Laura Pichardo is the candidate for the NC State Senate District 23, representing Caswell, Person, and Orange Counties.
About Me
Early In Life
Pick Yourself Up and Try, Try Again
My story is one of perseverance, opportunity, and gratitude for the people who encouraged me along the way.
After the 2008 housing crisis, my public-school teachers guided me toward higher education and helped me believe that a better future was possible. Their encouragement led me to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where I earned my degree.
After graduation, however, I faced a question familiar to many young adults: “Now, where is the job that will allow me to use my education?”
I returned to a career counselor at UNCG, who gave me a list of companies that had hired UNCG university graduates. She encouraged me to apply, so I went home and submitted an application to Hanesbrands Inc.
When I received an interview, I assumed I had applied for a factory position. Instead, after following a winding driveway, I arrived at a four-story corporate building. I stared at it in amazement and wondered, “Am I at the right place?”
I introduced myself to the security guard, and soon a woman with blond hair arrived to escort me to my interview. After three rounds of interviews, I was asked why I wanted to work for Hanesbrands.
My answer came from the heart. Generations of my family had worked for Hanesbrands when the company operated factories in North Carolina. I also shared my personal ambition: I wanted to build a successful career, achieve financial stability, and care for my parents as they grew older.
That opportunity helped begin a professional journey that has now spanned more than a decade.
Growing up in Caswell County shaped the way I see work, opportunity, and public service. I watched adults lose good-paying jobs as factories closed and trade policies such as NAFTA transformed our communities. I saw the fear and hopelessness that followed when hardworking people could no longer count on a steady paycheck.
Those experiences gave me a lasting sense of purpose. I believe people deserve access to meaningful work, the opportunity to build financial security, and responsible safeguards that help families through unemployment, illness, and other unexpected hardships.
As a candidate for office, I aim to advocate for policies that strengthen our communities. Professionally, I have become a strategic Business Accounts Payable Analyst with more than a decade of experience protecting company resources, improving financial processes, and helping organizations operate more efficiently. My background includes accounts payable, financial analysis, contract auditing, SaaS implementation, project execution, and cross-functional collaboration.
Throughout my career, I have helped recover vendor overpayments, strengthen internal controls, automate financial reporting, streamline workflows, and improve operations across complex organizations. I specialize in examining how financial systems work, identifying opportunities for improvement, and turning business goals into practical, measurable results.
My leadership style is grounded in collaboration, accountability, careful analysis, and continuous improvement. I believe the strongest solutions are created when people listen to one another, work toward shared goals, and remain focused on results.
As I enter the next chapter of my career and public service, I want to use my financial and operational experience to help build stronger businesses, more resilient communities, and greater opportunities for working families. I am passionate about supporting sustainable economic growth, protecting financial integrity, strengthening the systems people rely upon, and helping create workplaces where employees can succeed without sacrificing their families or quality of life.
My journey—from a low-income neighborhood, to UNCG, to a corporate career, and now as I pursue a master's in business administration from Winston Salem State University—reminds me that opportunity can change the direction of a person’s life. It also reminds me that success is rarely a straight path.
Sometimes, we must pick ourselves up and try, try again. With encouragement, determination, and the right opportunities, ordinary people, like Laura Pichardo—your future NC State Senate representative—can accomplish extraordinary things.
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.
As a candidate for office, I understand the importance of effective financial management in promoting transparency and accountability in governance. 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 and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, I am fluent in both Spanish and English. As I prepare to run for the NC State Senate, I am passionate about utilizing technology, data, and business intelligence to drive operational efficiency and add significant value to the organizations I represent.
Working in a multinational corporation has taught me that we need to continuously invest back into our own communities. We cannot take anything for granted. Every day is a gift—an opportunity for us to work together.
My involvement
Laura Pichardo, a dedicated Sunday School Catholic teacher, is an active candidate for office, promoting tourism to Caswell and Person Counties. As the County Treasurer for the Caswell County Republican Party, she supports local initiatives like the Farmer's Market and town festivals, and she advocates for small businesses to boost economic development in the region while pursuing a seat in the NC State Senate.