Alyssa Ballard, 29
HR Business Partner
Crawford Electric Supply
Alyssa has been in the industry since 2017. “Those wonderful, crazy, impactful five-and-a-half years have been spent with Crawford,” she noted.
“My interest in the industry started one afternoon when I snuck into an invite-only career fair to talk to the team recruiting on behalf of Crawford,” Alyssa recalled. “My mom had worked in the industry for a few years at that time and told me I should stop by because she knew the people recruiting at A&M that day. I had no clue what the industry of electrical distribution entailed, but I thought, ‘What harm could a conversation do?’ and ‘It’s okay if I’m late to my next class, it’s basically research!’ Once I met Jenny Conway (vice president of marketing) and Vicki Gutierrez (vice president of HR), the rest was history.”
After starting as an intern in Houston, Alyssa accepted an opportunity as an HR coordinator in Dallas, spent some time as a digital solutions specialist, and then got back into the HR world after she graduated with an M.S. degree in HR development. “I am currently an HR supervisor, and one thing I enjoy about my job is that no day is like any other,” she said, adding “The people and company culture were what appealed to me then and are both huge reasons I continue to stay now.”
Asked about a challenge currently facing the industry, Alyssa said “It’s a great challenge to have, but our industry has recently seen quite a bit of growth and is projected to see even more in the coming years. In order to grow healthily, we need the right people to grow the business with us. Focusing on DE&I efforts, recruiting top talent from a myriad of different places, encouraging cross-training, investing in meaningful rotational programs, and focusing on employee engagement are all ways I seek to help meet that challenge.”
As for her future goals, “I could tell you where I thought I’d like to end up, but in 2023, I’m really seeing where life takes me,” said Alyssa. “There’s so much opportunity in this industry to learn new things and grow as a professional, who knows what the next step will be. As long as you’re open to learning new things and adapting to changes, you’re preparing for the next best opportunity.”
To those just entering the industry, Alyssa advises, “Don’t be in such a hurry! Cherish where you are. Learn as much as you can. Have the courage to pave your own career path, and never forget the people who graciously invested in you along the way. Every role you take on in is going to teach you something that you’ll take into your next career endeavor.”
When she’s not at work, Alyssa enjoys traveling, gift-giving, trying new restaurants/foods, and spoiling her dog, Honey. “I’m really quite good at spending money!” she laughed.
Each year tED magazine recognizes 30 of the industry’s best and brightest under the age of 35. Please visit tedmag.com/30Under35 for nomination information and updates about the 2023 program. Questions can be sent to tED Editor Misty Byers at mbyers@naed.org.
Tagged with 2022 30 Under 35, 30 under 35, Crawford Electric, people