Rockville, Maryland, United States – November 2024 – Heidi R. Parks has joined Makom as the new Chief People Officer. In her role, she will lead strategic HR initiatives focused on building an inclusive, people-first culture that supports Makom’s mission to empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
In her prior role at Elevated Prana People Ops Consulting, Parks served as the Founder and Chief People Officer, where she provided tailored People Ops and HR consulting services aimed at fostering inclusive and innovative workplace cultures. Her consultancy work focused on aligning HR strategies with clients’ needs, helping startups, tech companies, and DoD contractors establish people-centric environments that drive organizational success.
Previously, Parks held the position of Chief People Officer at Forterra. There, she led a transformative approach to People and Talent strategy, reimagining the People and Talent Acquisition teams to establish a “People First” approach. Her work at Forterra included leading initiatives across employee relations, talent acquisition, and organizational development, enhancing engagement and aligning HR strategy with Forterra’s broader organizational goals.
At Intelligent Waves LLC, Parks served as Chief People Officer, where she redefined the company’s HR strategy and reorganized the function to be people-centric, process-driven, and metric-focused. During her tenure, she introduced a customer service model for HR and Recruiting, launched a DEI program, and established an Employee Advisory Council to enhance company culture based on employee feedback.
Her early experience includes a role as Head of People Operations at BlackSky, where she was part of the executive leadership team. In this position, Parks oversaw People Strategy, organizational culture development, talent acquisition, and business process design. Her efforts contributed to strengthening BlackSky’s mission to drive innovation and achieve ambitious organizational goals in the space and intelligence sectors.
Makom is dedicated to supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to realize the quality of life they envision. With a mission to foster inclusive communities, Makom empowers people to access the same opportunities and quality of life as all other community members. Through its programs, Makom envisions a world where everyone, regardless of ability, can live fulfilling lives with dignity and independence.
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