News
Welcome Lauren to the Team!
Lauren Zoller Joins the Star Plastics Team
Lauren Zoller is joining our team in the position of Human Resource Manager. Lauren has a bachelor’s degree in human resources management from Marietta College, Ohio. She started her professional career in customer service in 2010 and has since gained personnel development experience in roles like Continuous Improvement Specialist, Learning and Development Leader, and Human Resource Senior Specialist in the manufacturing field.
Most recently, Lauren was the Human Resources Generalist at Thermo Fisher Scientific where she oversaw and provided guidance on site activities, culture, and driving employee engagement. She is skilled in investigating employee relations issues, supporting managers on HR policies and processes, strategic communication, personnel management, and career development.
Getting to Know You
I sat down with Lauren over Google Hangouts to get to know our new Human Resources Manager a little better and ask her a few questions—ranging from work to her hobbies out of the office.
What’s the biggest misconception that people have about your position?
“It seems to me that most people think that an HR professional is mean, and that being called to the HR office is a bad thing—when 95% of the time, it’s a good thing when I ask people to come to my office!
I see myself as a steward for the company, but ultimately, my coworkers are very important to me and my goal is to be their biggest advocate. If there’s something going on, I want them to come to see me and let me help!”
How do you prefer to start your day?
“In a perfect world, I would start every day with an iced coffee from Stoked [a local coffee chain in Parkersburg, WV]; specifically, a speedy tortoise. It tastes like a caramel milkshake. It only adds about 20 minutes to my drive to go there and get to work, so it’s doable.”
What would we most likely find you doing on the weekend?
“I will either be at the baseball fields with my sons or at the gun range. I’ve always wanted to learn to shoot, and I finally got the opportunity in February to learn. It is a great stress reliever, is challenging (in a good way!), and a lot of fun.”
Are you a dog person or a cat person?
“I am a dog person—more specifically, a Bernese Mountain dog person. I have a two-year old Berner named after Letty from The Fast and the Furious, and she is my ~very large~ baby. I’ve just fallen in love with the breed.”
What is the top destination on your must-visit list?
“I would really love to travel. I haven’t done it as much as I’d like, but I’m hoping to get back into it soon. My ancestry is Scotch-Irish, so I’ve always wanted to go to Scotland and Ireland. Being able to see the old castles, houses… the old architecture is fascinating! I watch Outlander, so that plays a part into it as well.”
Looking Forward at Star
Lauren looks forward to revitalizing Star’s recruitment strategy, culture, and community involvement activities, as well as collaborating with the marketing team to further the Human Resources Department goals.
We’re excited to have Lauren join our team, where she will bring new perspectives and strategies to our Human Resources department as well as continue to develop Star Plastics’ workplace environment.