Bringing a Love of Law to the Perspectives Team: 15 Years with HR Director Amy Page

PCSEPP, BHDDH, Employment, Opportunity, IDD, Disabilities, Rhode Island, Anniversary, Justice, Human Resources, Empower, Equality

HR Director Amy Page

"[Nursing] just wasn't for me. I took the first clinical and knew I could not do that work."

It's a bit heavy--the thought of choosing, in your first or second year of college, the career path you're going to follow for decades. There's the classes to consider--whether you enjoy the subject matter, whether you find the passion and interest to commit to your studies--and there's the real-life application, too. Whether or not you can get in the field, roll your sleeves up, and do the work you studied so hard for is a completely different question, one that takes not only immersive courses, but long and honest reflection. For HR Director Amy Page, she went through not one, but two redirections as she searched for her career path--and now, she's celebrating fifteen years with Perspectives, surrounded by a team she loves and work she enjoys!

Amy's career discovery began with the nursing program at Salve Regina University. However, while her goal was to be a nurse practitioner, she found through her hands-on clinical courses that the style of work was simply not a good match. However, something that had caught her interest was criminal justice, especially in the courts. Amy went on to earn her bachelor's--and her Masters in Administration of Justice--with every intention to go to law school and become a lawyer for criminal cases. Law and justice was something that fascinated her, and something she enjoyed learning about--but learning about law and practicing it were two different things, especially when faced with the possibility of defending someone who could've been guilty of a violent crime.

"It wasn't something I'd have been able to live with," Amy admits, "and I'm glad I realized that before spending the money to go to law school."

However, her love of law, justice, and helping others persisted, and so she found herself working with children on probation in Newport in a grant-based position. When the grant ended, her employers asked her to step into a role as an HR assistant--and there, she found a place where both her need to help others and her interest in law could come together in a way she hadn't expected. Her employer sponsored her education in HR management at Roger Williams University, and so began a career in HR that brought many opportunities to her attention--including, eventually, a position at Perspectives, where she had the support, guidance, and camaraderie to continue growing in her position (and watching the HR team grow with her), all while having the security to pursue other things she loves in life, like coaching sports, volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club, and even consulting with other Rhode Island agencies looking to develop new workplace policies.

"Working at Perspectives in HR, I can feel like I'm part of the great work they do," says Amy. "I've had fantastic support with [CEO Judy Niedbala] as my supervisor, and I feel like I've learned a lot and had great opportunities; Judy recognizes good work and taught me a lot."

Especially in an industry like human services, where funding, state and federal mandates, and events like the COVID-19 pandemic continually change the flow of work, Amy finds herself in a position where there's always more to learn. Her rise throughout the department to the Director of HR also means she's been able to take on new leadership responsibilities and work with a committed team to recruit new talent and make sure current employees feel supported and knowledgeable about benefits, policy, and more. She's proud of the work her team does, and being in her field of work with Perspectives for the past 15 years, she's also come to see many sides of the conversation on hiring, workplace longevity, and many other topics surfacing in a post-pandemic world as professionals look to find happiness and balance in their careers.

According to Amy, the original line of thinking--that longevity proves one's commitment to a company, is long gone, replaced instead by a culture of work that allows professionals to grow in multiple roles and working environments with diverse teams and skill sets. Young professionals have the security to be able to take risks, learn new things at a job for a couple years, and then move on to the next place, especially since benefits are no longer a major concern with the ability to stay on parent healthcare plans until twenty-six years old. And eventually, when professionals gain enough experience in their career journey to know where they thrive, they might find a place where they can settle in, grow, and have the opportunity to watch others grow, like Amy has here at Perspectives.

"I knew I could never be a corporate person, working at a place like Macy's--and even places like hospitals, I found it wasn't intimate enough, like it is at Perspectives," Amy explains. "That discovery is important, and if we can do that for our new employees, too--help them find out where they want to go after two or three years, whether that's staying where they are or moving into different roles--I think that's a success."

At Perspectives, the HR department always works hard with both applicants and current employees to build and support our teams--and we're glad to have a professional like Amy at the helm. Her fifteen years of commitment, hard work, and growth with her department have helped Perspectives continuously expand on their communication with employees and the many opportunities available with the agency, as well as navigate the many changes that come with new regulations, laws, and other mandates. Many thanks to Amy for all her great work, and congratulations on fifteen years with the Perspectives team!

Bringing a Love of Law to the Perspectives Team: 15 Years with HR Director Amy Page

Read More From Perspectives ...