FIC Human Resource Partners

01/13/2026

🌈 Exciting News

I’m thrilled to share that FIC Human Resource Partners will be recognized as Certified Business of the Year by the Keystone Business Alliance (KBA), Central Pennsylvania’s LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce.

This recognition is especially meaningful because it reflects the heart of our work. At FIC, our mission is fostering inclusive cultures through policy, training, and discussion. We partner with organizations to build workplaces grounded in dignity, belonging, and accountability; where inclusion is embedded into culture, values, and systems, rather than being treated as an afterthought.

Being honored by KBA affirms that this work matters not just inside organizations, but within the broader business community. KBA’s mission to advance the economic interests of LGBTQ+ and allied businesses through advocacy, education, and partnership aligns deeply with our belief that inclusive cultures strengthen people, workplaces, and local economies.

We are truly humbled by this recognition and grateful to be part of a community of businesses committed to leading with integrity, authenticity, and impact.

The Annual Awards Gala brings together innovators, leaders, and changemakers, all united by a shared commitment to fostering a business environment rooted in authenticity, collaboration, kindness, and success. It’s a celebration of those who champion LGBTQ+ and allied businesses and work to build a more inclusive regional economy. But the gala is more than an evening of awards - it’s a recognition of the extraordinary efforts of those who lead with integrity, drive economic growth, and uplift others in the process.
Thank you to the Keystone Business Alliance for this honor, and to our clients, partners, and community who make this work possible.

If you are local and would like to attend, you can register for the 2026 Annual Awards Gala here: https://keystonebusinessalliance.org/events/2026-annual-awards-gala/

Date: January 30, 2026

Time: 6-9 pm

Location: Eden Resort | 222 Eden Road, Lancaster

At Keystone Business Alliance, our mission is to advance the economic interests of LGBTQ+ and allied businesses through advocacy, education, and meaningful partnerships across South Central Pennsylvania—and beyond. Our membership spans the state, reflecting the strength and diversity of our commun...

08/30/2024

I've always been fascinated by the power of language. As an author and public speaker, how could I not be?

Over the past few weeks, I've had the privilege of working with a global team, exploring the nuances of DEIAB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging) terminology. It's been a fascinating journey, uncovering the different meanings these terms have across various cultural and regional contexts.

What's struck me most is how our discussions about these words have fostered new insights and understanding among team members. As we delved into terminology and definitions, our conversations often led to interesting tangents that helped me learn more about the people I was working with. These unexpected detours provided valuable insights into how each of them views the world. It's a powerful reminder of how language can bridge gaps, create inclusive environments, and open doors to deeper understanding of one another.

This experience has me particularly excited about the upcoming Increase Diversity™ Summit (October 16-17, 2024), where I'll be participating in the "Language of Intersectionality" panel along with Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC, a LinkedIn Top Voice in Disability Advocacy, S Gerin, Facilitator, & Trainer, and Founder of Late Bloomer Coaching, and Val Boston III CDE, CCP, Certified Diversity Executive & Coach, Boston & Associates. The summit's theme, "How Do I Say It?", couldn't be more relevant to my recent work.

While I don’t know what questions we'll be asked during the panel, I can assure you that each panelist will bring unique insights and expertise to the discussion. I'm looking forward to this opportunity to delve deeper into the complexities of inclusive language and its impact on our workplaces and interpersonal connections.

If you're interested in exploring how language can shape more inclusive and equitable environments, while also fostering deeper understanding among colleagues, I invite you to join us at the summit.

Increase Diversity™ Summit 2024 Details:

- When: October 16-17, 2024
- Time: 11:00 AM - 2:15 PM ET
- Format: Virtual

An immersive, virtual summit focused on effective language for recruitment and retention strategies. Oct. 16-17, 2024. 11:00 AM - 2:15 PM

07/08/2024

As a company that frequently works with nonprofits and community benefit organizations, providing HR and culture support, Our CEO and Founder has developed a unique perspective on what drives their success. This has led her to create a trust scoring process that measures the level of trust in an organization as a way of understanding its impact on growth and effectiveness.

Key takeaways from the article:

Trust is the cornerstone of nonprofit success, influencing everything from fundraising to program efficacy.

Measuring trust through a weighted scoring system can provide valuable insights for strategic decision-making.

Building and maintaining trust requires ongoing commitment and transparency.

At FIC Human Resource Partners, we're dedicated to supporting community benefit and nonprofit organizations as they engage in their important work. We believe that by focusing on trust these organizations can set themselves up for long-term success and meaningful community impact.

Read the full article to learn more about our trust scoring methodology and how it can benefit your nonprofit or community organization.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the role of trust in nonprofit success.

https://www.fichrpartners.com/post/the-role-of-trust-in-non-profit-and-community-benefit-organizations?postId=667db7717575323f15a8fdd1

When it comes to non-profit and community benefit organizations, trust stands as a cornerstone of success, sustainability, and impact. These organizations, dedicated to serving the public good, rely heavily on the confidence and support of various stakeholders, from donors and volunteers to the comm...

07/01/2024

I was thrilled to see a recent Inc. Magazine article highlighted the importance of understanding "permitted" cultures the other week - but at FIC Human Resource Partners we've been ahead of the curve for years! I’ve been talking with clients about the importance of aligning the permitted microcultures that exist within organizations with their intended culture since 2019.

A Few Key Insights:

🔑 Intended culture: The explicitly communicated behaviors and values leadership wants to see.

🔑 Permitted culture: The implicit, day-to-day reality of what's actually allowed.

🔑 Misalignment between these can significantly impact employee wellbeing, performance, and innovation.

Over the years we’ve developed proprietary models and tools to help organizations align their permitted cultures with their intended cultures:

👉 SIO Culture Model: Examines Social, Ideological, and Operational dimensions of culture.

👉 The 9 Principles of Employee Care: Focuses on meeting core human needs at work.

👉 Comprehensive Culture Assessments: Including our Organizational Culture Quality Assessment (OCQA) and Employee Care Survey.

Our Nuance Culture Consulting uses the AIDE framework (Assess, Interview, Develop, Engage) to partner closely with organizations, creating lasting cultural improvements tied to strategic goals.

Organizational culture isn't "set it and forget it." It requires active nurturing and a nuanced approach to uncover and align cultural realities.

Ready to unlock your company's full potential? Let's chat about how we can help you build a culture that empowers your people and drives success!

Our consulting services have always taken the of permitted and intended cultures at the macro and microculture levels into consideration.

06/13/2024

Today, I am deeply humbled and grateful to be honored during the Women Veterans Day Ceremony presented by the Governor's Advisory Commission on Women and the PA Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. As a transgender woman who served prior to transition and was discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, this recognition is particularly meaningful to me.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Stacie Blake Collins, CEO of YWCA Lancaster, for nominating me for this honor. It was both unexpected and a testament to the inclusion and acceptance of LGBTQ+ folx she’s helped foster at YWCA Lancaster. I also want to thank the staff and board members who are attending the ceremony to show their support. Your presence means the world to me.

I have been blessed with incredible mentors who have shaped my path and helped me navigate challenges. I want to give a special shout-out to two of them: Laurie Battaglia and Christine Courtney. Your guidance, encouragement, and belief in me have been invaluable. You have helped me see the continuity between my military service and my current work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

As I stand among these remarkable women veterans today, I am reminded that our paths may have been different, but our commitment to service and to making a difference is the same.

To all the women veterans out there, thank you for your service, your sacrifices, and your unwavering dedication.

I am being honored at the Pennsylvania Women Veterans Day Ceremony.

06/04/2024

Happy Pride Month, everyone! 🏳️‍🌈 I'm excited to share that Lancaster Pride Association, Lititz Chooses Love, Rivertown Pride Center, and Trans Minors Rights have come together to identify and address the most pressing needs of our local LGBTQ+ community through the Lancaster LGBTQ+ Community Needs Assessment Survey.

As a q***r, transwoman I am proud to be offering FIC Human Resource Partners’ survey administration and analysis services to support this important work. We are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of data security and confidentiality and our Nuance Culture Survey Platform will ensure that all responses remain anonymous and strictly confidential.

By participating in this survey, you'll have the opportunity to share your experiences, priorities, concerns, and awareness of available resources as an LGBTQ+ individual in Lancaster. Your input will directly shape the future of LGBTQ+ services, support, and advocacy in our community.

The survey takes just 10-20 minutes to complete, and your voice is valued. https://nuancesurveys.fichrpartners.com/s3/LCL1

I’m asking my friends, family, and our allies to please share this survey link with their q***r loved ones who live, work, or play in Lancaster County, PA. Together, we can create a Lancaster where every LGBTQ+ individual is valued, supported, and able to thrive. 🌈

If you have any questions or concerns about the survey or data privacy, feel free to reach out: [email protected].

Thank you for your support and participation!

05/31/2024

I'm BEYOND thrilled to be part of the incredibly impressive lineup of speakers, panelists and moderators for this year's Increase Diversity™ Summit!

🌟 Winston Clements
🌟 Robyn J. Grable
🌟 A.C. Fowlkes, PhD (he/him)
🌟 Cecilia Stanton Adams
🌟 Gurpreet Kaur, PhD, LLM
🌟 Stephanie Ranno
🌟 Dennis M.
🌟 Sadia Hameed
🌟 Roberta Wilburn
🌟 Suzanne Wertheim, Ph.D.
🌟 Christian Harris
🌟 Dr. Nika White, CDE®, IOM
🌟 Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC
🌟 Jessi Purdy
🌟 S Gerin
🌟 Val Boston III CDE, CCP

Building on the impactful groundwork laid in the first Increase Diversity™ Summit, which explored "Who is Qualified?," tackling bias in recruitment and retention, this year's summit shifts focus to the equally vital question: "How Do I Say It?". The 2024 Increase Diversity™ Summit will guide participants through the complexities of Effective Language for Inclusive Recruitment and Retention Strategies.

These sessions are designed as high-impact 30-minute workshops, in which attendees will participate in a Lived Experience Intelligence Breakout Session after each workshop. Then, following this breakout session, attendees will have the ability to engage in a brief Q&A with the speaker. The specific viewpoints that will be unpacked during the Summit include Gender: Binary, Gender: Non-Binary, Disability, Veterans, Neurodiversity, and Sexual Orientation.

+ You can save your spot for this year's virtual Summit by registering TODAY while spots are available ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eiUrF36Y

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04/15/2024

As someone diagnosed with ADHD back when I was still in middle school, I know firsthand the challenges that neurodiverse individuals can face in traditional learning and work environments.

School was a struggle, as the typical classroom setting didn't align well with how my brain functioned. I was fortunate that I had parents who advocated for me and worked with my teachers to get me support. However, the tools and tricks that were offered were ones developed by neurotypical people who despite their best efforts never really understood my neurodiversity, my needs, or my abilities. Later, in the military, I found that the structure and routines were helpful in some ways, but the rigid hierarchies and rules that clashed with my thinking style could quickly derail me.

Like many neurodiverse Gen X folks, I grew up hearing things like, “you need to figure out how to fit in,” and “you’ll never get ahead if you can’t figure out how to overcome your ADHD.” So, I didn't seek formal accommodations for my ADHD. Instead, I tried to power through and mold myself to fit others' expectations.

These experiences have shaped my approach to leadership and HR. I have always strived to create a work environment that makes things easier for neurodiverse team members. I know from my own experiences with ADHD that neurodiversity can be a superpower when given space and support.

By applying the 9 Principles of Employee Care organizations can build neuroinclusive workplace cultures where neurodiverse employees can thrive.

https://www.fichrpartners.com/post/cultivating-neuroinclusive-workplaces-through-employee-care

By creating neuroinclusive workplaces, companies can tap into a wealth of unique perspectives, skills, and talents.

01/12/2024

Our CEO believes that business and community leaders should center justice, equity, and accessibility in their leadership and decision making. True leaders consider how their decisions impact all people, especially those who are underrepresented, historically excluded, marginalized, or disadvantaged. They foster environments where everyone feels a sense of belonging and has the opportunity to thrive. Our CEO challenges leaders not to simply maintain the status quo, but to break down barriers to create more inclusive communities.

Join her and Julia Cao for the J.E.D.I.: Equity Awakens workshop at the 21st annual Leadership Advantage on February 2nd.

Jessica Purdy, CEO and Founder of FIC Human Resource Partners, and Julia Cao, Training Facilitator, FIC Human Resource Partners and 2023 Core Class grad will be joining us for the 21st Annual Leadership Advantage for their session, J.E.D.I: Equity Awakens on Friday, February 2nd!

This interactive training workshop will provide foundational knowledge on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (J.E.D.I.) concepts and help foster open dialogues on building a more inclusive culture through knowledge sharing and interactive group discussions, individual and group exercises, a slide presentation and study guide/workbook for notetaking and activities (provided in digital and/or hardcopy format).

For more information and to register for the J.E.D.I: Equity Awakens session, follow this link! https://leadershiplancaster.org/leadership-advantage/

06/01/2023

By actively supporting and uplifting our LGBTQIA+ employees, particularly transgender and nonbinary individuals, we can create a future where equality, respect, and dignity are the cornerstones of every workplace. Check out this article for information on how you can support your LGBTQI+ employees.

https://www.fichrpartners.com/post/supporting-lgbtqia-employees-in-the-face-of-adversity

As we enter Pride Month, it is important to acknowledge and celebrate the diversity within our workplaces and communities. However, it is equally crucial to recognize the challenges that the LGBTQIA+ community, especially transgender and nonbinary individuals, currently face. The statistics speak vo...