Teri Plummer McClure, chief human resources officer and senior vice president of labor, UPS. (Courtesy photo)

The first black senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at UPS Inc. is packing up and moving into retirement.

The Atlanta-based global package delivery company announced Monday that Teri McClure, UPS's chief human resources officer and senior vice president of labor since 2015, is retiring from that role, effective July 1. Charlene Thomas, a 30-year employee at the company, will succeed her.

McClure joined UPS as a lawyer in 1995, noting in a September 2014 profile of her in Daily Report affiliate The National Law Journal that she realized she “could pursue the law but still work toward a business goal from a legal perspective.”

And over her nearly 25-year tenure at UPS, McClure did just that. In 1998, she was promoted to vice president of the labor and employment practice area and named Central Florida district president in 2003. She held roles in supply chain solutions, logistics and distribution and served as VP for corporate compliance before ascending to UPS' top legal role in 2006.

McClure was a nationally prominent GC who received the 2014 GC of the Year Pathfinder Award from the National Bar Association, the largest national network of predominantly black attorneys and judges.

“I'm fortunate to call myself a UPSer. The UPS culture is truly unique and the opportunity given to me to expand my experiences and skills has been life-shaping. The responsibility to make an impact on so many people has been both challenging and gratifying,” McClure emailed in a statement. “The company's focus on service, community and our people has made a big impact on how I think about the past and future. Working alongside other UPSers with a commitment to do what's right for our employees, our customers, and the communities where we live and work has been the most gratifying part of my career.”

Then-sole deputy GC Norm Brothers succeeded McClure in the GC role when she moved to head of human resources.

“Teri is an incredible leader and she will be sorely missed by me and all of her partners here at UPS. She has been a mentor to me and I feel fortunate to have been the beneficiary of her wisdom and judgment over the course of my career,” Brothers emailed in a statement. “UPS is a better place because of Teri McClure. She has led the way as complex problem solver who fearlessly leaned into resolving the toughest issues facing UPS. I wish Teri well in whatever challenge she decides to take on next.”

A native of Kansas City, Kansas, and graduate of Emory University School of Law, McClure, before joining UPS, practiced at Ford & Harrison; Smith, Currie and Hancock; and Troutman Sanders, where she focused on labor and employment-related civil litigation.