Lucy Rose-Correia

NOT BACKING DOWN: Whether she’s working to provide services for vulnerable children and families through Children’s Friend in Providence, where she serves as chief of talent, or running the New York Marathon, Lucy Rose-Correia believes in challenging herself. / PBN PHOTO/DAVE HANSEN
NOT BACKING DOWN: Whether she’s working to provide services for vulnerable children and families through Children’s Friend in Providence, where she serves as chief of talent, or running the New York Marathon, Lucy Rose-Correia believes in challenging herself. / PBN PHOTO/DAVE HANSEN

PBN 2021 Leaders & Achievers Awards
Lucy Rose-Correia | Chief of talent, Children’s Friend


Lucy Rose-Correia took a circuitous route to discover her talent.

A Rhode Island native, she found herself in Seattle, looking for work as a single mother and ended up at Nordstrom Inc., selling cosmetics. She excelled and eventually transferred to a store in New Jersey, where a friend working in the human resources department suggested she give HR a try.

It was a good fit. Eventually, Rose-Correia was helping the luxury department store open a location at Providence Place in the late 1990s. That included hiring more than 300 employees. In 2004, Rose-Correia earned an undergraduate degree at Lesley University at the same time as one of her sons. After working in several corporate HR positions, she now serves as the chief of talent for Children’s Friend, a Providence nonprofit providing services for vulnerable children and families.

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Rose-Correia brings passion and conviction to everything she does. She believes in challenging herself, not only professionally but also personally, including running in the New York Marathon.

Rose-Correia holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Cape Verde, and works throughout the state to educate those of Cape Verdean descent on their heritage. Rose-Correia was also the founder of the Cape Verdean Veterans Memorial Project, which constructed a monument at the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery in 2018.

“The spirit in which we engage people in a curious and positive way, we’re being ambassadors of our culture,” she said. “I love to talk about my heritage, and being in Rhode Island allows me to connect with the community of Cape Verdeans.” While working on the memorial project, she met her future husband, Gary Correia, a retired U.S. Marine lieutenant colonel.

As a woman and a person of color, Rose-Correia said she feels it is important to share her achievements. “We need to be advocates for the work that we do and set the example for the next generation that’s coming up behind us,” Rose-­Correia said.

Rose-Correia is working toward a master’s degree in holistic leadership at Salve Regina ­University.

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