All of my life experiences, which include obtaining my education, have brought me to this point in my life and shaped who I am and how I approach my career.
Jill Cook
Organizational Leadership & Supervision ’86
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Jill Cook

Organizational Leadership & Supervision ’86
Vice President - Human Resources for Cummins

Jill Cook’s 19-year career at Cummins, based in Columbus, Indiana, has included a progressive and diverse array of appointments that she attributes, in part, to her educational foundation in OLS. With three years of experience at General Motors, Jill joined Cummins in 1988 as a labor relations representative. Her responsibilities increased almost yearly, from manager to division directorships to her current position as human resources vice president in February 2003. Her daily goal, she says, is to influence how the company operates to ensure an enjoyable and rewarding employee experience.

Her rise within the company has coincided with additional opportunitiesoutsidetheoffice.She serves as vice chair of the Indiana Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, and is a member of the employee benefits committee for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers Human Resource Policy Committee.

As a cancer survivor, Jill aspires to “live every day to the fullest,” and helps others do the same. She volunteers with breast cancer patients as part of the American Cancer Society’s Reach for Recovery program, serves on the United Way citizen review committee, and is a member of the Purdue University OLS Advisory Council.

“It is rewarding to know that I can influence the future direction of the program and . . . make the degree relevant to today’s ever- changing global work environment,” she says.

This was originally written for the Distinguished Technology Alumni Awards in 2007.