LG Outstanding Associate With a Disability Says She Pushes Herself to Achieve Goals
In her position as an e-commerce materials handler II at the Waco Distribution Center, Stacey Brown finds products on shelves, wraps or packages them appropriately, and places them on delivery trucks. She also drives a forklift and helps wherever she can.
She also has a young boy, the sixth of her seven children, who was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after she joined the Exchange in January 2018.
From left, Alan French, senior vice president of supply chain; Karen Stack, executive vice president/chief logistics officer; Stacey Brown, LG’s 2021 Outstanding Associate With a Disability; COL Brian Memoli, Logistics deputy director; and Jason Rakestraw, vice president, Logistics Operations. On Dec. 6, the LG leaders presented the award to Brown at the Waco Distribution Center, where Brown is a materials handler II.
“It’s been a challenge for us,” said Brown, who has worked off and on for the Exchange, including three holiday seasons on various e-commerce shifts and hours. “Thankfully, the amazing people here understood my situation and worked with me throughout his treatment. They really became my extended family. When my son is having a hard time, I also do some remote work.”
There’s one more thing Brown would like you to know.
“Though I am deaf I do not see myself as disabled,” she said in an email interview. “I see myself as a person that is willing to push myself to achieve anything I set my mind to.”
Brown is Logistics’ Outstanding Associate With a Disability for 2021. On Dec. 6, Logistics leadership —Executive Vice President/Chief Logistics Officer Karen Stack, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Alan French, Deputy Director Col. Brian Memoli and Vice President of LG Operations Jason Rakestraw—traveled to the Waco DC to present Brown with her award.
“We are proud that Stacey works in Logistics,” said Stack, who is also the executive champion for special-emphasis program ABLE (Able, Believe, Lead, Empower), which supports associates with disabilities. “Her strong work ethic and positive attitude illustrate that it’s not about what you can’t do, but what you can do.”
Brown said she was surprised and honored by the recognition. “I want to thank the Exchange and my co-workers for giving me the opportunity to thrive and grow,” she said. “I would also like to thank my manager Paul Monda, who saw something in me and took me under his wing. I will be forever grateful for the opportunities he presented me with.”
Brown has been instrumental in progress at the DC. In 2019, Brown pushed for a review of Exchange policies and Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) regulations to be able to drive material-handling equipment. She applied for the opportunity and was selected for a forklift operating position.
In 2020, she opted in to do the beta testing for the DC’s participation and future use of the federally funded Federal Relay Remote Interpreting program, in which an interpreter is provided virtually on-demand at no additional expense to the DC or Exchange.
Brown continually asks for more responsibilities and training in different aspects of the department,” according to the narrative for the award. “With her unique perspective and experience, she has assisted in the evolution of the training practices. After these changes were implemented, she directly assisted in the training of other associates with the same disability during all three holiday seasons.”
Brown’s connections to the military run deep. Her husband was a law enforcement specialist in the Air Force. Members of his family have been in all branches of the military. Her stepfather was a Marine. Her grandfather served in the Army. “We are a very patriotic and proud family,” she said.
In her free time, she enjoys camping and hiking with her family.
“We also love the water and spend as much time as possible swimming and enjoying the lakes here in Central Texas,” she said. “I also am involved the deaf community in the area and do what I can to help bring awareness to the deaf way of life.”
She also enjoys the sense of family and togetherness she gets at the Waco DC, where she says the management team is one of the finest she’s ever worked with.
“The biggest thing I can add is don’t let your disability be a disability,” she said. “You are capable of so much more if you just have faith in yourself and strive to be the best you you can possibly be. The only closed doors are the ones you’re afraid to open. “
