Pearson Gardner - HR and AI Workforce Transformation Leader

About Me

I work in HR and tend to think in systems. I help leaders sort through people, labor, compliance, and workforce problems, then turn the repeatable parts into processes and tools that are easier to run. At Vistra, I am the HR manager at a nuclear power plant and build practical workflows for HR work. Before that, I built the HR function for a 100+ person defense manufacturer. At Eaton, I worked in two manufacturing plants and one distribution center before moving into corporate HR, where I supported global finance leaders on workforce planning, talent reviews, compensation, and employee relations. I like work where the details matter and the answer is not obvious. The goal is usually simple: make the process clearer, reduce the manual drag, and protect the trust people need to have in HR.

Experience

Plant Human Resources Manager / HR Systems and AI Workflow Builder

Jan 2025 - Present

Vistra

Serve as general HR leader for a regulated plant environment, partnering with operations leaders on employee relations, labor relations, workforce planning, manager coaching, compliance, and HR operating discipline
Support grievance and union processes, including CBA interpretation, documentation, employee-relations risk, and labor-sensitive operating decisions
Convert manual HR and operations-adjacent people-management processes into digital workflows with clearer ownership, handoffs, status visibility, and exception handling
Contribute to internal HR AI capability work by shaping policy/document workflow patterns, human-review boundaries, sensitive-data controls, and practical governance
Built a Workday MCP prototype for HRIS discovery, WQL/REST access, authorization checks, and redacted audit logging; preparing it for governed review and approval
Translate HR operating problems into Power Platform, Dataverse, SharePoint, and AI-ready knowledge-management patterns while protecting confidential employer details

Senior Manager, Human Resources

Jan 2024 - Jan 2025

Ohio Ordnance Works

Established HR function as first HR employee for 100+ person defense contractor manufacturing tactical weaponry and military equipment
Conducted comprehensive compliance review, closing 30+ regulatory risk areas within first six months (EEOC, FLSA, FMLA)
Implemented Rippling HRIS platform in 3 months, centralizing payroll, time tracking, benefits, employee records, PTO, performance workflows, and employee self-service
Reduced recurring people-management administrative load across HR, managers, supervisors, finance, and operations through automation and better process ownership
Developed data-driven compensation framework with formal job banding and market-aligned pay structures
Enhanced benefits package including purchased vacation option and modernized PTO accrual system
Created manager training programs for FMLA/ADA request handling and documentation procedures

Human Resources Business Partner

Jan 2021 - Jan 2024

Eaton Corporation

Served as strategic HR partner for global corporate finance functions totaling 550+ employees across Tax, Treasury, Audit, and Operations Finance
Implemented biannual compensation review processes, maintaining 10-12% turnover rate compared to market average
Filled 60+ professional roles in 7 months with nearly 100% voluntary retention after one year
Utilized PowerBI dashboards and large datasets to provide comprehensive talent analytics for CFO and Finance SLT
Led organizational design initiatives supporting finance transformation, including outsourcing of transactional work
Deployed career framework and talent councils across 5000+ corporate employees using SAP SuccessFactors

Human Resources Supervisor

Jan 2019 - Jan 2021

Eaton Corporation

Supervised direct reports and managed HR operations for 350-person Vehicle Group manufacturing facility as member of plant leadership team
Designed and led workforce reskilling initiative, reducing CNC machining training time from 12 to 6 weeks
Successfully advocated for and managed Voluntary Reduction in Force during business line transfer
Led first major employee guidebook revision in over two decades using ADKAR change management methodology
Created retention interview programs and recognition initiatives, exceeding participation goals by 10%
Managed reduction in force and recall processes while maintaining production quality and safety standards

Leadership Development Program

Jan 2017 - Jan 2019

Eaton Corporation

Completed rotational assignments across multiple business units developing cross-functional HR expertise
Created four part-time production shifts at Crouse-Hinds, increasing headcount by 100 while avoiding $100K in annual overhead
Secured $30,000 in community grants and increased United Way contributions by 15% at Roanoke facility
Provided strategic support during collective bargaining negotiations at Cooper Lighting
Founded employee resource groups to improve labor-management relations
Led policy standardization initiatives across departments

Human Resources Student Worker, Employee Relations Department

Aug 2016 - May 2017

West Virginia University

Supported employee relations work while completing graduate study in Industrial Labor Relations
Built foundational experience in HR policy, case preparation, documentation, and employee-relations process discipline

Education

West Virginia University

2016 - 2017

MS, Industrial Labor Relations

Semester Abroad: University of Strasbourg, France (2016)

Georgia Southern University

2011 - 2015

BA, Political Science and French

Young Alumni Board Member (2023 – Present)

Key Initiatives

HR AI Policy and Document Workflows

Contributed to internal HR AI capability work by shaping policy/document workflow patterns, human-review boundaries, sensitive-data controls, and practical governance for employee-impacting use cases.

Impact: Turned AI adoption from abstract interest into governed workflow patterns that protect employee trust and support practical HR use.

Workday MCP Prototype for HRIS Access

Built a Workday MCP prototype for HRIS discovery, WQL/REST access, authorization checks, and redacted audit logging; prepared for governed review before implementation.

Impact: Created a reviewable technical path for safer AI-assisted HRIS discovery instead of uncontrolled direct system access.

Defense Contractor HR Operating System

Built the HR function from the ground up as first HR employee, establishing core policy, compliance, HRIS, compensation, benefits, and manager-workflow infrastructure for a 100+ person defense manufacturer.

Impact: Closed 30+ compliance gaps, launched Rippling in three months, and reduced recurring people-management administrative load across HR, managers, supervisors, finance, and operations.

Finance Function Workforce Transformation

Supported workforce strategy, talent reviews, organizational design, career framework deployment, and HR analytics for global corporate finance functions.

Impact: Supported 550+ employees, used talent datasets covering 3,500+ employees for executive decisions, and helped deploy SuccessFactors and career-framework changes across 5,000+ employees.

Skills

AI Workforce Systems

AI Workforce Strategy Human-in-the-Loop Workflow Design Policy and Document Agents Workday MCP Prototype Responsible AI Governance Task-Level Work Redesign

People Technology & Analytics

PowerBI Analytics Power Platform Dataverse SharePoint Workflows SAP SuccessFactors Rippling HRIS HR Reporting and Data Quality

HR Leadership & Workforce Strategy

Plant HR Leadership Executive Partnership Organizational Design Talent Reviews Workforce Planning Compensation and Job Architecture Manager Coaching

Operations, Compliance & Labor Relations

Employee Relations Labor Relations Grievance and Union Process Support CBA Analysis Manufacturing HR Regulated Operations EEOC, FLSA, FMLA Compliance ADKAR Change Management