Laura Pichardo for NC State Senate District 23
About Me
Early In Life
Early in life, I didn't grow up surrounded by wealth. I was born in Greensboro, NC, raised in Caswell County, and I am a first generation American. I didn't know all the adventures and opportunities that God was going to give me. Little by little, I discovered my subconscious passion for helping people. Being a first generation American, I had to navigate life by being remaining engaged to understand the world around me. It was thanks to my Public-School teachers that I was guided into going to the University after the 2008 housing crisis. I went and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Then I find myself questioning, "Now where is the job that I can use my degree?" I went back to the counselor at UNCG, and she gave me a list to review. She said "these are companies that hired our graduates. Try applying to these." I went home and applied to Hanesbrands Inc.
Soon, I had an interview for Hanesbrands Inc. I thought that I had applied to a factory job. To my surprise, when I pulled into the winding driveway, I arrived to a 4-story corporate building. I stared in awe. "Am I at the right place?" I walked in and introduced myself to the security guard. Soon, a lady with blond hair arrived to escort me into the building for my interview. I went through 3 different rounds of interviews. They asked me why I wanted to work for Hanesbrands Inc.? I told them, my family had a history of working for Hanesbrands Inc. when they had a factory operation in NC. I remember excelling in my interview and telling them of my ambitions of wanting to be able to work and build my personal prosperity so that I could be able to help my parents when they would become elderly.
Weeks go by, and I remember praying to God for the opportunity to work to be able to be able to take care of my family. Growing up I remember being living in a low-income home, seeing adults losing their jobs because of NAFTA, and how people felt hopeless. My mission is being able to use my skills to help others stay employed and having the necessary social programs as safeguards in case of times of need.
About Me
My background
With over nine years of expertise in accounts payable, financial reporting, and tax analysis, I am an accomplished Senior Accounts Payable Analyst, previously with Hanesbrands Inc., a global leader in apparel and consumer goods. My role includes delivering critical support to senior management through ad hoc reporting, vendor validation, and maintaining the weekly liability report. I also train and mentor team members, ensuring that processes are thoroughly documented and understood.
I have a proven track record in Software as a Service (SaaS) implementations, upgrades, and administration, with specialized proficiency in COR360 software. My efforts to streamline invoice processing saved the AP department over 52,000 hours, earning an internal award for excellence. I have successfully led various phases of SaaS projects, from requirements gathering and design to user acceptance testing (UAT) and post-launch monitoring, including complex tax withholding functionalities.
Holding an MBA from Winston Salem State University, Bachelors of Science in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I am fluent in both Spanish and English, I am passionate about utilizing technology, data, and business intelligence to drive operational efficiency and add significant value to the organizations.
Working in a multinational corporation has taught me that we need to continuously invest back into our own communities. We cannot take nothing for granted. Everyday is a gift an opportunity for us to work togethor.
My involvement
- Sunday School Catholic Teacher
- Active in Promoting Tourism to Caswell and Person Counties.
- County Treasurer for Caswell County Republicans
- Supports the Farmer's Market and town festivals
- Advertises small businesses to help with economic development