Good communication skills are essential for any successful career. Using those skills to marshal hundreds of employees, build relationships within creative teams, and navigate the chains of command in the workplace is communications taken to a high level. more

Everyone has the occasional bad day at work. When Mary Wohlgemuth, technical director at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, has a bad day, it could be because a torpedo is malfunctioning. more

As homelessness and food insecurity have continued to rise in Rhode Island, so have the resources and determination of the Providence In-Town Churches Association under the leadership of Executive Director Diana Burdette. PICA serves the capital city’s homeless, poor and elderly in need of help through its food pantry, daily meal site and other outreach programs. more

When Nancy Ryan Gray was a doctoral student at the Pennsylvania State University in 1983, she attended a research conference in New Hampshire with a crowd of scientists whose writings she had been studying avidly. The moment changed her life. more

It was not an exact fit, and the transition took post-graduate education and a few job changes, but Sarah Soares has made the move from serving as an officer in the U.S. Army to her current position, as human resources manager at Blount Fine Foods. Leading, training and guiding people was the theme that she followed, one which has led her to be named a Woman To Watch in professional services in Providence Business News’ 2013 Business Women Awards program. more

One major role of business executives – maybe especially those in human resources – is to teach. Many successful people say they owe the benefit of their experience to professionals coming up behind them. more

All too often, the focus on health care delivery today is on “our sick-care system” and not on wellness, said Heather Provino, CEO of Provant Health Solutions of East Greenwich. more

In what she describes as her “short 30 years” of working in the health care system, Cathy E. Duquette has always attempted to view the workplace as a place where a team environment, partnerships and collaborations can triumph. more

These days, banks can seem like characters in blockbuster movies: swirling in drama, thriving under turmoil, operating in crisis mode. Melissa Trapp, who manages Bank Rhode Island’s investment services, declares that she is “not headline material.” But she embodies the values that banks purport to deliver: sound judgment, a personal touch, little fanfare. more

Ann M. Kashmanian never thought about working in the health care industry when she was studying for a master’s degree in business administration at Northeastern University. Today, she helps keep several Ocean State hospitals on sound financial footing and works to make sure health care is available to everyone. more