Whitley Turner, Senior Buyer, is diligent, organized, and willing to go above and beyond for the success of the Purchasing Team and Houston’s as a whole. For these qualities and more, Whitley has earned recognition as Wilsonville Office Employee of the Quarter for Q3.
It is well known that some post-pandemic business challenges continue to linger: items out of stock, production delays, etc. This past quarter, Whitley has worked especially hard, and has proven to be an invaluable asset to numerous departments within Houston’s.
“Whitley is a huge resource for our entire Sales Team regarding purchasing questions,” one colleague noted. “She provides real time and thorough information on ETA dates, vendor issues, and delays – all of which have been crucial in creating sales opportunities due to vendor supply chain issues.”
Another nominator noted that, though Whitley has been a truly dependable and independently motivated team member since her first days at Houston’s, she has gone above and beyond to ensure the other members of the Purchasing Team are supported.
She has set up individual meetings with team members to ensure tasks are completed in a timely manner and is always open to answering questions and offering assistance on the fly, as well.
An additional step beyond her normal duties this quarter, she also took the initiative to collaborate to improve the New Item Setup request sheet, which is used by multiple departments.
In the words of another nominator, “Whitley is a strong example of the Houston’s mindset of teamwork, community, support, and collaboration.”
Her team-first mindset is further displayed by her highly observant nature. She will often catch and correct small things before they become big issues offering suggestions with other colleagues and departments.
Whitley and her loyal dog Harley showing their holiday spirit
Even when inevitable issues arise, Whitley does not shy away from the challenge. As one colleague recalled:
“When a problem arose with Torani missing orders from us, she was the one to get our IT involved and to get the contacts she works with at Torani to involve their people as well. She facilitated communication in order to get the issue resolved.”
This is a banner example of Houston’s Core Values of Creating Connections to seek the solution and Operating with Integrity to take it upon herself to resolve it instead of kicking it down the road for someone else to deal with.
Congratulations, Whitley, this recognition is well-earned!
The runners up for the quarter include Reece Wible (First Runner Up) and Monica Camacho (Second Runner Up).
Read about other recently recognized team members on the Houston’s Blog.
