Gina A. Perez is our Spotlight this month and it seems fitting since Veteran’s Day falls in November. You
will see why in a minute. Also, Gina is one of those cool, fascinating people who have a rich history and
are interesting to interview. We hope you enjoy getting to know her.
Gina is a true Angelino. Born and raised in Los Angeles. Raised mainly by a single mom and her
grandmother, Gina had to be industrious, flexible, and self-sufficient from an early age. While her
mother and grandmother played the most important roles, one of the other formative figures in her life
was her uncle, who taught her a love of sports. She grew up playing all kinds of sports as a kid and
lettered in varsity basketball and softball in high school. To this day, sports continue to play a significant
role in her life – for a while, before Covid, she played in adult softball leagues almost every night.
After high school she enlisted in the Army. As the story goes, she went to the recruiter’s office to join
the Airforce, but he was at lunch with the Marine recruiter (her second choice), so by default and some
lucky circumstances, she ended up in the Army. Another key bit of luck was that the Army recruiter
turned out to be her neighbor and he recognized her and recognized that the Army would be a good fit
for her.
Gina spent four years serving in the Army, with the first year and a half serving in Germany. She trained
as a communications specialist (or 72 Echo Combat Radio telecommunications operator in military
terminology). She speaks very highly of her time in the service, and it gave her many gifts that she still
uses in her life today such as discipline, organization, accountability, and personability.
After the Army, she returned to civilian life and worked at a variety of jobs while she also pursued her
education. She started at a community college on the GI bill, then earned her bachelor’s degree in
business from Mt. Saint Mary’s college, where she also went on to obtain her master’s in organizational
leadership. This propelled her into a variety of professional roles in aerospace, food manufacturing, and
medical.
It was at an aerospace company where a fellow employee and military veteran recruited her to
volunteer for the California State Guard. She volunteered her services for seven years. One or more
times per month she would lend her expertise to train others in leadership and driver’s education. It is
very impressive that she would donate her time to volunteer to serve again after having already served
in the Army.
She came to Pro-Tech at a time when she was not really looking for a new job. Her old company had
just had layoffs and she planned to take some time off when a headhunter contacted her about this
company called Pro-Tech that she had never heard of before. She decided to take the interview just to
see what it was all about, but without any expectations. During the interview process she met the
people and the leadership team and decided it was the right place for her. Now almost two years later,
it is hard to imagine a time without Gina as part of the team.
Her role is to manage production at our Santa Fe Springs headquarters. She manages over 60 people
and is responsible for ensuring that we adhere to our production commitments, consistently produce
high-quality products, and meet or exceed the needs of our customers. During her time here, Gina has
helped improve team morale and accountability. She has brought a nice combination of respect,
compassion, and high expectations for her team.
Outside of the office, you can find her line dancing, weight training, or taking yoga classes every day.
Needless to say, she does not really slow down.
Gina, we appreciate your service to our country and state, and we appreciate that you have chosen to
lend your talents to Pro-Tech. Thank you!