Erin Meadows, Senior Paralegal
Erin is used to going above and beyond as a paralegal at Ford and in the U.S. Navy.
Erin is used to going above and beyond as a paralegal at Ford and in the U.S. Navy.
“Our base was often a target. We took a lot of rockets, and any wrong move on anyone’s part could cost a life… You realize that at the end of the day you’re going to do whatever it takes, and you’re going to care about every person around you, no matter who they are.”
Though the areas of law are drastically different, Erin says that her job in the Navy is very similar to her job at Ford. In the Navy, she deals with military justice and administrative law, while at Ford Credit she works with consumer finance law. But though the laws have little in common, in both positions, she has to handle investigations thoroughly and independently, and she finds that the roles enhance each other.
Since she assists the Navy with conference calls and support throughout the month, Erin works far more than the two weeks per year that are required of a reservist. Nonetheless, it was extremely difficult for her husband and her two daughters when she was called up to deploy to Afghanistan for a year. But with the support of her family and her coworkers at Ford, she got the job done and made the best of her situation.
While deployed, Erin often wasn’t told the destination or means of transportation when she was sent on new assignments. On one assignment, when she found out that her team was going to be transported by Blackhawk helicopter, she was excited at first. But the thrill left about 30 seconds after takeoff as she came to realize that they were flying over potentially hostile territory.
In Afghanistan, Erin lived every single day outside of her norm. But in the military and at Ford, her teams know that they can depend on her. When Erin is faced with a difficult assignment, she simply finds a way to take care of it. Because of the incredible amount of responsibility given to members of the military, Erin appreciates Ford’s respect for the military at all levels of the company.
Since returning to her role at Ford, Erin is continually impressed with the way the company accommodates its military employees, whether by supplementing employees’ salary if they earn less while they’re deployed, sending care packages to deployed employees, or just being available to help her family. But when it comes to hiring, she understands that some veterans wonder if their military status will hurt or help them. At Ford, she says, it definitely helps.
Erin's new role as a Compliance Analyst & Customer Service Manager is two-fold: to ensure an efficient and smooth relationship exists between employers and regulators, as well as to manage consumer requests.