Hancock Lumber announced chief people officer Wendy Scribner is set to retire in April following a nearly 40-year career with the company. The company announced Anna Russo will succeed Scribner in the chief people officer role following her retirement.
“Anna absolutely impressed me during our interview time together,” Kevin Hancock, chairman and managing owner of Hancock Lumber said in a company news release. “While we had great finalists, Anna’s communication skills, her intuition about how to communicate, her ability to bring love, clarity and toughness, and her affinity for blue collar workers blew me away.”
Russo began her human resources career at Hancock Lumber in 2000 during the company’s Bethel mill acquisition and transition. After climbing the ranks to sawmill human resources manager in her eight years with Hancock Lumber, Russo moved on and served in a variety of roles, including human resources director, safety compliance officer, and human resources senior business partner with several companies in Maine.
“Anna is one of the loveliest humans you’ll ever meet. In addition to her strong HR technical skills, she has an appreciation, comfort, and love for manufacturing and retail environments,” Scribner said. “I’m beyond excited for Hancock Lumber and for Anna. She is as genuine a human being as they come with fantastic people skills—simply put, I could not be happier that she will be joining our team again.”
According to the company, Scribner will remain with Hancock Lumber through April to oversee the transition and Russo’s onboarding as she gets re-acclimated to the company, its location, its people, and partners.
“My prior time with Hancock Lumber was so positive and one of my favorite professional experiences,” Russo said. “I’ve enjoyed following the company’s employee-centric culture and I look forward to seeing how it continues to evolve. It’s hard to articulate how excited I am to be back on Team Hancock, and I look forward to being a part of our continued growth and success.”
Hancock Lumber operates 11 lumber yards, four sawmills, nine kitchen design locations, and a truss manufacturing facility throughout Maine and New Hampshire.
