This month on our Employee Spotlight, we get to learn a bit more about Kristyn Drennen, Director of Organizational Development here at Platte River Networks. Kristyn works to support our PRN team with training and development, engagement initiatives, and elevating the client experience. She finds new talent to join our growing team but also assists current team members in pursuing promotions and growing into new roles.
Before joining PRN, Kristyn worked for Nestle Nutrition in Corporate Field Operations where she learned how to help people unlock their greatness, something that she is very passionate about. She has also worked in insurance, health clubs, and even as an event planner. She graduated from CSU with a BS in Business Marketing, and is, not surprisingly, a CSU Ram fan. Kristyn is also a Gallup-trained StrengthsFinder and Employee Engagement Coach.
Originally from Jersey, Kristyn moved to Colorado when she was in high school and has been here ever since. She has a large, blended family. Between her and her husband, they have 5 kids ranging from 7 years old to 17. She says that traveling as a party of 7 is expensive, but they still try and explore as much as possible and in the last few years have been to Disneyworld, Kauai, Pagosa Springs and Southern California. Her happiest place is at the beach with her family, especially in LaJolla, CA or Torrey Pines State Beach in Del Mar, CA (where she and her husband got married). She has two dogs, Tulsa, a black lab that was trained to be a service dog in the Canyon City prison and can turn off lights, pick up trash, and even walk himself. She also has Luci, a Morkie, who is the smallest furry terror that has ever roamed the Earth. Luckily, she is also adorable.
Kristyn enjoys running and any kind of watersports. She has run 8 half marathons from the Atlantic City Boardwalk Marathon to the Las Vegas Rock-n-Roll at night and all over Colorado. She’s also mastered wake-surfing without getting her hair or swimsuit wet, which is quite the accomplishment. She now spends most of her free time watching her kids participate in basketball, volleyball, and football.
When she was young, Kristyn wanted to be an architect and design houses for her dad, who built custom homes. She now fulfills that aspiration by remodeling almost every house she’s owned and watching Fixer Upper on HGTV. She loves to read for professional development and just recently reread The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. However, she also enjoys the occasional fiction writings by Wally Lamb.
Besides Wonder Woman, Kristyn admires her grandmothers, who have amazing stories to share from their 85 years of experience. They have demonstrated strength and commitment to their families that Kristyn greatly admires.
Kristyn’s favorite motto is something she continually tells her daughters:
Be a pineapple. Stand tall, wear a crown, and be sweet on the inside.
Kristyn loves being surrounded by brilliant people who are fed by pursuing new knowledge and skills every day. She finds it extremely rewarding to see someone elevate into a new role or take on additional responsibility, and then see the impact it has on the morale and results throughout the organization. She believes she was divinely designed to help people uncover their natural greatness, and feels she has found her dream job here at Platte River. She is honored to be part of their growth and success here and we are honored to have her as a valuable member of our team.
