Vicken Elizaldez has over 25+ years of engaging in various roles in Public Service, Community Relations, Human Resources, EHS, Total Rewards, Integrated Disability Management, Talent Acquisition, and Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. He is a promoter of diversity of thought, cultural awareness, and developing and executing on recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies. Early in his career, he spent served as a Critical Care Paramedic/Firefighter in El Paso, TX, before moving into corporate life at Bell Helicopter, an aerospace and defense contractor in Fort Worth, TX. He was hired in February 2022 as a Senior Recruiter for Southwest Airlines and assigned to Tampa, FL where he works to diversify his local community outreach to build and foster inclusive talent pipelines. He leverages these community relationships and partners to hire the best talent and exceed strategic recruitment goals for his primary stations of Tampa, Sarasota and Fort Myers, and assists his East Coast team as well as other recruiters across the United States in communities where Southwest Airlines operates.