PROFILE

Paula E. Waters, SPHR joined Portal Dynamics (PD) as the Human Resources Director working with senior management to build and manage the human resources function.  Prior to joining PD, she worked for ETS a nonprofit organization and a number of Fortune 500 companies such as Schering-Plough, Johnson & Johnson, Hershey Foods and Xerox.

She is an advocate of education and has worked with student interns throughout her career. She was an adjunct professor for Central Pennsylvania College (formerly Central Penn Business School) in Summerdale, PA, and for Middlesex Community College in Iselin, NJ where she taught Recruitment & Selection, and Human Resources Management. Most recently she taught a class for the SPHR/PHR Certification at Mercer County Community College in Trenton, NJ.

Based on various employment reports, America faces a profound shortage of skilled and educated workers over the next decade. Paula strongly believes this downward trend is reversible, and the quest for higher education and skilled training can work to promote equity, if the appropriate incentives are structured to achieve that end.

As her way to give back to the community and her contribution to the “No Child Left Behind Act”, Paula is the sponsor of the Paula Waters-Diamond In The Rough Scholarship program. TThis program is for the student with a 2.0 to 2.9 GPA because, there are so many programs for gifted students or for females, yet little is done for African-American male students.

Not only did Paula want to make a difference in the Prince George's community, she also wanted to help students from her alumnae—Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, PA. Westinghouse High School is one of the selected schools where students are eligible to apply for the Paula Waters-Diamond In The Rough Scholarship Fund. In 2010, the scholarship program was extended to all public and charter high schools in Prince George's County and the District of Columbia High Schools. By sponsoring and raising funds for this program to provide financial assistance, it helps to empower “diamond in the rough” African American male youth who have potential and has academic and leadership qualities that would not be sought out by a college, university or vocational-technical school.

To continue her high school support, Paula, participates in the Negro Educational Emergency Drive (NEED) Adopt-A-Student Program*. Through this program, a student meeting the donor’s criteria is selected. A student from Westinghouse High School was selected for Paula. As a donor, she provides an annual grant of $1,000 for each year the student completes college.

Paula holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology from University of Pittsburgh, with a graduate degree from Villanova University in Human Resources Development, and a certificate in the Training and Development certificate from Seton Hall University, and has completed the Rutgers Mini-MBA: Business Essentials program.

*The Negro Educational Emergency Drive, NEED is a non-profit college access program offering financial aid, counseling, and internships to help young African Americans learn about, aspire to, prepare for, apply to, finance, and complete higher education.