“My job is to make sure the employees of Swart, Lalande & Associates are happy with their workplace, including the environment, relationships with co-workers, and firm policies and procedures.”
Tricia joined Swart, Lalande & Associates, P.C. in 2007. As a member of the firm’s Administration Group, she provides human resources support to staff, including benefits and compensation administration, employee relations, policy implementation and compliance, employee orientation, recruiting and payroll. In addition, Tricia has played an integral role in the establishment of a human resources services line for clients of Swart, Lalande & Associates.
Tricia began working in the HR field in 1995 while pursuing her graduate degrees at Marymount University. In addition to her background in the accounting industry, she has held positions for organizations in a variety of other sectors, including finance and insurance, government and healthcare. Most recently, and prior to joining Swart, Lalande & Associates, Tricia worked at financial planning company The Mason Companies, where she provided HR support for two years.
Due to her extensive educational and professional backgrounds, Tricia has developed a robust skill set to help ensure team members are equipped to perform their jobs at the highest levels. In particular, she developed a new orientation program for Swart, Lalande & Associates, which resulted in improved performance amongst new hires and an easier transition for those employees. Tricia has also implemented a new performance review process to include semi-annual reviews, self evaluations and upwards evaluations. These reviews have helped staff stay in-line with their career goals and provide more feedback in a timelier manner.
Tricia discovered her interest in HR while working for an insurance company. She enjoyed learning about benefits and decided to pursue the HR option through her MBA program. Today Tricia attributes her success to her father, who always showed faith in her, supported everything she set out to accomplish, and helped her grow and learn from her mistakes. She also credits her experiences as a breast cancer survivor. After undergoing seven surgeries and 14 months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, she learned what is really important in life and to take things more in stride.
Born in California, Tricia later relocated to Maryland where she graduated from high school. After attending college in Virginia, she decided to call the state home and today resides in Centreville. Outside the office, Tricia is an avid fan of Virginia Tech Hokies football, as well as all things Disney. Her other hobbies include scrapbooking, photography and reading. Tricia also enjoys traveling and can often be found on the road following Bruce Springsteen in concert.
