Winner: Elaine Hinsdale, Director of Communications,Lockheed Martin
In today's constant ebb and flow of technology development, it's no small task to keep up with the changes while fostering a stable, adaptable work environment. But no task is
insurmountable for Elaine Hinsdale, director of communications for Lockheed Martin's internal Information Technology (IT) group.
Her creativity and style were put to the test with the redesign of Lockheed Martin's external Web site, as the site acts as the cyber face of the $37 billion enterprise. Making
the site streamlined, clean and easy to navigate, she was rewarded for a job well done with a NOVA award, Lockheed Martin's highest employee award. But tackling the external site
was all in a day's work for Hinsdale, who also revved up the employee diversity Web site to convey consistent messages about the company's inclusive environment.
Being able to develop Web content is one thing, but facilitating the strategic alignment of 135,000 employees worldwide is quite another. Hinsdale's team is constantly on the
lookout for effective ways to keep the worldwide network connected while defending against potential threats to the online infrastructure. Her noteworthy flexibility has enabled
her to weather her fair share of storms - both literal and proverbial - that included the Y2K bug, the "Melissa" computer worm and, in 2005, catastrophic hurricanes.
But while IT development is serious business, Hinsdale is known among her peers as a laid-back spirit who is always reminding her team of the importance of a work/life balance.
She pencils in periodic team outings to balance out the otherwise fast-paced tempo. Plus, her attention to community relations is laudable; she braided Lockheed Martin's
community relations efforts with a CD calendar that reinforces the company's spirit of volunteerism. As for the "practice what you preach" tradition, Hinsdale personally logged
more than 100 hours of volunteer work in 2005, and she is instrumental in keeping Lockheed Martin at the $1 million employee-giving level in support of the United Way
campaign.
Contact: [email protected]
Honorable Mention
Ambivalence and unfamiliarity were two characteristics that plagued the employees of Avnet, an electronics distributor. Chief communications officer Al Maag, then, faced the
challenge of rallying the employee base to celebrate the company's rich history and understand its unique identity after 40 acquisitions in 15 years. Maag saw an opportunity in
the company's approaching 50th anniversary, engaging employees with a twice-weekly newsletter, a coffee table book documenting the 50 years, a conference-room-turned-museum, and,
of course, a 50s-themed party.