This new series of staff features starts with one of our senior leaders, Patricia Ogbeide-Ihama. In celebration of her recent promotion to Chief Human Resources & Corporate Relations Officer, we want to spotlight her work and story.
Recently, Patricia sat down for an interview to discuss her time at YWCA St. Paul and what led her to this moment.
Can you tell us about your new role at YWCA St. Paul? What excites you the most?
I am excited for so many reasons. YWCA is my home away from home. This work and being at a YWCA are personal to me for so many reasons. My journey with YWCA started when I was just 18 years old attending a two-year college, YWCA Secretarial College in Lagos, Nigeria; that was where I received my first diploma. There was Aunt Mabel (a neighbor where my mom and my siblings used to live when I was growing up), a secretary who always dressed to match from head-to-toe. She was so elegant and that motivated me to want to be like her, a secretary.
With this new corporate relations role that still includes my work of leading our Human Resources work, I am now able to take dedicated time in connecting with corporate and community partners. I love meeting and connecting with people. This is something I have been doing without it being assigned to me as part of my work since I started working at YW, but now it is formally acknowledged and a part of my job description.
Working at a YWCA, now, is an unimaginable dream come true. As I stated, YWCA was where my career began at 18 years old. Now I have returned to YWCA in St. Paul, Minnesota thousands of miles away from Lagos, Nigeria years later. I call that destiny.
What are your best days here? Which ones stick out in your mind as the most fulfilling?
Every day is my best day because it is always exciting. Each day I get up rejuvenated and ready to be at my “home away from home,” where destiny has brought me. Can you imagine that? Nigeria is thousands of miles away and destiny has brought me back when I am almost at the end of my career. What a joy each day for me to step into this YWCA St. Paul building. Working here, now, is an unimaginable dream come true.
If I had to pick one day, I would choose the day I received a card from one of our staff saying how grateful she was for all I do for YWCA St. Paul. I often get cards, but only keep a few in my office and bedroom for motivation. In this card, the employee had written “I love your heart,” a phrase that brought tears to my eyes and got stuck in my heart ever since.
I owe so much to my late mom, Chief Mrs. Mary Bisola Paul, who always mentored me in my work in HR by just being her usual caring person for all persons. Each day she would call and ask me, “how are your employees doing today?” I would always laugh and remind her they are not my employees, but the conversations were always a reminder that I must always be a role model, and how important each employee should be to me. Now that she has passed, I have her picture taped to my computer monitor in my office to remind me of the reason I do this work… which is because of the fabulous employees and mission of YWCA St. Paul.
What do you wish more people knew about YWCA St. Paul?
Our services are far beyond just our Health & Fitness Center. We serve and meet people where they are at. We ensure that our young Black and Brown girls are empowered, and we embrace everyone in our community and do not turn anyone away. Our new health equity focus is something that goes beyond health and wellness, and I am so looking forward to our new entrepreneurial initiative.
What is your proudest accomplishment at YWCA St. Paul so far?
There are many, but I am proudest of the employee benefits savings I was able to get approved by the organization. As a result, our employees’ contribution to their own healthcare has stayed the same since I started working at YWCA St. Paul. Plus, I was able to get employer contribution to dependents’ healthcare approved in my first year here. Prior to that, employees paid 100% for their spouse and dependents.
Do you have any reflections you want to share about your time here, or on what you see for the future of the organization?
With our new strategic plan and the vision of our Chief Executive Officer, Ashley Booker, I can see YWCA St. Paul going far beyond our current program offerings. Actions like bringing Element Gym into our space, opening doors to other organizations whose work aligns with ours, and exploring entrepreneurial opportunities are just a few of the wonderful things that we have brought to our community. We are jubilating, embracing and enhancing our goal and vision into where everyone, but most especially Black and Brown women, are continually embraced and accepted.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, but began my adult life and career in Lagos at YWCA Secretarial College in Lagos, Nigeria. I started working at Mobil Oil Corporation in Lagos upon graduating from college. Then at 26, I moved to Denver, Colorado.
If you had to take the place of a famous person for a day, who would you choose and why?
Everyone is famous in their own unique ways, so my mom will always be the famous person I would choose to be. As a single mother of six whose husband died when she was only 25, she was resilient, persistent, and the most generous human being I have ever known. She was an inspiration to so many people and taught important life lessons to not only her children but everyone around her. I take her place each day in my work as a Human Resources professional trying to care for—and about—our staff, ensuring that I inspire and support them.
Thank you, Patricia Ogbeide-Ihama, for sharing your story! YWCA St. Paul is lucky to have you as one of our fearless leaders.
