July 30 is International Day of Friendship—a day to recognize the bonds that support and uplift us. To celebrate, we’re spotlighting some of the great friendships at L&P.
Meet Tonya Cornell and Vanessa Stafford! Tonya has been with L&P for three years and is an Accounts Payable Technician. Vanessa is a Treasury Analyst and has been with L&P for seven and a half years.
Tonya and Vanessa became friends at L&P three years ago:
“When I joined L&P, I first worked with Vanessa in Accounts Payable,” said Tonya. “We hit it off immediately, as we were training during March 2020 and the only two people in our department working in the office. Vanessa eventually got a position within Finance and our friendship remained the same. We were even bridesmaids in each other’s weddings in 2021 and 2022!”
When asked what they admire about one another, Vanessa and Tonya shared how they’re always there for each other:
“I admire a lot of things about Tonya!” said Vanessa. “She is not afraid to fail and jumps in 100% when trying new things (like learning the ukulele and growing a small garden on her front porch). She is loyal to her friends and family, even when she is going through tough times herself. She supports them no matter what!”
Tonya added, “Vanessa is a loyal friend who would do absolutely anything to help you out. She is a realist and gives the best advice. I admire her for the mother she is and how she has built a beautiful life for herself. Some of my favorite times with Vanessa are our adventures to Target and to get coffee. I am so thankful for our friendship.”
We asked Tonya and Vanessa to share how having a good friend at work impacts their jobs:
“We think having a good friend at work is vital to having a good work life,” they said. “Having friendships at work keeps you more engaged, gives you a greater sense of wellbeing, helps you produce higher quality work, and allows you to have more fun. We agree with a quote that work friendships ‘have the potential to improve our daily experiences immediately, no matter what we do for a living.'”