Girl Power in Action

December 7, 2021

Girl Power

Snow-Redfern Board member and Division Production Control Manager with Parker Hannifin Corporation, Denise Harris, is the epitome of Girl Power in action.

“Girl power is simply having the confidence to challenge traditional gender roles and step up to the plate to do the right thing to make progress,” shared Denise.

Denise attributes her growth mindset and confidence as a female leader to her upbringing. Her parents expected her to work at the family hardware store and “get the job done,” teaching her that the better job you do, consistently, the more respect you earn.

“That has stuck with me,” she said. “They encouraged my abilities and supported me so that I could make mistakes and turn them into lessons that ultimately improved my life.”

Strong Female Role Model

Having a strong female role model- her mother- Denise did not initially understand gender inequality as a child. Her mother worked full time, coached her and her brother’s sporting events, and was always a strong supporter in the community. In middle school, she began to question why gender mattered, seeing gender-specific programs like “Girls Are Powerful” and Girl Scouts that operated on gender.

As she matured and began to observe that women were traditionally underrepresented in leadership roles, she was able to understand the importance of the female engagement she had witnessed in gender-specific programs as a child.

Because of her strong background of empowerment, Denise went on to receive her degree at UNL and is now a leader in the community, refusing to give credence to inequality as a factor in that role.

When asked why girls should be empowered to be strong, independent, compassionate leaders, she said:

“Even if you are in a male-dominated industry or looking into a career that is currently male-dominated, you need to have the confidence to know you have something to contribute that is going to benefit others! Having a diverse representation on any leadership team brings more depth and complexity to the organization, making it robust!”

Giving Back Through Snow-Redfern Foundation

Denise invests her talents and leadership with various organizations in the community, including the Snow-Redfern Foundation Board, while also devoting herself to her family, friends, and career.

“Knowing that I’m contributing to something greater than myself helps to drive my sense of purpose. Being on the board has educated me on so many programs and opportunities for our youth and it is so encouraging to see that the support is there to develop the next generation of strong & independent leaders!”

Want to help us continue to support Girl Power in Action? Give the gift of empowerment today at: https://www.snowredfern.org/give-today/