Recognizing Super SuiteImpact Ambassador Laura Bowman

When we think about volunteering at NetSuite, we often focus on the fun and meaningful parts of the experience —­ from getting to work side-by-side with colleagues we may have never met before to serving a hot meal to someone in our community.

What often gets overlooked amidst the excitement of each new experience is the hard work that goes into putting each activity together. Each event involves so much time and effort, on details such as finding the local community organization, promoting the event to encourage employees to participate, and ensuring that the event is a success for both the nonprofit and the volunteers.

Here at NetSuite, those behind-the-scenes details are managed by the NetSuite.org Team and SuiteImpact Ambassadors, employee volunteers who commit to spearheading volunteerism in their office.

And while every ambassador deserves to be recognized for their hard work and dedication, this blog post is specifically dedicated to celebrating Laura Bowman, the SuiteImpact Ambassador at Bronto Software in Durham. At the end of the month, Laura will pass the “ambassador torch” to colleagues Mike Gottlieb and Susan Wall, and we couldn’t let that happen without recognizing and thanking her for her incredible work. Laura’s contribution to employee volunteerism at NetSuite is truly unmatched and inspiring.

In 2015 alone, Laura and Bronto’s Community Committee members, made up of Bronto employee volunteers, organized 90 hands-on volunteer activities, an average of more than 22 events per quarter, on behalf of partner organizations such as Urban Ministries of Durham, SEEDS (a nonprofit community gardening program), and Habitat for Humanity. In total, 91 percent (yes, that’s right!) of Bronto employees volunteered for a total of 1,940 hours. More than 50 of those hours came from Laura herself.

Nominated by Urban Ministries of Durham, a nonprofit near and dear to Laura’s heart that offers food, shelter and resources to homeless individuals and families, Bronto was recognized by the North Carolina Office of the Governor as a Key Volunteer of the Year in the Corporate/ Business category. The Corporate/Business category specifically honors a corporation/business that has made a substantial impact in the community by engaging employees in volunteering activities and providing paid time for employees to volunteer.

What’s more, during NetSuite.org’s first-ever week of service, Global Impact Week, Laura led her office to volunteer 300+ hours. In addition to hands-on volunteer activities, Laura and team also organized five donation drives, which collected supplies for Ronald McDonald House and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

And even more impressive (if that’s possible), Laura did all of this while also excelling as a technical project manager for Bronto, a role that makes her responsible for the success of the engineering team’s projects. Her contribution to her team and Bronto was so significant that she was named “Female Employee of the Year” and received a “Silver Stevie,” an esteemed award that honors female executives, entrepreneurs, and the companies they run – worldwide.

Please help us in thanking and celebrating Laura! We’re sure going to miss her leadership, but are incredibly grateful for her time and dedication to creating opportunities for employees to make a meaningful difference in their local community.