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    Interview with HR Director


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    I had the chance to speak with Sonya Morrison, the head of Human Resources at Burlingame, to understand her career path and what led her to travel 8,000 miles to Burlingame. Sonya, a kind-hearted leader with a bubbly Australian accent, studied geography and environmental science as an undergrad. Not until a motorcycle accident did she seriously consider Human Resources, and she hasn't looked back since. Her role is to be an advocate for the employees of Burlingame while brainstorming "how [she] is going to develop people." 

    Sonya loves working in San Mateo County because of the collaborative nature between cities. In fact, this summer I attended multiple workshops for interns in the county, one of which was facilitated by Sonya and the HR Director of Sunnyvale. Besides prioritizing collaboration with other cities, Sonya is proud of the relationship the city has built with its unions. She wants to make sure that employees feel heard and valued, leading her to start an employee recognition newsletter. 

    The COVID-19 pandemic was a "huge cultural shift" in the workplace as many employees began to work remotely. Sonya's job dramatically changed to creating new policy on remote work, recruitment and contact tracing. The evolution of her job corroborates the qualities Sonya said are needed to work in HR: creativity as well as tough skin. She has had to remain adaptable while enforcing policy, even if it wasn't popular. Sonya's leadership led to more employees feeling heard and supportive during uncertain times. 

    Overall, Sonya has prioritized employee wellbeing above all else. Employees love to go up and talk with her, whether it be about their job or her love for disabled cats.