Advocate Claire Warren Ginnan strengthens Corning's communities
Claire creates community wherever she goes. She knows community is vital to building the future of Corning.
Growing up, Claire could not have imagined a life in Corning, New York.
"I'm from the Caribbean, and the idea of living in the frigid north was not in the plan," she laughs. "But from the beginning, the company and the people did an awesome job of helping me build a network and showing me what was possible here."
That was more than 20 years ago. Claire's full-time position at Corning followed three summers as an intern. She'd discovered the ceramics field in high school and while interning at Rutgers University, and Corning's technology and approach to problem-solving reeled her in.
When Claire built a family here, her tie to Corning – both the company and the community – was cemented.
"I certainly felt connected to the company soon after I joined, and even as an intern," Claire says. "But marrying someone from the area solidified that relationship with the community. I have now lived longer in Corning than anywhere else in the world!"
Today, Claire supports Corning’s global capital management processes. It's a job she loves, but building community – both inside and outside the company – is key for Claire.
Claire’s a board member for a local nature center that puts on STEM programming for children and offers education for all ages. She’s dedicated to chipping away at the hardships facing underserved populations in nearby Elmira, N.Y. She eagerly applies for grants and funding on behalf of Corning Community College to augment resources for students. And she’s fostered the spirit of community in her daughters by her own example, and by bringing her family to volunteer at the nearby food bank.
"I see their drive and sensitivity, their ability to empathize and support other people, in the way they interact with each other," Claire said. "They echo our actions and our words."
Community- and empathy-building follow Claire to work, too.
At the office, Claire adds professional and employee resource groups (ERGs) to her to-do list.
Claire believes in building self-advocacy skills through public speaking. As she developed her own skills, she extended her reach to hold leadership positions up to the district level in Toastmasters, an international public speaking and professional development organization. She participates with chapters both within the company and in the local community.
She’s passionate about increasing engagement and morale for Black employees at Corning, serving as the engineering representative for the Corning Black Employees Network (CBEN), Corning’s oldest and first-ever employee resources group. Claire was awarded the group's 2021 Community Enrichment Award for her efforts.
“Our commitment in CBEN is to help talent come to Corning and achieve success, not only in their work but also with a connection to the company and community,” she says.
And she doesn’t stop there. Claire’s zeal for inclusion extends to her participation in other ERGs at Corning. Claire is an active member of both SPECTRA, which represents LGBTQ+ employees and their allies, and the Ethnically Diverse Group of Employees (EDGE), and she often attends activities with other ERGs.
"I try to participate in as many different events and groups as possible," she says. "Whenever there is an opportunity, we should look for ways we can all work together."
Her many contributions keep Claire busy, but they’re also vital to the work she does – strengthening the Corning community, inside and outside the company’s walls.
