Congratulations to Tashawna and Calvin, Graduates of The Advanced Leadership Institute's Emerging Leaders Program

We are pleased to congratulate Tashawna, Field Marketing Assistant Manager and Calvin, Sr. Financial Analyst on their recent graduation from The Advanced Leadership Institute's (TALI) Emerging Leaders Program!

In partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, TALI's Emerging Leaders Program supports and develops Black professionals who are looking to take the next step in their career. The program enhances leadership skills, as well as soft skills for participants to successfully navigate relevant roadblocks and further set them up for success. At Giant Eagle, developing our Team Members is a top priority. Through this program participation, we're thrilled to help equip both Tashawna and Calvin with the tools and resources to further advance their professional aspirations.

Learn more about their experiences here.

Tashawna, Field Marketing Assistant Manager

Years of Service: 14

About Tashawna

Tashawna began her career at Giant Eagle working on the Circular team helping put together art and proofing ad pages for the Giant Eagle and Good Cents weekly circular. After five years, she transitioned onto the Print Production team where she managed print specifications for Giant Eagle, Market District and GetGo before exclusively managing print specifications, helping with sign allocation of large marketing campaigns, sign implementation and signage installs for remodels/grand openings for GetGo for several years. As of January, Tashawna now works on the Field Marketing team where her focus is on marketing efforts around Food Security, Grand Openings, Market District and more.

How did you become involved in The Advanced Leadership Institute Emerging Leaders Program?

I became involved with T.A.L.I. through a nomination! Someone at Giant Eagle cared enough about my professional growth to have recommended me for this program.

Describe your experience in the TALI Emerging Leaders Program.

I met a lot of talented people from different companies in the Pittsburgh area. From this program, I made new connections I never would have had exposure to. Each learning module was a new subject that is applicable to growing one’s professional career with information that is instrumental. This is a great tool for a person starting out in their career or searching for a way to establish themselves as an invaluable Team Member.

Now that you’ve graduated, what are your biggest takeaways from this program? Do you feel more prepared to achieve your professional goals?

My biggest takeaway is confidence. I now know I am moving in the right direction and that is what motivates me to keep marching forward. I am appreciative of having exposure to T.A.L.I. and I hope others will see the significance of this program, learn more about it and want to become involved as well.

. . .

Calvin, Sr. Financial Analyst

Years of Service: 1.5

About Calvin

Calvin is a Senior Financial Analyst for the Information Technology and Retail Innovation & Supply Chain Transformation lines of business. In his role, he is responsible for all financial aspects for the Company including budgeting, forecasting, project approvals, ROI analysis, and month-end reconciliations. Along with his daily responsibilities, Calvin is also involved in Giant Eagle’s Long-Range Plan and Capital Planning Process which are strategic initiatives to evaluate the future success of the company. Calvin’s dedication to assist and drive results in his area led to him being selected to the conduct extract testing for the new Oracle platform. Calvin’s education includes a Bachelor’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Clark Atlanta University.

How did you become involved in The Advanced Leadership Institute Emerging Leaders Program?

I was selected to the program by the leaders of Giant Eagle. Previously I was not aware of the program, but I’m extremely grateful to have been selected to represent the Company.

Describe your experience in the TALI Emerging Leaders Program.

My experience in T.A.L.I… where do I begin. Overall, I believe that T.A.L.I. taught me extremely valuable lessons such as executive presence, authentic leadership, imposter syndrome, negotiations, the importance of a vision statement among numerous others. Although I learned all these powerful lessons, I believe that my experience in the program has substantially made me a better person. The experience gave me the balance and the insight that I needed to not only make an impact within the organization, but also my community and my home. The time I spent in the program was a pivotal encounter to the development of my career path.

Now that you’ve graduated, what are your biggest takeaways from this program? Do you feel more prepared to achieve your professional goals?

My biggest takeaways from the program are the connections I built with the talented individuals in the program and the invaluable lessons that were provided. The connections that I built are authentic and relatable because they are comprised of individuals that are in similar positions as me and come across similar professional roadblocks. The lessons that were taught were not what you would typically find in books or classes. This program was instrumental in helping me focus on how to better navigate through the corporate workspace while remaining the most authentic version of myself. Through the T.A.L.I. program not only do I feel that I am prepared to achieve professional goals, but I am ready to eclipse them and exceed to higher heights.

Click to Learn More about the TALI Emerging Leaders Program