Emily Gardner, SHRM-CP

With a background in communications, finance, and production, Emily Gardner has long been the kind of person you can count on to keep things moving smoothly, accurately, and without unnecessary noise. As BREAD’s Director of Operations, she ensures our internal systems support the creative work, not complicate it. To put it succinctly, she provides clarity, structure, and a quiet sense of order to all of BREAD’s work processes.

Emily earned her bachelor’s degree in Communications with a focus on Public Relations from Mississippi State University. She began her career in real estate and banking, first as a marketing and technology director for a high performing firm and then as a top producing mortgage lender, where she honed her ability to anticipate needs, manage expectations, and stay two steps ahead. She later joined Blue Hen Agency, where she supported client relationships and production systems before bringing her operational expertise to BREAD. Starting in data integrity and quality control, Emily quickly became one of BREAD’s most trusted and reliable resources, helping solve logistical challenges and keep our team aligned across timelines, tools, and people.

Emily is a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), a nationally recognized credential awarded by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world’s leading professional organization for human resources. The SHRM-CP recognizes professionals who can successfully align people, processes, and organizational strategy to build healthy, high performing workplaces. It reflects expertise in employee engagement, leadership development, talent management, organizational culture, compliance, and the practical application of HR principles to real business challenges.

That expertise strengthens the way Emily leads operations at BREAD. She understands that healthy organizations are built on more than efficient systems. They require healthy people, clear expectations, effective leadership, and an intentional culture. Her ability to create operational clarity while supporting organizational health helps our team perform at a higher level and provides additional value to clients who look to BREAD not only for marketing and communication leadership, but also for guidance as they build stronger organizations capable of sustainable growth.

Today, Emily leads BREAD’s operations with clarity, cheerfulness, and care, streamlining the backend so the front end can thrive. From optimizing workflows to supporting leadership and strengthening the systems that keep our agency healthy, she helps make our work not just better, but more sustainable. She’s our operational North Star, the person who remembers the details we forget, asks the questions we didn’t think to ask, and brings calm focus when things start to feel a little too creative.