Celebrating Pride with Len Valdez

In celebration of Pride Month, we are recognizing one of the talented and passionate members of our GLS team: Len Valdez. Len is a Hub Manager and has been part of GLS for over 10 years. Not only does she bring immense talent and knowledge to her role, but she is also an active voice for the LGBTQIA+ community. She embodies the values of equality and unity that Pride Month represents. Here, she will share how to drive positive change for the LGBTQIA+ community and we will also dive deeper into Len’s inspiring career with GLS.???

?What does the LGBTQIA+ community mean to you???

It means unity and equality to me. It means not even looking at gender, status, or color. Everyone is equal, that is what’s really empowering. I got married recently in July 1, 2022. The most challenging thing for us was her family not being accepting of our marriage. So, we decided to elope and invited our best friends, and they watched us go to court and get married. It also means a lot to me being in the Navy. When I was in the Navy, there was the don’t ask, don’t tell policy. But now, the military advocates for the gay community. It has been a relief to be able to have the opportunity to get married and it being recognized by society and the government.??

And specifically, what does pride month mean to you??

It means being able to be yourself. We wait once a year for celebration. It means getting to see everybody for who they truly are. It’s about being open to themselves and to the world and taking pride in their sexuality. It is not always about rainbows and stuff like that it’s more about equality and being with your partner in public. Holding hands, without being timid or shy or feeling like somebody is going to judge you. Pride month is the permission to be you.?

What is something you are excited to do to celebrate pride month??

Partying, celebrating memories, going out to different locations and knowing the history on how pride came to be. Going to events and they have charities for trans people that are beaten and abused. And for those who get shunned from their family. I do not party as much as I used to, but I like the parades to celebrate. I went to the LA parade and then there is the San Diego parade in July. I march with the owner of Passion Planner, Angel, and their group who does an event there every year. I love how everybody is so happy, loud, and proud. I also go the community events and the non-profit organizations.??

How can people increase their awareness of significant issues impacting the LGBTQIA+ community???

Visibility and representation. This underscores the importance of being visible, like a simple pride emblem pin on your clothes. It represents advocacy and change in society and all over the media. We hold community events that advocate for change: a silent and peaceful protest. Its also about making it inclusive to work with everybody, so more visibility for the community. Instead of partying all the time, what can you do to raise awareness?? For example, social events, picnics, fundraisers.??

Can you tell us about your career and how you got to GLS???

This is actually a Cinderella story. I was in the military, and I wanted to go into the medical field, specifically respiratory therapy, but did not find any interest in that. I saw this job in San Diego for a part-time package handler in 2006. So, I said I am going to go in here and show them I can do this. It was quite simple package handler duties and typing in control numbers. One of the reasons I got discovered was because my boss saw me using the 10 key without looking. He tossed me a two-way walkie talkie radio and said, “Here you’re dispatching now.” So I went into the office for a couple years as a dispatcher. Then afterwards in 2009 everybody got laid off and I went on hiatus and back to school for respiratory therapy. I did not even search for the job and they called me back in 2013 and said they wanted me back. I came back and I was doing bodybuilding competitions at the time, so they did not really recognize me. My title was still dispatcher when I came back and then a couple years later, they moved me to Ops Coordinator. My supervisor from GLS at the time was getting ill and I held the fort down for everybody while he was out sick. Then, they recognized that I was doing so much of a good job that I became Ops Coordinator Lead. From there, a couple years later I became Supervisor. 11 months after that I became a Depot Manager. I was only a Depot Manager for 7 months and then I became a Hub Manager here. I now have two buildings that I manage.???

How long have you been at GLS and what is your role and responsibilities???

I have been at GLS for 10 years and I am currently a Hub Manager. I went all the way from the bottom, a package handler, to where I am at now!??

What do you enjoy most about working for GLS???

I enjoy the diversity! I enjoy that it’s a variable environment, that anything can change at any time and you have to think on your feet to solve problems. What I enjoy most is the people helping people, wanting them to grow. In my situation, I want to promote others, I want to make sure they are doing good and build a successful team. That way, when we build a successful team everybody implements it in every building. One of the things that I enjoy most is we do award and recognition here. I started the first Employee of the Month Wall and award gift cards to those Employees of the Month. We have a safety team, and we have cakes whenever it is somebody’s birthday. It says “Parcels to People” in the GLS slogan and I put people first.??

What does it mean to you that GLS is celebrating Pride month??

It means everything. This representation just shows how much GLS-US supports the LGBTQIA+ community and gives us visibility. To me, this is outstanding. It means we aren’t only just trying to showcase something; we are trying to show everybody that we believe in diversity and inclusion.?