Elise Tillie, Human Resources Team Leader for Damuth Trane was recently recognized by CoVaBIZ Magazine as a 2021 ‘Millennial on the Move.’
CoVaBIZ held an open online nomination period earlier this year and all nominations were reviewed by magazine representatives. Final selections were made based on demonstrated business excellence, community involvement and civic contributions in the Coastal Virginia region. This year’s honorees were announced on July 5 and consisted of 21 hardworking, philanthropic and trailblazing young professionals at the forefront of their industries.
Damuth Trane chose to nominate Elise for this worthy title due to her noteworthy accomplishments and contributions to the company that have continuously improved the working lives of their associates and allowed them to be awarded a Best Place to Work in Virginia for 11 consecutive years. In their nomination, Damuth Trane emphasized the fact that Elise became a member of the company’s Senior Leadership Team at just 32 years old and led the company through the unprecedented waters of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, encouraging flexibility for associates needing to work remotely all while maintaining stability of its workforce and even increasing the overall population 3% as of June of last year. Elise was also instrumental in launching Damuth Trane’s internal Culture Committee, their first state-registered HVAC apprenticeship program, and in the company becoming a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Partner Organization in 2018 along with organizing the company’s newly created Leadership Academy in 2020 to help train and develop associates entering leadership roles.
When asked about what professional accomplishment she was most proud of, Elise remarked, “I am most proud of being an advocate to our associates. I am proud to acknowledge that I am continuously working with my teammates to advance our workforce at an individual level. I believe the success of Damuth is due to the sum of its associates’ abilities, be it job knowledge, industry skills, or emotional intelligence. I am a strong believer that one should always be growing and learning.”
Outside of work, Elise serves on a resume review board for The Honor Foundation – a career transition program for U.S. Special Operations Forces that translates military service to the private sector (https://www.honor.org/). As a member of the resume review board, Elise helps Honor Foundation Fellows polish their resumes to effectively showcase how the skills and experience they have gained during their military service can translate into the civilian workforce. She is also a member of the Peninsula Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management. Elise’s other community involvement includes participating in Damuth Trane’s annual Silver Angels Holiday Gift Bag Assembly to benefit the seniors at Greenbrier Regional Medical Center Assisted Living, organizing an annual coat drive for Damuth Trane which benefits the Salvation Army, and volunteering with the Hampton Roads Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
When asked about Elise, company president Clint Damuth remarked: “In a year that has been ‘unprecedented’ in many ways, Elise’s leadership has remained steadfast. We at Damuth Trane appreciate her ability to pivot and change priorities as demands have fluctuated. She’s been a key influence in our shift to a more digital workforce and allowing our associates virtual opportunities, from the interview process to performing their day-to-day jobs remotely. We are proud that she has been honored as a Millennial on the Move in recognition of her contributions to our company, the industry, and the Hampton Roads community.”
Congrats Elise! Damuth Trane is proud to have you represent our company as a 2021 Millennial on the Move.
View the complete listing of this year’s Millennials on the Move and Elise’s feature at: https://covabizmag.com/millennials-on-the-move-2021/