She began her UPS career unloading 18-wheelers during the 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. shift in an environment where her male co-workers didn’t think she would make it. But she did, and UPS saw her drive and potential. The company continued to groom her and promote her, and after 33 years, Chace retired from UPS in 2019 as the director of sales – government sector, a sector that she had a hand in developing and building.
Before all that, Chace was recruited to Radford University to play women’s varsity basketball. During her student-athlete career, she experienced a few changes in the program’s structure and leadership. The Highlanders transitioned from NCAA Division II to Division I athletics, and of course, that meant a whole new ball game in terms of recruiting. Teamwork is ingrained in Chace’s DNA, so when changes impacted her position on the team, she re-evaluated her role and embraced the opportunity to lead from a different place on the team.
“I was no longer going to be a senior with additional playing time during my last season, but the coach wanted me to help get the new freshman and another teammate integrated as starters,” said Chace. “It was a humbling experience that taught me a lot about leadership.”
While it was difficult to take this step back, especially as a senior, Chace took the opportunity to step forward as a mentor and leader. As she progressed in her career, being a good leader was important to her.
