent Management, and Succession Management. Keisha navigated her career through various organizations and leadership roles that include Corporate Market Clinical Strategies, Integrated Clinical Solutions, Provider Development Center of Excellence, Resolution Team for Grievances and Appeals, and Corporate Strategy Advancement for Home Health.

Currently, Keisha is the Associate Director for Bold Goal Louisville Community of Opportunity, Population Health, and Health Equity. Through community, clinical, educational, and business integration, Keisha leads the strategy and initiatives focused on collaboration with new and existing partners on health equity in Louisville’s West End. Louisville Community of Opportunity aims to remove obstacles to quality health care by addressing social determinants of health, such as food security, while increasing access to care and health care education. Under Keisha’s leadership, the Community of Opportunity efforts also include partnering and supporting Black-owned businesses and organizations that serve the Black community in Louisville. As the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation defines, we agree that, “health equity is ensuring everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible”. In addition, Keisha is the Co-President for Humana’s Black and African American Associates and Allies IMPACT Network Resource Group (NRG).

Keisha attended the University of Kentucky and secured her bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Oklahoma. She completed two master degrees for Human Resources Development and Human Resources Management at Webster University.

Keisha is a member of a community service organization for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated – Beta Alpha Xi Zeta Chapter where she served in numerous elected and appointed roles for each level of the organization. Keisha enjoys spending time with her son and family.

Shilpa Kale

Shilpa is a Lead Cloud Architect at Humana Military, leading Cloud migration for Data, Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence. She is serving as Co-President for Humana’s Asian and Pacific Islanders (HAPI) Network Resource Group (NRG). Shilpa is also serving on Inclusion and Diversity Councils at Humana, Humana Military, and Humana’s Group and Military Segment (GMS) to establish Systemic Equity and to create an inclusive culture for a diverse population of associates. In March 2021, she was appointed to Women Influencing Louisville (WIL) Board of Directors.

Prior to joining Humana, Shilpa ran successfully her own software consulting firm and has led various initiatives in Information Technology space with different industries like Transportation, Logistics, and Software.  She also worked as a Software Consultant prior to entrepreneurship.

Shilpa graduated as the valedictorian with Masters in Computer Applications (MCA) in Computer Science and Business Administration from Government College of Engineering, India. She is also a Bachelor of Science in Electronics from Shivaji Science College, India. Shilpa and her husband Ashutosh are the parents of two sons, Mihir and Mroogank. She and her family share passion for travelling. Shilpa is a published author of poetry book: Nature’s Blessings.

Miranda Wantland

Miranda Wantland is the Director of Engineering for Clothes Care Specialty Products at GE Appliances, a Haier company (GEA) in Louisville, KY. In this role, Miranda leads the scoping, design, development, risk abatement and maintenance of the Clothes Care Specialty Products category. She leads a global team of engineers and works closely with the Haier team in Asia to ensure US-based engineering design standards and processes are understood and executed ensuring successful new product launches.

Miranda joined GE Appliances in 2010 as a design engineer on the top load washer program to work on electromechanical components. She continued building her clothes care expertise in another top load washer program where she worked on the systems and hydraulics teams. In 2016, Miranda transitioned to the Clothes Care Sourced Finished Goods team as a Program Manager, launching the Haier compact top load washer and Crosley front load washer programs. Since then, she has held roles of increasing responsibility, most recently the program manager for a new Front Load Specialty platform.

Prior to joining GEA, Miranda worked for six years as a design engineer and team leader in the laser printer division at Lexmark International, Inc. in Lexington, Kentucky. During this time, Miranda led her first global team in the development of a subsystem for mid-range monochrome laser printers.

Miranda has held a variety of leadership roles outside of her core engineering responsibilities, most notably leading the Women’s Network at GEA for the last three years where she has been a vocal advocate for benefit and policy improvements to support women and working families in addition to delivering the first Women’s History Month celebration in 2020 among other key initiatives and programs. She is also active in GEA’s Let Engineers Be Engineers team, a cross-functional group focused on productivity and process improvement in the engineering function at GEA.

A lifetime member of SWE since 2014, Miranda serves as GEA’s program manager for SWE engagements and has served in regional roles since 2006 including section president and vice president, representative, professional senator, treasurer and national roles such as scholarship committee chair. Recently, Miranda presented a business case and shared her own positive SWE experiences with the Technology senior leadership team that resulted in a GEA becoming a corporate member of SWE.

Miranda holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Denver. Outside of work, Miranda enjoys spending time with her family, volunteering, reading, and sewing.