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Adventist employee helps people recognize their strengths
Regional Director of Organization Development Laticia Thompson (right) with Regional Vice President of Human Resources Don Russell.
Updated: January 25, 2013 6:34PM
HINSDALE — Laticia Thompson believes the purpose God has set before her is to help people see gifts and talents within themselves.
“I really believe in developing people from the inside out,” Thompson said. “I can tell you what you have to do to resolve an issue. But until someone sees within themselves what they’re capable of, it’s not as powerful.”
Thompson was recently recognized as a Pillar Award winner by Adventist Midwest Health.
“She’s someone that absolutely embodies our standards of behavior 100 percent of the time,” said Don Russell, regional vice president of human resources.
“She’s someone that is a high performer who gets things done, and has great vision for what the organization development function can do for this organization,” Russell said.
Thompson works as regional director of organization development at Adventist Midwest Health regional office in Bolingbrook and has been with the organization for about a year and a half. Previously she worked with Provena Health.
Though she learned much there, Thompson wanted to expand the scope of her work. She wanted to remain with a faith-based, not-for profit workplace, and had her eye on Adventist Midwest Health for about a year when she discovered a job posting online.
“I like to have the freedom and the ability to exercise my own faith,” Thompson said. “I don’t want to be restricted from being able to do that.”
At Adventist, Thompson has that ability, praying with a co-worker during an especially stressful day or helping them deal with some difficult news.
Prior to getting into health care, Thompson worked for eight months at a homeless shelter for pregnant women. Before that, she worked for 10 years at Robert Morris College, where Thompson had received her associate’s degree.
She also has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Governor’s State University, and a master’s degree in management and organizational behavior from Benedictine University.
Thompson is working at coaching leaders and developing programs.
For 2013, Thompson said there will be new curriculum rolled out, and a new staff person joining on to support Hinsdale and La Grange Memorial hospitals, to take the Transforming Care~Transforming Lives theme to the next level. The tools are in place to help the hospitals achieve success in the 90th percentile, Thompson said.
“We’re to the point where we need to hold ourselves accountable, utilizing those tools, because we know it helps us to enhance results,” she said.
When she’s not at work, Thompson teaches at University of St. Francis, where she’s an adjunct faculty member. In her spare time, she runs a lot, having finished two marathons as well as numerous half-marathons and 5Ks.
