Maria Hamelers | Career Readiness Instructor: Texas – Virtual (Dallas-Forth Worth)
Maria Hamelers is no stranger to hard work and dedication. A native of Bolivia, South America, she spent 25 years in the United States Army as a Human Resources Professional, specializing in the field of Talent Management.
When she joined the military service, Maria set out to reach the highest rank an enlisted soldier can attain, that of a Sergeant Major. Upon promotion to Sergeant Major, she was assigned to the First Cavalry Division, the largest organization within the Army. As the only Hispanic female Sergeant Major on staff, she led 50 human resources professionals to achieve their full potential. Thanks to her guidance and leadership, the First Cavalry division consistently exceed all expectations. Maria spearheaded several Diversity and Inclusion initiatives as well as new HR processes that were later adopted by the rest of the Army. Other assignments allowed her to travel around the world and throughout the United States, including a combat deployment to Iraq.
Maria was awarded The Legion of Merit for a Distinguished career and recognized for her professionalism and selfless service through a time of war and peace. In addition, she received several Meritorious Service Medals as recognition for continuous improvements to Talent Acquisition, Diversity & Inclusion and Retention programs across the Army.
After retiring from the service, she joined Attitudes & Attire, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help women achieve self-sufficiency leading to increased self-esteem and confidence within themselves. She developed, created, and implemented workshops that continuously challenged her client’s comfort zone, thus enabling them to find the inner strength to keep moving to find better opportunities in life. Maria also built a Spanish only program from the ground up, incorporating the cultural differences and allowing Hispanic women to take advantage of the fantastic programs the agency offers.
Maria’s passion for teaching and developing others have led her to become a Certification Instructor at the Resilience Building Leadership Program. She helps leaders create a favorable working climate, build trust, develop resilient teams that help organizations thrive and reach their competitive edge.
Maria Hamelers lives in Melissa, Texas and can be reached at mariahamelers@gmail.com