A Propane Profile: Kelly Bosak

You could say Kelly Bosak is a people person. Her roles over the last 15 years at Ferrellgas included finding and developing top employee talent, as well as leading and supporting others tasked with recruiting responsibilities.

The Kansas native started her career at the nation’s second-largest propane retailer as a training specialist in 2002, and she ascended to director of staffing and affirmative action officer.

But Bosak, who also served this year as chair of the National Propane Gas Association’s (NPGA) Women in Propane Council, left the propane industry in June to pursue another opportunity that she says will help her grow professionally. She became director of human resources at a Kansas City, Missouri-based commercial development company.

LP Gas Editor-in-Chief Brian Richesson caught up with Bosak in her final days at Ferrellgas.

LP Gas: How have your years at Ferrellgas prepared you for this next step?

Bosak: Ferrellgas gave me so many opportunities to grow during my career. I came in as a training specialist. I put my head down and worked hard, and I was rewarded with managing roles. I learned along the way how to do things right – not only in my company but to be a leader in the national propane industry. It presented me with opportunities and I said yes every time – to grow and learn more and do more – and that has really given me well-rounded leadership experience to take somewhere else and continue to make an impact.

LP Gas: Can you share some of your insights into how companies can attract quality employees?

Bosak: It’s important for companies to evaluate their culture and ensure it is diverse and inclusive for everyone, and to make sure they are providing an exceptional employee experience from the beginning of the recruiting process. That’s when people are forming an opinion about the brand they’re going to work for and evaluating the recruiting process – from the beginning when a potential employee applies to a job, all the way through the interview stage and the offer stage. And when an employee joins a company, what’s the onboarding experience like? Is the company doing everything it can to be inclusive and tend to the needs of a new employee? Also, what’s the career development path? Companies need to make sure they understand the desires of a new employee and are doing everything possible to support those desires so the employee can continue to grow.
(Bosak pauses)
I saw a statistic recently where the millennial generation spends 1.7 years at an organization. With that in mind, companies have to do an even better job to make sure they are inclusive of all employees.

[The millennial generation] thinks there is always something better out there. This generation has a desire to move up quickly. It’s important to have conversations with millennials about what their career aspirations are and if your company can support that. If it can’t, they are probably going to leave in the first two years. Millennials are also looking for companies to be involved in their local communities to some degree.

We have found the need to manage young people differently. They look for constant feedback on their performance and want to know how they’re doing more than other generations.

LP Gas: What will you remember most about your years at Ferrellgas and within the propane industry?

Bosak: I will remember the people. As I had the opportunity to get involved in Women in Propane, I met people from all different companies and found that those people are dedicated, heartfelt, tenacious, they care about you as a person and are interested in seeing you and the industry succeed. I definitely formed long-lasting relationships that I will continue after I leave the industry.

LP Gas: Who were your mentors in the propane industry?

Bosak: My mentors have been mostly inside Ferrellgas. I’ve come to know a couple of vice presidents in the organization (Robin Lewis and Cathy Brown) who mentored me and I sought them out.