Dennis Obregon
Board Member
UPS title: Corporate Employee Relations Manager – part of HR
Location hired: Des Moines, IA
First position: Porter Car Washer
How did you get your job at UPS?
UPS contacted a municipal judge – in town – looking to hire. At that time, I was at Tennessee State University (HBCU) – The Judge was a mentor – I had some juvenile problems – but the judge and my father were friends.
Career Highlights:
I was the architect and designer of the HRS System – I took UPS from a paper process to a computerization of HR systems – – such a huge improvement – transformational. Also director of UPS Community Internship Program:
In addition to covering salaries and transportation to and from the community, the company pays for a flight home for each intern halfway through the program.
UPS’ Dennis Obregon, who directs corporate community relations at company headquarters in Atlanta, said the program is intended to instill in managers an awareness of social problems, an understanding of why such problems exist and a desire to be involved in helping to find solutions. For example, he said, many supervisors do not tolerate tardiness. But they might take a different view after seeing what it is like for individuals who must depend on sometimes unreliable public transportation.
“You’re walking a mile in the other person’s moccasins,” he said.
