There’s something to be said for creating things that are bigger than ourselves. Star-crossed historical figure Alexander Hamilton knew it to be true. He left behind many gifts to early America (Coast Guard, New York Post, national banking system) that still resonate today, even though his name is inextricably linked to Aaron Burr and an unfortunately accurate bullet.
Hamilton certainly would’ve taken a shine to Debra Anne Kellogg. The education, talent, performance and communications manager for Toshiba America Business Solutions is relentless, to say the least. Admittedly hyper and affectionately termed a pit bull for her penchant of not letting go, Kellogg isn’t afraid to keep asking questions until she gets the answer she desires.
But most of all, the 28-year Toshiba veteran has left her mark through the projects and programs she has created (and continues to devise) for the organization. Early in her career, a general manager called Kellogg a “doer” for the ability to tackle and complete any project, regardless of its degree of difficulty or whether the subject was outside of her experiences. Suffice to say, A.Ham would be quite proud of her.
“I really have a passion for learning and teaching, both personally and professionally,” said Kellogg, a 2020 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “I love seeing people learn, develop and grow. When you teach a concept and someone really gets it, you can see the change in their career, the change in the way they approach things.”
Kellogg has the leeway to develop educational and professional advancement programs for Toshiba’s global workforce. In recent years, she has pulled off a human resources hat trick, with three programs that netted an award from OpenSesame: Toshiba Connect, a centralized intranet that hosts all employee information; Ignite, a coaching and goals-setting program for managers to monitor and manage performance through coaching; and Toshiba Academy, a content-laden reservoir curated by skill level.
Ever the team player, Kellogg is quick to point out the team members, resource and learning partners who help to make these and other projects realize success. She once was offered lunch at an upscale seaside restaurant to celebrate a project well done, but Kellogg insisted her teammates be invited. None of us, she observed, do anything alone.
Overcoming Fears
It’s been an interesting journey for Kellogg, who studied at Saddleback College and the University of California Irvine with a focus on information systems and marketing. She had a love for numbers; however, Kellogg felt terribly shy and uncomfortable speaking in groups. Clearly, she has more than confronted those fears, having performed countless speaking and teaching engagements. In fact, writing and developing programs is among her favorite tasks, and she has partnered with numerous industry leaders to develop and facilitate leadership programs. Kellogg teamed with Toshiba’s IT department to build the company’s first learning management system (LMS) called FYI early in her career and needed to dust off that past knowledge with recent LMS development of Toshiba Connect.
A Six Sigma black belt, she brought lean principles to Toshiba and spent a year and a half training all Toshiba employees. She also owns accreditations from The Ken Blanchard Companies, Alessandra & Associates, Achieve Global, Harvard, and the California Institute of Technology.
“I love to learn. I do a lot of research and keep current on what is relevant and changing not only in our industry, but in all industries,” Kellogg noted.
One of Kellogg’s biggest champions and mentors is her boss, Joan Maesky, Toshiba’s vice president of human resources. Maesky provides balance—“She taught me the art of letting things go,” Kellogg noted—and encourages Kellogg to put down her many ideas on paper to see if they can be realized.
“She gets behind me when I’m excited about something and we’re pitching ideas all the time,” Kellogg said. “I keep knocking on the door until something happens, and she’s very supportive and shares my passion for helping to get the employees to next level in their careers.”
To say 2020 has been an awkward year is an understatement. In April, Kellogg was to be a keynote panel speaker on the value of bringing people back into the classroom, which was viewed as being more impactful than online training. COVID-19 added the ironic twist; undaunted, Kellogg and her team has expanded the way it does training while leveraging underutilized tools.
Growing Leaders
Not resting on laurels, Toshiba rolled out a beta mentoring program called Empowering Leaders Today, and Kellogg is excited about the prospect of creating more personal growth opportunities for employees that would enable them to increase roles and responsibility. Building more opportunities into existing roles and paving the way for employees to cross-train for other areas will enable Toshiba to maintain their talent resources. As the employees grow, so does Toshiba.
“We’re not in a stagnant atmosphere, so we’re constantly looking for better ways to deliver programs,” she said.
Kellogg’s passion for helping people extends beyond the hallways of Toshiba. She has championed a number of causes, independently and in tandem with the OEM, including Alzheimer’s Association and Orangewood Foundation. The latter is a foster and community youth services foundation, which includes programs to help children who graduate from the foster system (resume building, opening a bank account, assisting them in becoming independent). Kellogg has helped rally employees and the company to partake in fundraisers for these and other organizations.
Kellogg loves the beach and enjoys paddle boarding, fishing and bike riding. She fuels her creativity passion through painting, jewelry and basket making. Two dogs and a parrot keep Kellogg and her father on the go, and she relishes time with her family and church. That she still loves her job 28 years later rounds out a fulfilling life for Kellogg.
“I really love my career and all the opportunities Toshiba has provided. Grateful is an understatement,” she added.
