Not wanting to sound cliché, but liking the artistry of the metaphor, Deb Hamlin thinks of herself as a ripple creator on a pond … “spreading the influence of ideas and possibilities, hopefully inspiring others to think differently or act boldly.” And that metaphor holds true and gathers energy when it comes to her Bridgestone work in partnership with TAT to engage others in the fight against human trafficking.

“I can’t begin to tell you how many connections TAT has made with Bridgestone teammates and other partners that have resulted in making a difference,” she stated. “I had one person reach back out a year after we did an event together, and she shared the impact the connection had made on her and on her organization.”

Hamlin, who started her career in an environmental consulting capacity, never considered the transportation industry as an arena for her career. But when Bridgestone brought an environmental remediation project to the firm she worked for, and she began working with the Bridgestone team, she became captivated by the people and made the move. And after 28 years with Bridgestone — 20 of those years on the retail side of the business and the past eight supporting the commercial side of the business — that hasn’t changed. She’s still fascinated by the people working in transportation.

Hamlin transitioned to her current Bridgestone role of customer operations support and emergency roadside service (ERS) dispatch two months ago. “I thrive in a fast-paced environment that is constantly evolving,” she explained. “I also love to create processes to improve experience. This role fits those key qualities that are a part of my corporate DNA. No day is the same for me, which also helps. Probably the most challenging part is ensuring I remain neutral and don’t jump to conclusions before gathering the facts.”

Hamlin first heard about TAT around 2017 when she started working for Bridgestone’s Commercial Tire Division. In 2021, former Bridgestone executive and TAT Board of Directors member Chris Ripani asked her to assume a more active role in helping TAT expand to a Bridgestone enterprise initiative as opposed to just a Commercial Tire initiative. The plan was created and strategically pushed forward from there.

TAT Executive Director Esther Goetsch describes Hamlin as an innovative implementer, with a ton of energy. “Deb and Josh Holland (TAT’s Board Chairman and Vice President of Dealer Operations and Mobility Deployment for Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations) are the heart of what happens at Bridgestone with TAT,” she said. “If Josh or I have an idea, Deb is the person who tracks down the right person or people within Bridgestone or externally and gets it moving. She’s definitely an engine behind so much of what we do at Bridgestone. She alone has made so many introductions to TAT with dealerships, companies in Canada, the Indy500, etc.”

While Hamlin’s efforts on behalf of TAT are too numerous to list completely, a few include:

• She has made introductions for TAT to the top 10 dealerships this year, including Liberty Tire, Fountain Tire in Canada, and Breakthrough (a U.S. Venture Company).
• She has provided speaking opportunities for Goetsch to multiple stakeholder groups, including the Tire Industry Association in 2022 and again in 2025 at their annual conference in Puerto Rico, and to an SPP event through Breakthrough that led to more engagement on the shipping side of things.
• She is the current president of the Tire Industry Association and working to leverage that position for more exposure to TAT.
• She has driven Bridgestone Freedom Drivers Project (FDP) events every year towards engaging new dealership partners like McCarthy Tire.
• She has been involved in Bridgestone co-hosting a Coalition Build in Nashville and in Manitoba with Bridgestone Canada and is working on one with Haltec in Akron, Ohio with the Attorney General’s office there.
• She has created a sustainability playbook for Bridgestone’s dealer network and invited TAT to speak about labor trafficking.
• She was instrumental in Bridgestone’s adoption of an anti-trafficking-in-persons policy across the enterprise reaching like 22k people!
• She has ensured that TAT training is part of orientation and is working on getting the corporate video added as well.

“Passion certainly fuels persistence, and, if there’s one thing I am, it’s persistent,” Hamlin admitted. “What drives me is knowingly making a difference in a person’s or peoples’ lives. I’m incredibly proud of how Bridgestone teammates embrace this partnership and continue to show up to support it. TAT and its mission are a part of Bridgestone culture and DNA.”

Passion certainly fuels persistence, and, if there’s one thing I am, it’s persistent. What drives me is knowingly making a difference in a person’s or peoples’ lives.

While Hamlin serves in leadership roles in multiple organizations and associations that align with her personal values and goals and her career roles at Bridgestone, she shared that she likes working the partnership with TAT “because like me, everyone I have met on the TAT team is open to turning ideas into action. You can tell that everyone within the TAT organization believes in the cause. Fighting human trafficking for me is about preserving human rights. When we treat people as a commodity, it undermines humanity at the highest level. I believe we can make a difference by educating one person … essentially creating that ripple.”

A transplanted Northerner now located in the heart of southern living in Nashville, Hamlin — when she’s not making ripples — enjoys hiking, traveling throughout the U.S., and taking in the outdoors with her partner, Shelley, and their dog, Bear.

To read more stories like Debra’s, check out our latest issue of Vantage Point.