Class of 2023 • Women In Leadership

Meet Mary Besler

Vice President of Human Resources

Educational Background: Business

Professional Background: Emergency Communications, then Human Resources for the past 25 years. Prior to moving to leadership roles my primary focus was on Benefits and Compensation.

What brought me to Nelson-Jameson: A manager reached out to me about a possible role, due to a retirement on the horizon. At the time I turned her down, but reached out a couple months later, and the opportunity was still available. I went through many interviews with leadership and here I am, 12 years later. It was the best move I ever made!

Career Milestone: First, finding Nelson-Jameson. Second, working with the NJ team of leaders to implement P21. The biggest milestone to date is the entire Total Rewards process with my team.

My motivation to be a leader:
I take pride in my work—no matter the role. I like to be able to make a difference and watch team members be successful and grow. I found a quote awhile back that I look at regularly, and have used in some speaking engagements. “When you do nothing you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing your are working to make things better” ~Maya Angelou

My role model: When I first made the transition to this field there was a woman (Sue) that taught me so much. She was a strong leader that stood for what she believed in, even when her ideas were not accepted—she was always looking to improve things. She wanted her staff to learn and grow, helping me to succeed in my career transition. She impressed me so much that I moved to two other employers with her. Nelson-Jameson was the first one where she wasn’t the one hiring me.

My advice for future women in leadership: Trust and empower yourself to take on projects and ideas that may take you out of your comfort zone. At the same time, always make sure you are encouraging growth and confidence in your team and those around you.