Durkin Rises to Chief Human Resources Officer
Aim Transportation Solutions is pleased to announce that Patty Durkin has been named Chief Human Resources Officer. Since Patty began her career at Aim in 2006 as the Human Resources Manager, she has been making positive, long-lasting impacts across the company. So true is this that by 2010, just four short years after being hired, she earned the title Vice President of Human Resources. Now fast forward to today: Patty remains an indispensable part of Aim, and so it is with great honor and pleasure we announce her promotion to Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO).
For 16 years, Patty has been successful in everything from implementing employee benefits and career development programs to promoting a positive, inclusive work culture as well as investing in the health and wellness of every Aim employee. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though. Beyond her human resource responsibilities, Patty has been, and continues to be, a tremendous leader and an inspiration to those around her.
As Aim’s CHRO, part of Patty’s new responsibilities will include elevating the customer experience through the rollout of a fresh, more uniform customer service program. On top of that, she will continue to be involved in Aim’s recruiting efforts while at the same time working with her team to maintain the high quality of Aim’s exceptional employee programs and benefits.
“I’m honored by the promotion, and I feel blessed to work at Aim,” Durkin said. “It just shows the level of respect and appreciation Aim ownership shows to our work.”
“Patty came on board in 2006, back when we were a company of 300 employees,” said Scott Fleming, Aim Co-President. “Today we have well over 1,000 employees, and I truly believe that no company reaches this level of growth without a cornerstone like Patty.”
“She is as ambitious as she is considerate,” Fleming added. “She’s a true problem-solver and innovator. Every company would be lucky to have their own Patty Durkin.”
Patty’s success is born from two components: Her inherent compassion and drive to help people succeed in and outside of the workplace along with her robust educational and professional background. Patty holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources and an associate degree in business management from Youngstown State University. She is also a graduate of Ursuline High School in Youngstown, OH, (home to Aim headquarters) and the Choffin Career Center’s legal/medical secretary program.
“Human resources is a rewarding, ever-changing profession, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” said Durkin. “More than that, I couldn’t imagine doing it anywhere else. One thing I love most about Aim is the way we discover opportunities and everyone rallies to make great things happen for our customers and employees.”
“I always say we are a gold-winning Olympic team of flexibility,” Durkin added. “What we’re best at is putting a plan together and carrying it out to streamline and add value to new and existing account and facility operations. We all have our own departments, but we put all the parts together to make it work.”
Speaking of flexibility, Patty and her team have had to be nothing but adaptive during the last couple of years managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m incredibly focused on compliance, and, with COVID, there were so many changes not just from state to state but from township to township as well, which added an extra layer of difficulty to Aim’s day-to-day operations,” Durkin said. “The absolute hardest part, however, was that the pandemic was so personal. My team and I shared everyone’s personal journeys through rough times and outright tragedies: Form sickness and hospitalizations to the death of family, friends and even employees—that was, and still is, a the most difficult part of the pandemic.”
Heavily involved in the community, Patty’s commitments extend far beyond the Aim’s walls. She is a board member of the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, chairperson of the Human Resource Committee, member of Women United and also on Aim’s United Way successful pacemaker committee. She is also a member of the Western Reserve Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management.
In recognition of Women’s History Month, we asked Patty what advice she would give young women looking to achieve the level of success she has.
“Be true to yourself,” Durkin responded. “Be confident in what you do but also know when to ask for help and lean on leadership. You also need to find somewhere you want to work and a great team to work with, like I’ve found at Aim. Because we spend so much time involved in our careers you have to love where you work and with whom you work.”
“Get involved outside of work in groups or association that are aligned with your profession,” she added. “Enjoy the journey.”
“I owe so much of my success to my wonderful team,” Durkin concluded. “They’re incredibly supportive, attentive and always jump in to help get the job done and make sure everyone is successful—no matter what—and that’s the foundation of any team amazing as the one I have the privilege of leading.”
Patty’s HR team includes Carli Kuntze, Director of Human Resources; Stephanie Hahn, Human Resources Manager; Sandra Osborne, Human Resources Assistant; Brian deSaulles, Retention Specialist; Kristen Brooks, Receptionist; and Debra Neff, Insurance & Travel Administrator.
Patty lives in Ellsworth with her husband, Rick, and enjoys audiobooks, the beach, consignment shopping and family life. She cherishes her Catholic faith and is heavily involved with St. Paul’s Monastery in Ellsworth OH, as well as her home parish, Corpus Christi, in Conneaut, OH.
