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Issue link: http://digital.themreport.com/i/1285919
M R EP O RT | 37 Aparna Kadari Manager, InfoSec Operations Support & Endpoint Security Engineering, Fannie Mae An only child born to middle-class educator parents in India, Aparna Kadari says the ideologies of sharing, caring, and paying it forward were inculcated for as long as she can remember. "When I came to the United States 20 years ago, I had difficulty acclimating and finding the right resources and basic support. If it were not for my host parents and my professors, mentors, and fellow local students, I would not have survived. That is when I knew I had to help others in whatever way I could." Fast-forward to today and Kadari continues to delight in defying expectations. At Fannie Mae, she is one of the most prominent women leaders within the information security sector. Kadari is cognizant of the traditional barriers that women face. She has more than 16 years' leadership in Information Technology and takes it upon herself to mentor and coach the next generation of women professionals while remaining a life- long learner. Kadari volunteers with Girls Who Code and Code Loudoun. Kadari also served as a Girls in Technology Mentor for the Protégé Program for STEM Girls and currently serves with Women in Technology's national Mentor Protégé Program. In addition to her blog channel, Kadari is a poet with four anthologies to her credit published for nonprofit causes like the Education to Girl Child project in India and childhood cancer. "Receiving this award nomination is an honor, a symbol of gratitude and motivation towards greater responsibility. If I can, anyone can—I hope this inspires many more women like me to contribute to the progress of the community, to serve and it pay-forward." Hattie Sharp SVP Strategic Performance Management & Business Development, Auction.com In her role at Auction.com, Hattie Sharp is no stranger to community involvement—and is the go-to liaison for her clients. Co-workers have said of Hattie that she is "always willing to learn," "offers unique solutions to problems," and "is a strong leader that is able to understand challenges and overcome them to reach goals." Prior to Auction.com, Hattie was SVP of REO at Bank of America and also has tenure with GMAC ResCap. She is a Oklahoma State University Graduate with a Bachelor's of Science in marketing. For Hattie, building communities isn't just a 9 to 5 job. Her church leads the local charge to help refugees settling in Dallas, one of the busiest and friendliest refugee cities. Hattie teaches English to refugees, helping them acclimate to American life and succeed in their new communities. Hattie works one-on-one with her ESL students, getting them comfortable with their new language, and giving them the confidence needed to find jobs or go to school. Benevolent with her time, she volunteers selflessly for company programs that support community, housing, and veteran causes. Hattie exemplifies the spirit of Auction. com's "Cares" initiative, which encourages the support of neighborhoods beyond the sale. "When housing, neighborhoods. and families flourish, the spirit of community is one of hope and success," reads Auction.com's mission statement. Lynley VanSingel SVP, Learning and Organizational Development, First Guaranty Mortgage Corp. During the past year, Lynley VanSingel has made a profound impact on the corporate culture at First Guaranty Mortgage Corporation (FGMC). Having identified gaps in the employee experience and engagement programs, she spearheaded the effort to create a new program called Pulse. Pulse includes initiatives such as an annual employee satisfaction survey, a council of high potential employees to help guide corporate initiatives, and coffee chats with executives to bridge the divide between management and workforce. "Our employees are the drivers of our success," she said. "I am hyper-focused on supporting and developing initiatives that foster connection for our team members. Using a collaborative approach, I work with others to deploy platforms that capture every person's voice across all levels of the firm and result in actionable ways to level up our employee experience and customer service." Furthermore, VanSingel organized the corporate charitable partnership with local chapters of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a nonprofit that serves abused and neglected children in foster care and advocates for them in the local court system. Through this partnership, FGMC now provides eight paid volunteer hours for employees and fundraising opportunities throughout the year to get involved in. VanSingel's passion for people is felt throughout her entire organization.