NASHVILLE, TN — Kerley is calling for a more expansive and realistic understanding of what talent and leadership look like, particularly for professionals whose careers have not followed a traditional or uninterrupted path. Drawing from her own journey, she emphasizes that growth, adaptability, and perseverance are often stronger indicators of leadership potential than perfectly linear resumes.
Kerley brings years of experience in human resources, employee relations, and organizational leadership. Her perspective is informed not only by formal training, but by navigating professional setbacks, reinvention, and the responsibilities many adults carry both inside and outside the workplace.
“People don’t arrive at work as blank slates,” Kerley says. “They bring their full lives, their challenges, and their growth with them. When leaders recognize that, they build stronger, more sustainable organizations.”
Workforce data reflects this shift. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that a majority of American workers experience non-linear career paths, including career changes, breaks, and reentry into the workforce. Adult learners now represent a significant portion of graduate-level enrollment nationwide, signaling that education and career progression are increasingly happening later and in different stages of life.
“For a long time, success was defined by one narrow model,” Kerley notes. “But real leadership is shaped over time through experience, reflection, and persistence—not by a flawless timeline.”
Kerley’s own path reflects that reality. Despite facing significant personal and professional obstacles, she remained committed to growth and education. While working and raising her children, she went on to earn a master’s degree in Human Resource Management, building her career through perseverance, discipline, and a people-first leadership approach.
“I didn’t follow a traditional timeline,” she says. “But I never stopped pushing forward or believing in what was possible.”
Her advocacy focuses less on formal policy and more on awareness—encouraging leaders to examine how assumptions about education, career gaps, or personal circumstances shape hiring, promotion, and development decisions.
Research supports her message. Studies from Harvard Business Review and Deloitte consistently show that inclusive, human-centered cultures outperform peers in engagement, retention, and long-term performance.
“Retention isn’t only about pay or titles,” Kerley says. “It’s about being respected and understood. People stay where they feel seen.”
She also highlights the realities many professionals manage outside of work, including caregiving, parenting, and complex family responsibilities. Acknowledging these dimensions, she believes, is essential to modern leadership.
“Life doesn’t pause when the workday starts,” she says. “Effective leaders understand that and lead accordingly.”
Rather than positioning herself as the face of a single campaign, Kerley aims to spark reflection and conversation—inviting leaders and professionals alike to reconsider how they define credibility, success, and potential.
“My story isn’t unique,” she says. “It’s simply honest. And there are countless people whose paths look like mine.”
Kerley encourages leaders and professionals to reflect on how they evaluate talent and leadership, to challenge assumptions about career timelines, and to create space for conversations that normalize non-linear growth, resilience, and second chances.
LaTosha Kerley is a Nashville-based human resources executive with a master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Strayer University. Her work centers on HR leadership, employment matters, and organizational culture. She is known for a people-centered, experience-informed approach to leadership and workforce development
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LaTosha Kerley Advocates for Broader Recognition of Non-Linear Career Paths
