Why I Volunteer Spotlight: Melissa Johnson

Melissa Johnson
HBA West Chester vice president
Day job: president at Benchworks

Why I volunteer?
I decided to volunteer in order to extend my network of executive professional women. I truly believe that extending and leveraging your personal network is the key to a successful career. I don't think this is emphasized enough for women as they are entering the workforce. We tend to think that if we work hard our efforts will be rewarded. This is not always the case. Also, we don’t naturally inherit an organic network--as some young men do--if they’ve had fathers who have been successful in business and can naturally groom them. 

What do I get out of it?
In addition to building my network, I also gain satisfaction in knowing that the programming we develop and the access to a professional network are helping other women in the life science industry.