Lissa Collier Brings a People-First Approach to HR and Public Affairs

For Lissa Collier, effective human resources leadership begins with understanding both people and the systems that support them. Over 14 years in the manufacturing sector, she has developed experience across payroll, benefits, compliance, workplace safety, employee relations, and talent management. That broad foundation now informs her work as Head of Human Resources & Public Affairs at Sunsong Holdings Inc. in Moraine, Ohio.

Her path from an entry-level coordinator role to strategic leadership reflects the value of learning HR from the ground up. Each area of responsibility has added another perspective on how workplace decisions affect employees, managers, and organizational performance. Rather than treating HR functions as separate administrative tasks, Lissa approaches them as connected parts of the employee experience and the wider business.

Building Leadership Through Full-Circle HR

Manufacturing workplaces require HR leaders to balance immediate operational needs with long-term priorities. Payroll must be accurate, benefit programs must be administered carefully, safety expectations must remain visible, and policies must be applied consistently. Recruitment and retention also depend on whether employees can understand their roles, access support, and see opportunities to develop.

Lissa’s experience spans this full circle of work. Her responsibilities include talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, payroll, workplace safety, compliance, employee relations, training, performance processes, and organizational planning. She also works with leadership on staffing needs, required competencies, and approaches intended to strengthen retention and team performance.

This range gives her a practical view of strategy. A plan is only useful when it can be translated into clear processes, understood by the people involved, and carried out within the realities of daily operations. Her people-first perspective places employee engagement and workplace culture alongside measurable business needs rather than positioning them as competing concerns.

Connecting Culture With Business Outcomes

Employee engagement is a central theme in Lissa’s work. In practice, engagement can be influenced by many of the functions under HR leadership: communication, professional development, benefits, performance expectations, manager support, and the consistency of workplace policies. Addressing those areas together helps create a more coherent experience for employees.

Her approach also recognizes the role of leadership teams in shaping culture. HR can establish processes and offer guidance, but managers and department leaders bring those practices into everyday interactions. Supporting leaders through complex employee matters, recruiting decisions, performance conversations, and organizational changes is therefore part of strengthening the workplace as a whole.

Compliance and safety provide another important dimension. In a manufacturing environment, these responsibilities are not simply background requirements. They affect how work is organized, how concerns are handled, and how employees experience the organization’s commitment to accountability. Lissa’s grounding in these areas complements her interest in growth-oriented workplaces and stronger team performance.

A Broader Chapter in Public Affairs

Lissa’s move into public affairs expands the scope of her leadership while preserving her internal HR responsibilities. She continues to oversee full-cycle human resources operations, including executive talent acquisition, total rewards, payroll, safety, and employee relations. At the same time, public affairs introduces a wider set of relationships beyond the organization.

Her focus in this next chapter includes building and maintaining connections with local government officials, community leaders, trade associations, and regulatory bodies. It also creates opportunities to participate in corporate social responsibility initiatives. These responsibilities extend the relationship-centered skills used in HR into conversations involving the company’s community and institutional stakeholders.

The combination is a natural point of connection between internal culture and external presence. Organizations are represented not only by what they produce, but also by how they engage employees, respond to community priorities, and maintain constructive professional relationships. Experience navigating varied workplace needs can offer a useful foundation for that broader engagement.

Keeping People at the Center

As her role develops, Lissa remains focused on the link between people strategy and organizational goals. Her progression demonstrates how detailed operational knowledge can support broader leadership: mastering essential functions creates the context needed to assess risks, guide teams, and make informed recommendations.

Her work also illustrates the expanding reach of modern HR leadership. Culture, performance, compliance, safety, communication, and community relationships intersect in ways that require both technical understanding and sound judgment. By carrying a people-first perspective into public affairs, Lissa is beginning a new phase built on the same principle that has guided her HR career: strong organizations depend on thoughtful relationships, reliable systems, and attention to the people affected by each decision.