Arlene Thompson
Senior Human Resources Business PartnerArlene Thompson is helping shape the future of our workforce in California and Arizona, building and supporting teams of high-performing professionals in the AEC industry.
With nearly a decade of experience, Arlene leads recruitment, training, onboarding, employee engagement, employee relations and strategic planning needs in our California and Arizona regions. She’s dedicated to developing and retaining exceptional talent, working closely with a wide range of employee-owners to support their career goals and develop solutions that support overall business strategies.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?
Most people don't know that I enjoy skateboarding. I love spending time outdoors with my two sons and skating with them!
What inspired you to pursue your career?
I love helping people. I've been told I'm a great listener and make people feel comfortable to be fully themselves. I really enjoy getting to know our employees and getting involved with helping them reach their career goals. In college I took a few courses that opened the opportunity to learn more about a career in human resources and I knew it was the right career path for me.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I would tell myself to take more chances and not look at failures as a negative. I feel like when we're younger, we don't realize that we can learn so much from failures as it gives us more perspective and makes us more well-rounded people. Having those experiences under our belt makes us more capable of helping others.
What’s the coolest part of your job?
The coolest part of my job is getting to see employee-owners grow throughout their careers. I love being part of the experience for new grads and interns and seeing how much of an impact they can have as they grow throughout their careers. I get to meet and interact with so many great people in various roles. I have the unique opportunity to work with all our business divisions across multiple locations. It's amazing to hear about the projects our teams work on and how talented our employee-owners are. I feel like I learn something new every day.
What excites you most when you look at the future of our company?
I am most excited to see the growth our company continues to have. As we have more talent join Burns & Mac, we create new business opportunities we can offer our clients. Every year, I am impressed with the interns that join us for the summer. Getting to be part of and facilitate such an innovative program gives me the opportunity to be involved with the culture and talent that is a big part of that growth.