Six months after starting, I was promoted to a team leader and that’s when
I knew that working for Toyota would be my long-term career, as I would still be
able to accomplish my goal of helping people, just in a different way.”
“My goal at work is to continue to learn and build confidence in my
current role so that I can be a valuable resource to the team,” she shares.
“Develop the team to support them in achieving their goals. In addition to work,
I am focused on taking online classes at Northwood University to further my
education. My aspiration is to train and develop people. I would not be where
Giovanna K.Ramos
Team Leader for Quality
Inspection Pilot
Toyota Motor Manufacturing
Texas, Inc.
Giovanna K. Ramos is the Team Leader for QI
Pilot and is the Spectrum BPG Vice-Chair and
TMMTX Ambassador at Toyota. She was recently featured in
a COVID safety ‘Return to Work’ internal video at Toyota, where she shared her
sentiments about new safety measures taken in the plant to mitigate the spread
of the virus after a seven-week production shut-down. Her example aided in
easing the fear that some fellow co-workers may have had as they faced
resuming a rigorous work schedule as an essential worker during the
pandemic.
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Ramos is proud of her
accomplishments both at Toyota and in life. Prior to Toyota, Ramos was
employed as a Correctional Officer for the Texas Department of Criminal
Justice and worked at an all-male maximum-security prison.
I am today if I did not have great coaches and mentors to support me
throughout my career. Therefore, I pay it forward by mentoring those that reach
out for support.”
Today Garza serves as a mentor and coach to other Latinas. Her passion
is training, developing, and supporting other women in achieving their goals.
“I would not be where I am today if I had not had great mentors and
coaches to help me along the way,” she shares. “Now it’s time for me to pay it
back to others. You get opportunities, you give opportunities.”
“It was definitely a shift but I have to say that it kind of made me the
person I am today,” she shares. “The growth that I see in myself is because
they push you at Toyota to be the best you can be. They give you opportunities
to excel in whatever position you are in. They present these opportunities to
develop our careers along the way. In doing these projects you are able to get
better management skills and make yourself visible.”
Celebrating nine years at Toyota, she is grateful for the opportunities and
considers it a “wonderful career opportunity.” Today Ramos is one of the few who
gets to see the new models of trucks in production, but with this also comes the
responsibility of daily standards and training.
“We travel to see them being made in the design facility and we come
back with all the information, pictures, and standards that we put in place
before the model comes to this plant, so there is a lot involved in it,” she shares.
“We have a big role in making sure that new models that come our way are
transitioned smoothly into the plant. I am so excited to be in the position that I
am in because you get to work with everybody. My position focuses a lot on
quality and the product that we are sending out to our customers depends a lot
on whether or not I did my job.”
Currently serving as Vice-Chair of Toyota’s Spectrum Business Partnering
Group she hopes to someday serve as its Chair. “I would like to become a Group
Leader in the near future,” she shares. “I would also like to eventually pursue a
position within Toyota as a Diversity & Inclusion Specialist.”
Valerie Molina
Analyst, Human Resources,
Team Member Relations
Toyota Motor Manufacturing
Texas, Inc.
A mother of two boys, Valeria Molina, an Analyst
for the Human Resources investigations team at
Toyota started working for the company in 2009. From behavioral issues to
performance, Molina is an advocate of Toyota’s employees and setting them
up for success.
For Molina, the best part of working for Toyota is the opportunity to keep
learning.
“I love the fact that it is a learning company and everyone always has an
opportunity to learn different things to expand their knowledge and to make
improvements,” she shares. “For me, I’ve been given the opportunity to work in
several opportunities within human resources and that has increased my
knowledge and skills. The company has allowed so many people like myself to
grow within the company.”
Prior to Toyota, Molina worked in the mortgage industry. She recalls the day
she walked to the manufacturing plant and was amazed by everything. “I
thought this was really different than anything I’ve seen before,” she says. “When
I was hired, I knew here is where I wanted to stay for a career. I am grateful to
be where I am.”
Born and raised in the southside of San Antonio, Texas, Molina attended
Palo Alto College for two years. Today she is thankful to her parents and
grandparents for instilling values such as hard work and eagerness to learn at
a young age.
“I think of my grandparents who came here from Mexico and my grandpa
wanted to get settle and find a job. My parents and grandparents have always
been hard-working,” she shares. “I think of my mom every time I hear or see
the phrase Si Se Puede, she always used to say it.”
Molina looks forward to continue learning and be challenged every single
day. Most current, she was part of the contact tracing team during the breakout
of COVID-19 earlier this year and today she enjoys spending time with her
family and being outdoors. “Outdoors is my coping mechanism,” she shares.
“Walking and unplugging from computers and logging off everything is what I
do.”
She is most proud of becoming a Society of Human Resources Certified
Professional, her service as the Chair of Women I nfluencing and Impacting
Toyota, having a successful career, and building a beautiful life with her family.
LATINAStyle V ol. 26, No. 5, 2020 www.latinastyle.com 13
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