Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendra Negron
Kendra, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hi there! I My name is Kendra Negron and I make systems work better for people while lowering costs. I’ve won a Federal Employee of the Year Award two years in a row as well as special recognitions from the U.S. Congress and Senate for improving processes such as reaching vulnerable Veterans during natural disasters and decreasing the amount of individuals going to Emergency Departments by decreasing wait times for outpatient care.
Professionally I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Personally I am a mom who volunteers with organizations important to my family and community. Recently I was elected President of the Avalon Middle School PTSO (Parent Teacher Student Organization) and I am a regular member of the band at Avalon Church. I’ve also been a Youth Soccer Coach with my local YMCA.
I grew up in a small town in rural Ohio. I moved to Florida to attend the University of Miami where I majored in Psychology and Religious Studies. My Masters in Social Work degree was at Florida International University in Miami and my family moved to Orlando about 6 years ago for a bit more space and sidewalks while our kids grow up.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I feel blessed that any hard times I’ve experienced have resulted in learning and growth I wouldn’t trade for anything. I recall having a rough patch that lasted for a couple years after I had my first child 12 years ago–I felt like I couldn’t find myself or who I wanted to be. I went through a few jobs and I tried a few things, including trying to start a company from the ground up. I also started my Masters at that time. In retrospect I think I took on way too much and I did not prioritize my family the way I should have. (I also didn’t sleep much!)
Ultimately I learned about myself that I thrive on new challenges and changing what I do every couple of years. Some of the best life advice I received was from my grandfather–he had worked at the same bank for 30+ years and I found that curious, then he explained that he had done many different roles over the years and that the organization was so big he could never get bored. I sought something similar for myself, and one that would enable me to have a structured schedule so I could better prioritize my family. I found that in the Federal government–It’s so big that I’ll never get bored!
I’ve had other hard times in life–like at age 14 when I spent some time in a wheelchair or at age 19 when I went through a string of tragedies–but they’ve all led to great learning and development of character. I have no complaints.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I currently serve as a Health System Specialist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Orlando VA Healthcare System. I help several Services run well so we can better serve Veterans. My Services include: Prosthetics, Logistics, Environmental Management, Voluntary, Activations, Fisher House, Nutrition & Food, and Webmaster.
This is a recent new direction for me, to move more into healthcare management. I spent the past 9+ years at the VA as a Social Worker in various departments. The last few years I have gotten more into systems improvement through Lean Six Sigma process improvement projects as well as using that framework in my usual job duties. I’ve also been a leader of teams and committees, such as Ethics Consultation and Preventive Ethics.
I am known for finding creative solutions that improve services for people while decreasing costs. I am also known as a leader who is effective at figuring out both the needs of a system as well as the wants and needs of individuals, to maximize where those intersect to reach the best possible outcome for all.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
The best advice I have I learned while working on Hospice units: For most of us life is long and you have the opportunity to do many different things. You can do it all, just not all at one time.
There are seasons of life where time with your family is most important; make sure that’s your first priority during those times, making everything else fit to that.
There are seasons to build your career. Make the most of those opportunities.
What you are doing now might not be what you are doing in 10 or 20 years from now; that’s okay. It’s possible to be both present in the moment you’re in–doing the best you can–while also laying the groundwork for who you want to be in future decades.
Perhaps we will die young, and if so I hope we can each say we did the best we could with the time we had. But if we are as most Americans, living past 70, let us do all the things we desire to do in their due time.
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, The Bible).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kendranegron.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KendraNegron/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kendranegronpage/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KendraNegron_
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@KendraNegron_
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@KendraNegron
