Cynthia (Cindy) Byrd, Senior Consultant
Former HR Executive: Cindy has held progressive leadership roles in the human resources field, from healthcare and risk management to labor relations and chief human resources officer, serving both US-based and global organizations across myriad industries, including manufacturing and distribution; insurance and finance; airline transportation; call centers; public utilities; and the US military.
Cindy has been involved with helping multiple organizations protect their union-free status for over 20 years. Her union avoidance effectiveness has been enhanced with her extensive Human Resources Leadership and labor contract negotiation experiences spanning over two decades in multiple dynamic and complex organizational environments.
Cindy’s frontline and leadership experiences provide first hand knowledge and understanding of the challenges that employees and their leaders face on a day-to-day basis, realizing that 24/7 operations may lead to fatigue and change saturation in evolving and fast-paced organizations. These conditions unknowingly create underlying tension and employee disenfranchisement, a perfect environment for union organizing. Through ongoing and transparent communication, Cindy has helped build pre-emptive and intervention strategies that enable employers to preserve and protect their union-free status and profit performance.
Cindy began her early career as a combat medic supporting ground troops in the USA and Germany. From the military, Cindy earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Behavior/Psychology at Grandview University; Master of Public Administration in Healthcare Economics and Labor Relations at Drake University; and advanced leadership training and certification at Penn State and Boston University. She holds various professional certifications in human resources, instructional design, and training and development from national and globally recognized institutes, and is the author of multiple proprietary training programs, policies and publications. Cindy is married with three adult children, and is involved in grass roots organizational and community change initiatives in her spare time.