Robinson bridges academic with business

2021 Women of Distinction – Manufacturing

Sylvia Robinson – Tolmar, Inc.

FORT COLLINS — Sylvia Robinson describes herself as “respectfully disruptive with the ability to winsomely lead a team.”

She backs up those words with accomplishments in her role as communications and human resources program manager at Tolmar Inc., a Fort Collins-based pharmaceutical company where she’s been employed since 2017.

She came to Tolmar after 15 years at Rocky Mountain Christian Academy, a private school in Niwot serving preschool through eighth-grade students. At the school, she began there as director of curriculum and instruction, then promoted to assistant principal, principal and — in 2017 — executive director. She also had been a third- and fourth-grade teacher at Mill Creek Elementary School in central Florida’s Osceola County, and an associate professor at Knoxville, Tennessee-based Johnson University’s satellite campus in Florida.

“Since pivoting my career from education to business,” Robinson said, “I have enjoyed the freedom to engage with the Northern Colorado community, particularly around workforce development.”

That diverse experience has allowed her to build bridges. “If I were asked to name a theme for my volunteer service, I think I would say ‘fostering regionalism.’ From both my career as an educator and because my position at Tolmar affords me the opportunity to be a part of many groups, I have a unique perspective,” she said. “I am often called upon to ‘translate’ between business and education partners, as well as to bring a regional perspective on what is happening across county lines.”

Robinson started CareerWise Apprenticeships and Pathways in Early College High School (P-TECH) partnerships at Tolmar, both of which, she said, “have already or will soon become real talent pipelines for us.”

At Tolmar, Robinson has worked to promote the company’s visibility and image within the community, region and state, including government agencies, industry-related associations and charitable organizations. She publishes corporate communications that reflect the company’s pride and accomplishment and established employee-directed giving and employee engagement teams.

Robinson challenges organizations to improve and grow and has worked to interact collaboratively with sophisticated clients, business partners and customer-facing staff.

At Rocky Mountain Christian Academy, Robinson led all aspects of its educational programs as well as business development of the nonprofit organization, and recruited and mentored its staff with more than 90% retention. She reversed a deficit budget within a year of taking her leadership role through program restructuring and cost analysis and helped the school gain national accreditation. Fundraising played a key role in the school’s ascendance; under Robinson’s leadership, it doubled and tripled annual gifts to the school.

Her professional skills include communication and storytelling, brand development and facilitating Strategic Doing programs.

Robinson earned an associate’s degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville, a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Central Florida, and a master’s in education and doctorate in philosophy from the University of Southern Mississippi, where she graduated summa cum laude.

She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, and serves on committees for the Northern Colorado Manufacturing Partnership, Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development, and Employment Services of Weld County.

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