Women's History Month Profile Phedra Redifer

For our first Exceptional Women Wednesday spotlight for Women’s History Month, we proudly feature our very own Phedra Redifer, Executive Director of Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas. She took the helm in the Fall of 2021 and has propelled the organization to new heights. Here are some excerpts from our conversation with this dynamic leader.

Who most inspires you?

My Mother inspires me the most; she is one of the most resilient women I know. She always gave me the space to pursue my goals and encouraged me every step of the way to never give up.

What is your proudest accomplishment?

I am a Senator J. William Fulbright Scholar. I was awarded this grant opportunity upon graduation from Texas Tech University. I studied international politics and furthered my German language studies at the University of Regensburg in Regensburg, Germany. While living and studying in Germany I traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East and also fulfilled an internship at the BMW. The entire Fulbright experience was one of my most proudest accomplishments.

How do you stay motivated?

I don’t have to work at being motivated, it’s in my genes. My parents have always been extremely motivated and hard-working, and I took after them.

What books are you currently reading?

I just finished the book Last Letters from Attu and am now reading Atomic Habits.

What was the best career advice you received?

I was corrected early on in my career to shift from saying “I” to “we.” It’s amazing how transformative that one piece of advice was for me and how much I have benefited from it over the years.

What words of business wisdom do you want to pass on to others?

Never lose sight of the importance people play in your life – your family, your staff, your stakeholders and your customers. Everyone brings value to the world in which we live and you need to respect everyone, regardless of whether or not their views differ from yours. I truly believe that if you value people, value their voice and invest in their potential there is no limit on what you and they can do together.

How do you feel your previous experiences prepared you for your current role?

The majority of my career has been in public service. The two most important career experiences that prepared me best for my current position as Executive Director of Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas were as the Special Events Manager for the City of Dallas and as the Deputy Director of Regional Parks & Attractions for the Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma, WA. These two positions provided me abundant opportunities to influence policies and design programs and services specific to the needs of the communities and customers we served. These two agencies did not have unlimited resources, so it really placed the responsibility back on me and the teams I led to look wide and far to establish collaborative partnerships to achieve our goals. There truly is no greater fulfillment than when you can develop a partnership and work as a team to achieve common goals that have lasting and significant benefits to those you are trying to serve.