Melissa Pint should have been celebrating a major life moment this June: the wedding of her dear friend – her own sister, Tina. COVID-19 has pushed the wedding off until June 25th of next year when Tina and her fiancée, Katie, hope to finally be able to bring loved ones together to witness their marriage.
“I absolutely support her and her new fiancée, and love and welcome Katie and this bigger, closer family,” said Melissa, who is Senior Vice President of Information Technology at JCPenney.
This year, Melissa became the executive sponsor of the company’s Pride group as an ally to support JCPenney’s LGBTQ associates and customers. She was expecting to mark Pride Month by joining traditional parades, but in the era of COVID, Pride Month celebrations are going virtual and becoming more personal.
Associates at JCPenney are posting and sharing photos of themselves and their loved ones as they live out the principles of the Pride rainbow, including Healing, Harmony, Sunlight, and Spirit. This is one of the many things that makes Melissa proud. See the post here.
“We are very lucky at JCPenney that we were founded on the Golden Rule,” she said. “It is a great legacy because we are Middle America’s department store, and Middle America is incredibly diverse – it is everyone.”
At work, Melissa oversees everything from the Company’s eCommerce and app to technology at stores and at headquarters. In her free time, she has been educating herself about the intersection between recent social unrest and LGBTQ communities to ensure she is doing her part to help make the movements inclusive. She is excited about the evolution of the Pride flag, which now includes the colors of black and brown to represent diversity and inclusion.
There is a clear connection between her personal and professional passions. “What I love about my job as a leader is that I get to help build leaders and team,” she said. “I want to build on experiences so that everyone feels included as a company and as a customer.”
Through Pride and her job at JCPenney, Melissa is working toward equality and the day that everyone will have the same opportunities. Her philosophy is simple: “If you have a passion, we will embrace it,” she said. “If you are unique, we will embrace you.”
List of JCPenney Business Resource Teams
| ECO is a group of individuals who share a passion for improving sustainability and being eco-friendly. The main goal of this BRT is to increase sustainable practices, innovation, and awareness in our office, field locations and in our private brand products. |
| HEAT is a group of diverse Hispanic associates whose goal is to foster a positive and engaging work and shopping environment for Latinos. We focus on the fastest-growing customer demographic in the U.S. to create business success. |
| HEROES is a diverse group of associates dedicated to identifying both best practices and new ways to improve how JCPenney supports our military associates and their families. |
| INCLUSION COUNCIL is a group of diverse individuals whose goal is to support an inclusive environment where our customers feel welcome and our associates can thrive. |
| JAAG members are of diverse ethnicities and share the same passion and interests for Asian culture awareness, education, professional development, and community outreach. |
| MOSAIC is a group of engaged associates dedicated to supporting professional business opportunities, community outreach, and professional development resulting in an engaging work experience for African Americans at JCPenney. |
| PRIDE members are comprised of engaged LGBT and straight allies who participate in associate development and community events, positioning JCPenney as the preferred choice for a retail career and retailer of choice for customers. |
| WINGS addresses the personal development, business opportunities and accomplishments of women, while providing inspiration for others who aspire to have a career in retail. Members participate in an inclusive environment and share in the understanding that women deserve the opportunity to realize their fullest potential while making significant contributions to the business success of JCPenney. |
