Women in Business: Kimberly Purifoy

In what ways has Kimberly gone above and beyond for Winnebago?

Kimberly acts as the employee resource group (ERG) advisor for the Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN), Veterans Network (Vet Net) and Mosaic Multicultural Network; the Summer Intern Program manager; the Executive Lunch & Learn Series coordinator; the Leadership Speaker Series coordinator; and the Event Activation manager for the Melanated Campout, Society of Women Engineers and Camp Winnebago. Kimberly was integral in launching and developing Vet Net and Mosaic. She embeds herself in each group so she understands the program, her role, employees’ desires and how Winnebago can best partner with the program.

What does Kimberly add to the company’s culture?

Kimberly is an active WIN member, was a member of the Culture Club for its first year, and is on the Security Champions team. She participates in every company event at the corporate office. She makes a point to be friendly to everyone and volunteers at all corporate Community Go activities. At a recent event with Wilderness Inquiry, she was a main speaker on the importance of business involvement with outdoor activities such as Canoemobile.

Outside headquarters, Kimberly keeps close contact with employees from units in Iowa, Indiana and Florida. She helped organize a leadership cohort for Winnebago, Grand Design RV, Newmar and Barletta Boat Co., and toured the Tolson Center for Community Excellence during Black History Month to learn about its historic ties and impact within Elkhart.

How does Kimberly contribute to the ongoing support of women in the RV industry?

Kimberly is an RVWA member and attends the alliance’s annual events. She was invited to speak on a panel during the symposium about women in leadership. She uses the events to connect with as many women as she can and shares advice on engaging others in outreach activities.

Part of Kimberly’s job is to manage Winnebago’s internship program. The program is successful because of Kimberly’s dedication to mentorship. Last year, interns were predominantly young women. While attending the Society of Women Engineers conference to talk about Winnebago, Kimberly spent time learning about what women are looking for in their work. She brought these notes back to Winnebago to help enhance recruiting for employees and interns. As part of Winnebago’s internal WIN, Kimberly participates in most events, helps new employees register and attends monthly WIN leadership meetings to offer her support.

What else should others know about Kimberly?

Kimberly is a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority; a member of the Dillard University National Alumni Association; a member of the Minnesota HBCU Alumni Collective; a volunteer for the Minnesota Historical Society; and she serves on the Women’s Ministry Steering Committee for Mount Olivet Baptist Church.