In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting women’s achievements throughout the month of March. The women’s history theme for 2023 is, “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” With this in mind, we are taking time to celebrate and recognize the stories of some of our own women leaders at Longbridge Financial.
For the final installment of our 2023 “Ladies Who Lead” series, we met with Jessica Coerts, Longbridge Human Resources Manager, to learn about her advice to other women in the workforce, what to look for in a mentor, and her take on Women’s History Month.
Q: What does Women’s History Month mean to you?
A: To me, Women’s History Month is a time when we get to acknowledge and celebrate the women in our lives and the women throughout history who have made an impact on society. I think its important to recognize and honor women’s achievements, big and small, all year long. It’s a great reminder of what we can accomplish both as individuals and together as a group.
Q: How does Longbridge set a culture of equality and inclusivity?
A: I feel that Longbridge has done an excellent job setting a culture of equality and inclusivity. We have a lot of women leaders at Longbridge that have a voice in our company, including our one of our own founders, Melissa Macereto, who also serves as Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer. I am proud to work for a company that is not only dedicated to supporting women in leadership, but inclusivity across the board.
Q: What is one piece of advice to all women who are juggling between home and work?
A: Finding a balance between home and work is always a struggle, especially for those that work remotely. My advice is to set a schedule and firm boundaries to ensure your home life is not being negatively affected by work – and vice versa. Although it is easier said than done, having these boundaries in place can be a huge help when juggling between these two major priorities.
Q: How can women find mentors?
A: I believe women can look to other women (or men) who they admire, get along with, and look up to for professional guidance. I think Longbridge has a great team of senior leaders for employees and other managers to look to as mentors. Because we have promoted many employees from within over the years, I have had the pleasure of seeing some of our wonderful leaders take employees under their wings to support and guide them in their careers.
Q: Do you believe you have achieved everything you wanted to?
A: NO WAY! I feel this is just the start because I am always learning and growing in my career. I have grown a lot during my time at Longbridge, but I’m excited to continue to grow while learning as much as I can during my time here. I know I still have a lot to achieve in both my personal and professional life and I’m looking forward to accomplishing the goals I have set for myself.
Thank you, Jessica, for sharing your experience and wisdom with us as a talented human resource professional and leader.
About Women’s History Month
Celebrated annually throughout the month of March, Women’s History Month dates back to 1981 when Congress authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982, as “Women’s History Week.” It wasn’t until 1987 that, after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Alliance (NWHA), Congress and the President proclaimed March as Women’s History Month.
Since then, presidents have annually proclaimed the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” This recognition honors the contributions and achievements women have made throughout American history.
The women’s history theme for 2023 declared by NWHA is, “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” To learn more about Women’s History Month and this year’s theme, visit https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org.
