On March 11, Case Western Reserve University named Amanda Bailey as the new Vice President for Human Resources and its first Chief Human Resources Officer. Bailey is scheduled to start her role on April 1. With this change, the Department of Human Resources will now be a part of the Department of Finance, and Bailey will report directly to Brian Burnett, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Bailey succeeds Carolyn Gregory who served as the Vice President of the department since 2007 and retired earlier this year.

Bailey earned her bachelor’s degree in English and Education from Florida Atlantic University, and later earned a master’s in Human Resource Management from the University of Rhode Island. Her previous experience includes HR positions at Boston University and Brown University and Associate Vice President of HR at Morehouse College. Her most recent position was as interim chief human resources officer at Oregon State University.

Previously, Bailey was involved in the Consumer News and Business Channel (CNBC) workforce executive council, a resource for leaders in HR that provides the tools needed to make changes to the workforce. Her belief is that every employee, regardless of their position, helps shape the culture of an institution. She spoke on the Impactful Leaders Podcast with Sarah Palmer about the evolving workforce in higher education. One of the main ideas she touched on was that leaders need to adapt and become comfortable with change. She highlighted the importance of collaboration and a diverse set of skills in a workforce. The larger the skill set available, the easier it is for a workforce at a higher education level institution to adapt to the fast-changing environment. Bailey approaches her work with care and a distinct vision for the future.

According to President Eric Kaler, Bailey is the perfect candidate for the role because of her expansive experience, dedication to higher education and passion for advancing the lives of students and faculty. Bailey was drawn to the university after working with leaders in the Department of Human Resources who volunteer their time on the Staff Advisory Council.

Bailey hopes to prepare students and faculty for the future by implementing technology into the world of human resources and allow staff to use their time more efficiently. She is passionate about changing the future of work by looking at workforce trends and maximizing time.

With regard to the transition of the HR department to the finance division, Burnett commented.

“This move is about how we best support the university’s mission and our people,” he said. “Having finance and human resources under one leader ensures aligned decision-making around our biggest investments: our people and our resources.”

In his experience at other universities, Burnett was tasked with responsibilities in both finance and human resources, so the combination is familiar to him. According to Burnett, no further structural changes are planned for these departments at this time.

Overall, Bailey’s appointment marks a transition for the university. With experience across many higher education institutions and a positive, future-focused outlook, she is positioned to be a strong leader in the Department of HR. The integration of HR into the finance division reflects an institutional effort to maximize efficiency and streamline resources. As Bailey enters her new role, her leadership is expected to create a more adaptive, collaborative and future oriented workplace at CWRU.