Valerie Lynn Cordes

About

I’m a Learning Experience Designer and Community Builder passionate about creating transformative spaces that elevate leadership, amplify voices, and foster visibility—especially supporting women’s growth as part of a broader mission. With 17 years in the corporate world working within complex, highly matrixed organizations, and 8+ years designing impactful learning programs, leading dynamic events, and producing a top-ranked podcast focused on leadership and empowerment, I thrive at the intersection of education, storytelling, and strategic facilitation. I currently lead a thriving community of 700+ women leaders, creating opportunities for connection, growth, and shared impact. I specialize in crafting engaging, values-driven experiences that foster growth, connection, and meaningful impact for diverse audiences and organizations. Currently, I’m exploring opportunities in Learning & Development, employee experience, event management, community leadership, or storytelling roles — where creativity, engagement, and purposeful impact come first. If you’re building something impactful and inclusive, let’s connect — I’d love to collaborate.

Experience

• Podcast Producer · Self-employed2024-04-01 –
• Sr. Consultant, Learning Designer & Talent Development · Providence2021-04-01 – 2025-07-01

  -Led the design and launch of Providence’s largest mentorship program, impacting 175K+ employees and leaders globally; achieved a 4.7/5 satisfaction score, 95% “would recommend” rating, and 285% cohort growth. -Developed a modular leadership development curriculum for aspiring leaders, combining self-paced learning, storytelling, and experiential learning; employees completed personalized learning pathways. -Produced cross-format learning content including video, written, podcast, and livestream sessions for executive panels and internal communications, reaching 1K+ live viewers per session. -Facilitated 15+ workshops, consistently earning 95%+ satisfaction scores and strengthening team performance and self-awareness. -Created and executed a leadership visibility strategy to humanize executive communication and foster culture alignment through intentional storytelling. -Launched an executive experiences program to connect senior leaders with frontline stories, enhancing empathy, communication, and trust across levels. -Contributed to culture and recognition initiatives, aligning leadership storytelling with broader employee experience and engagement efforts.

• Community & Events Leader, Women’s Resource Group (ERG) · Providence2020-01-01 – 2025-07-01

  Led the strategic direction, community management, engagement, and events for a 700+ member employee resource group focused on inclusion, learning, and leadership visibility. Oversaw programming and storytelling initiatives, designing and producing Women in Leadership panels, Skills Workshops, storytelling events, livestream broadcasts, and community connection calls with internal and external speakers. Engaged executive sponsors, senior leaders, guest speakers, and ambassadors to strengthen visibility, cross-functional collaboration, and support for the group’s mission, while elevated the voices of our internal leaders. Mentored and trained 15+ volunteer staff and event leads, empowering them to lead key event pillars, facilitate conversations, and deliver meaningful learning experiences across the organization.

• Program Manager, HR Strategy & Learning Experience · Providence2019-05-01 – 2021-04-01

  -Designed and delivered enterprise-wide learning programs for HR and program managers, boosting project management skills by 30% and enhancing program adoption. -Facilitated Communities of Practice focused on agile methodologies, storytelling, and program design, engaging 60+ HR professionals across multiple cohorts to drive knowledge sharing and collaboration. -Contributed to HR initiatives and portfolio management by aligning learning programs with broader HR strategy and organizational goals. -Supported the successful expansion of 60+ Express Care Clinics by coordinating HR initiatives and program management activities to ensure operational readiness and alignment.

• Talent Acquisition Consultant · Providence2013-11-01 – 2019-05-01

  -Supported physician, executive, and leadership recruitment across a rapidly growing healthcare system, contributing to successful talent acquisition efforts. -Helped implement scalable recruitment processes and communication strategies that reduced time-to-fill from 45 to 22 days. -Collaborated with senior leaders and stakeholders to align recruiting content and messaging with organizational culture, enhancing candidate experience and employer brand. -Led team-building initiatives and fostered a positive, collaborative recruitment culture. -Consistently met or exceeded monthly recruitment goals, contributing to the organization’s growth and talent pipeline stability.

• Senior Human Resources Generalist · Providence2008-02-01 – 2013-11-01

  -Supported multiple business units with workforce planning, onboarding, employee relations, and M&A transition activities. -Developed HR tools and resources to streamline communication, enhance onboarding, and improve organizational alignment.

Education

• EWU School of BusinessBachelor's Degree, Business Administration and Management, General
• American Fitness Professionals and AssociatesCertified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General
• Eastern Washington UniversityBachelor of Arts - BA, Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services

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