Life at OPENLANE: Q&A with Charity Torres, Production Support Analyst
In celebration of Pride Month, we’re diving into Charity Torres’s OPENLANE journey. She talks about the importance of inclusion in the workplace and the great work that’s taking place in the LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group.
What has your journey at OPENLANE looked like?
I started at OPENLANE in 2016 as a temp in the customer service department for the post-sales private label teams. Throughout my time here, I’ve taken on roles such as Arbitrations Coordinator and Finance and Operations Analyst, eventually leading me to my current position as a Production Support Analyst for PAR.
What’s your favorite part about your line of work?
The problem solving and the variety of technical challenges that I get to dive into are a couple of my favorite things that I get to do in this line of work. Support tickets involve a lot of investigative work and I really enjoy diagnosing and troubleshooting different kinds of issues. No two days are the same. I get to learn new things and grow my technical skills to make a tangible difference in the functionality of our platform which is super rewarding.
Why do you think it’s important to celebrate Pride Month?
The many events that take place during Pride Month are meant to honor the pioneers of the LGBTQ+-rights community in addition to bringing awareness to the obstacles and challenges the community still faces today. Pride Month gives us the platform to do just that while also showing up and advocating for equality.
Can you tell us about the work the LGBTQ+@OPENLANE Employee Resource Group (ERG) does?
Most importantly, we provide a place for LGBTQ+ folks and their allies to gather and discuss topics that are important to them. Having a place for people to connect and discuss matters is essential for encouraging open dialogue and communication. As advocates for equality and acceptance, we believe in fostering an environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to be their authentic selves. We also organize several events throughout the year, most recently we represented OPENLANE in the 2024 Indy Pride Parade which was a lot of fun and brought awareness to OPENLANE’s inclusivity.
