People who make a difference – Liz Hoelzel

Heather Graves

Staff

June 1, 2023

OSHKOSH – Liz Hoelzel said losing both of her parents in the past few years – her mother to alcoholism in 2017 and her father to cancer in 2018 – opened her eyes to the fact that “life is far too short to dwell on the bad things in life.”

“I felt like I could share my story and give back to so many people,” she said.

Hoelzel – an organization and talent development lead at Oshkosh Corporation – said when she lost her dad, “I hit rock bottom.”
“At that time, I was about to start at Oshkosh Corporation,” she said. “I was in a vulnerable state and was just trying to keep my act together. But they accepted me for who I am.”

It’s that acceptance and understanding that Hoelzel said provided her with the foundation she needed to not only heal herself but to give others the same support.

That led to her joining and becoming the co-chair of the Oshkosh Corporation Abilities Network (OCCN) – an employee business resource group focused on eliminating disability-related stigmas.

“A lot of times, we feel like we have to come into the workplace and put on this face and be happy all the time – but deep down, people are struggling,” she said. “Mental health is near and dear to my heart… and being the co-chair for OCCN has allowed me to learn and open my eyes to visible and invisible disabilities.”

Hoelzel said having the opportunity to work with a finance executive within Oshkosh Corporation who is visually impaired has been remarkable and has changed the way she looks at things.

“Now, everything we do, I am like, ‘did we think about somebody that’s visually impaired on that?’” she said. “‘Did we think about somebody that isn’t able to walk through those doors because they’re on crutches right now?’ What feels like little things, are actually big things in the grand scheme of things.”

Peer recognition
Recently, Hoelzel was presented with an Oshkosh Corporation Cheers to Peers award, which Darcy Pierson, the director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Oshkosh Corporation, said recognizes team members who exemplify the values.

“Liz is a difference maker,” Pierson said.

As part of the recognition, Hoelzel said Oshkosh Corporation made a $3,500 donation to the charity of her choosing.

“I chose a local organization called Apricity, which is a substance abuse facility,” she said. “They have a women’s facility called Casa Claire in Appleton, and then the Mooring House is the men’s facility.”

Hoelzel said the organization also has employment and support services in Neenah.

“My mom was an alcoholic my entire life,” she said. “My dad was a recovering alcoholic. So, living that life from a bystander’s standpoint, I believe addiction is a disease and it impacts so much more than just that person.”

//17bec5072710cda5b8dd81b69f4c6e58.cdn.bubble.io/f1685646921768x794546805414964000/richtext_content.webpLiz Hoelzel said being a part of the Oshkosh Corporation Abilities Network has allowed her to show others that it’s “okay to not be okay” sometimes. Submitted Photo

Hoelzel, who has herself been sober for almost four years, said it’s a disease that impacts their families, their coworkers and all the people around them.

“So, I thought I would give back to them because I do believe everybody deserves a second chance,” she said.

Through her own battles with mental health – “for as long as I can remember, I have struggled with anxiety and depression myself” – Hoelzel said she is able to help others realize it’s okay to not be okay at times.

She was even featured in one of Oshkosh Corporation’s We Belong videos, which highlights the company’s People First culture that aims to be a place where every team member feels valued and empowered to be their full self.

“I believe when I came to Oshkosh Corporation, it developed me into the person I am today,” she said.

Other volunteering
For the past two years, Hoelzel has volunteered with Junior Achievement.

“I enjoy making an impact on the youth in our community – getting back into the classroom and teaching financial literacy, entrepreneurship,” she said. “It’s cool to see how intelligent these kids are.”

With a nearly 15-year-old daughter herself, Hoelzel said she was shocked at how life skills aren’t being taught in schools anymore.

“It’s (rewarding) to be able to bring that critical part back into the schools with Junior Achievement,” she said.

Recently, Hoelzel said she was asked to be the organization’s vice chair.

“I was a board member, but they just asked me to be the vice chair,” she said. “I will help set up an onboarding program for our new board members – setting up expectations and a strategy for the team.”

Hoelzel said she is also involved with the Oshkosh Area United Way – leading a United Way bi-weekly employee business resource group.

“There’s the United Way campaign that’s usually in the fall, but this year, we thought, ‘how do we continue the momentum throughout the year?’” she said. “We have been meeting bi-weekly to do smaller fundraisers, such as hygiene drives, we’ve done Penny wars – just to try to continue to raise money.”

Although fundraising is a driver, Hoelzel said bringing awareness and understanding to those who may need to become more familiar with what the United Way does is equally important.

“We’ve also tried providing 211 resources from United Way if people are struggling and need some assistance,” she said. “So, it’s providing awareness to our team members.”

Hoelzel said growing up, she wasn’t involved with or heard much about giving back in her community but said she sees that changing in the world today.

“Maybe we’re becoming more aware of the lack of resources or issues people are having in their life,” she said. “Like I said, I have an almost 15-year-old, so communicating and being open with her. We have a fortunate life compared to some other individuals. So, providing education and awareness to the young generation about areas people are struggling with is important.”

//17bec5072710cda5b8dd81b69f4c6e58.cdn.bubble.io/f1685646923295x432467135569673200/richtext_content.webpLiz Hoelzel was presented with an Oshkosh Corporation Cheers to Peers award, which recognizes team members who exemplify the values. Submitted Photo

Hoelzel said giving back to one’s community can be as simple as donating unused clothing to those less fortunate.

“If we have extra clothes we no longer wear, I bring them to a shelter for somebody else to use,” she said. “Now, my daughter is in the same habit. It’s important to provide education, but then also see the impact we have in the community.”

Hoelzel said sometimes, people are more apt “to donate their time, money or resources” when they see the actual impact that giving has.

“That was one thing I mentioned to some of our teams here and was something that was beneficial during the United Way campaign,” she said. “We had some people come in and share their stories and the impact the United Way had on them. I think seeing those ‘success stories’ was awesome.”

Hoelzel said her position with Oshkosh Corporation also affords her the opportunity to help team members focus on and follow what they are passionate about.

“I get to work with all of our team members to help them through their careers, help them to create a career path of where they want to go and help them to understand their career path doesn’t have to be this traditional, you do XYZ – it can be squiggly lines,” she said. “I’m a firm believer in being passionate about what you’re doing. Life is far too short to do something you don’t enjoy. So, trying to help people find what they’re passionate about and help them grow and develop in their career, but also in life.”

Hoelzel has an associate’s and bachelor’s degree in human resources management and is currently working toward her doctorate degree in industrial and organizational psychology through the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.