The Best Practice Forums are a series of workshops from SBN that use member case studies to create meaningful opportunities to learn, connect, and build a better business. The next program in the series will discuss the challenges of retaining talent in a competitive market and offer practical solutions for keeping your most valued staff.
Talent retention is important because as triple-bottom-line businesses, we value taking care of our employees and want them to flourish. Talent retention is also fundamental to our ability to run our operations sustainably and safeguard our brand reputation. For many of our businesses, our human resources are our most valuable resources, so investing in our people is essential to the financial success of our business and the fulfillment of our broader goals as business owners. But this is easier said than done, because while good people are easier to manage, they are harder to keep, especially now that labor markets are improving and talented folks may have many competing employment choices. Lee Huang, Senior Vice President and Principal of Econsult Solutions, Inc. (and an SBN board member), will share why talent retention matters, how to think about what your people need to thrive, and what you can do to invest in them. Topics will include compensation package, office environment, work/life balance, and advancement opportunities, as well as various outlets for employees to be fulfilled while doing fulfilling work.
After the presentation, members of an expert panel will offer additional insights and ideas based on their own extensive experience, and audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions. Panelists include:
- Allegra Derengowski, Owner, Birchtree Catering
- June-Ann Garafano, Director of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness, Solutions for Progress
Karissa Justice, Manager of People Operations, Azavea
Coffee and a light breakfast will be served.
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ABOUT THE PRESENTER: Lee Huang is Senior Vice President & Principal of Econsult Solutions, Inc. With an undergraduate degree from the Wharton School and a master’s degree from the Fels School of Government of the University of Pennsylvania, Lee provides an excellent perspective for public, private, and non-profit clients. Lee has led projects examining commercial corridors, affordable housing, neighborhood change, transportation financing, MWBE procurement, real estate development, economic development, tax policy, economic and fiscal impact, transit-oriented development, financial modeling, tax increment financing, waterfront development, discrimination in lending practices, higher education, workforce development, technology, historic preservation, and recreational amenities. In his recent work, he led an analysis of the relationship between Philadelphia and its higher educational institutions regarding their economic impact and whether a PILOTs (payment in lieu of taxes) system would be appropriate for the City, examined the significant positive impacts that historic preservation efforts have in Pennsylvania, and studied what City government can do to create and retain private sector jobs for City residents in Philadelphia’s Jobs Commission Report.
From 1995 to 2005, Lee was employed at The Enterprise Center, an entrepreneurial center in West Philadelphia, where he acquired extensive experience in day-to-day management as well as strategic decision making. He most recently served as Executive Vice President, where he was responsible for all programs and operations, and helped manage fifty staff and interns and a $1.2 million budget. He was also Founder of The Enterprise Center’s YES (Youth + Entrepreneurship = Success) Program and Director of Cities Beyond, The Enterprise Center’s consulting department.
In 2006, Lee earned his Masters of Public Administration at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government, where he also received certificates in Public Finance and in Economic Development and Growth. Lee received his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics in 1995 from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, with a dual concentration in Accounting and Management.
Lee serves on the boards of Community Design Collaborative, Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, and Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians. He serves on the advisory board of American Communities Trust, and Asian American Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the City of Philadelphia Water, Sewer, and Storm Water Rate Board. He also teaches a graduate-level course called “Quantitative Tools for Consulting” at the Fels Institute of Government of the University of Pennsylvania.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS:
Allegra Derengowski is the Co-Owner of Birchtree Catering. A self-taught planner and entrepreneur, Allegra focuses on marketing and development for Birchtree. She participated in two programs in 2016: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses and The Enterprise Center's Scale-Up, where she now serves as an advisory board member. Birchtree's growth has positioned them as industry leaders in Philadelphia, with a reputation for the highest quality food and service at weddings and other events.
June-Ann Garafano is the Director of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness at Solutions for Progress. June-Ann ensures that SFP’s staffing and structure meets its strategic and operational goals through the recruitment, development, deployment, and retention of appropriately qualified people who have a passion for the company's mission. A respected Human Resources Executive, June-Ann holds more than 22 years of experience in the areas of organizational effectiveness and human resource strategies. Her problem solving acumen, superior interpersonal skills, and ability to manage multiple priorities have been essential to her successful leadership of multiple project engagements and business relationships. Prior to joining SfP, June-Ann worked for PROXUS HR for more than 10 years as a senior level HR Consultant.
June-Ann holds a B.A. in Psychology and Business Administration from Muhlenberg College and a Masters in Human Resource Development from Villanova University.
Karissa Justice is the Manager of People Operations at Azavea, a B Corporation that creates custom geospatial software and data analytics for the web. Karissa graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Fine Arts and has a background in tech support, conference and event planning, and managing online communities.
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