Portrait
Meet Chief People Officer Tracey Pierce
by Emily Rose Oachs
Tracey Pierce recently sat down with Intake to discuss her new role as LADWP’s first-ever Chief People Officer. Read on to get to know Pierce a little bit better.
Please share with us your background and experience that led to your appointment as LADWP’s first-ever Chief People Officer.
I’m from a massive West Indian family. If you know massive West Indian families, enough said, right? We worked hard. We celebrated harder. We loved the hardest. That’s the culture I was raised in—and that’s how I live to this day.
My grandparents moved from the Caribbean to England in the 1950s as part of the Windrush generation, on hopes and dreams to make things better for their children. I was subsequently born in England and stayed there for my formative years.
My family are all in service. My mom was a special education teacher. My dad, when he wasn’t working the oil fields, was at the local jail teaching prisoners how to read. Education, faith, and giving back were drilled into us. So was Arsenal football, but that’s another story. All took hold within me.
My work, throughout my career, has always started and ended with people. I jumped into quality—process improvements with people. Then I did training and development—people. Then I became an HR business partner—people. In each of those jobs, I’d like to think that my colleagues have always seen me as straightforward, approachable, and fair.
What are some of the key areas you would like to focus on in this role?
Something my old buddy Hippocrates said comes to mind: First, do no harm. I don’t want to mess up all the good things going on in this organization right now. I do want to amplify those things, so the organization can better harness the fantastic opportunities that lie ahead. By that, I mean: How can we position training and development, so we’re set up for the future? What programs do we have, which can be improved, and which do we need? What bigger role can AI play in the things we do? How do we ensure that every person at this company is equipped to thrive in the ever-evolving business world, so it feels like things are happening with us and not to us?
I’ve always loved HR because it’s the place you turn when you need an ear. It could be at your happiest: I got a new job. I’m having a baby. My world is expanding as I move to the next level in my career. It’s also in times of great darkness: You’re having a family emergency, and you need leave. You’re not satisfied with your growth within the organization. You’re running into roadblocks or conflicts. I see beauty at both ends of the spectrum. HR must be a place that guides and supports—and never judges—regardless of your situation. That means we lead with empathy, always.
What do you see as some of the biggest workforce challenges LADWP is facing today?
One: Our great employees—how do we keep them here and happy? And two: What’s our strategy to attract more of them?
As a civil service–based organization, how do we remain competitive with the Edisons, with the PG&Es, when they’re investor-owned? Remaining relevant and effective is table stakes. How can we be seen as the leader? In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve seen it takes nine to 12 months to recruit and onboard a new employee. That’s too long. The best people will be scooped up more quickly than that. So how do we simplify our processes without hurting our results? That’s one of my key goals. We have some of the best universities in the country right in our backyard. I want us to be seen as a destination for their graduating students.
We also must make tough decisions to stay competitive, while offering excellent service to our customers in Los Angeles and California. That’s what makes us great. We’re in service, for the people, of the people. That’s Human Resources!
LADWP has committed to some ambitious local water and clean energy goals by 2035. How do you see your work, and that of your staff, as playing a role in helping LADWP to achieve those goals?
Our strategic plan includes hiring more than 4,000 people to meet those water and clean energy goals. LADWP is positioned to be a rewarding career option with a great culture to attract the best talent. And, we must invest in all our employees to ensure we have the right processes, skills, and experience to execute our strategy.
It begins and ends with people and HR has a critical role. I am honored to be entrusted with this role. You have my word that I will lead with a people-first mindset. The challenges that lie ahead will test us—they always do! But I’m confident we have the right leadership and strategy to pass those tests with honors. Know that my door is always open. No issue is too small, no conversation unimportant. Please stop by and let’s chat.
Tracey Pierce works out of the HR Offices on the 5th floor of JFB.
