Human Sources chief Katherine Erwin to retire; seek for successor begins | CU Boulder In the present day

Katherine Erwin, who has headed typical employee initiatives as a member of the Chancellor’s Cabinet since 2016, will retire on June 30th after 27 years at CU Boulder.

Erwin is a graduate of the University of Colorado Law School and has served on campus in a variety of roles from library instructor to legal counsel, Title IX officer to senior associate vice chancellor and chief human resources officer.

The work she and her HR peers have done to support the university staff and their academic and research endeavors is a point of pride for Erwin.

“I have been honored to serve on this beautiful campus and to work with so many wonderful colleagues over the years. It was exciting to see how the collaboration between academic and administrative management has grown over the past year. I am fortunate to have worked with such an outstanding leadership team over the years, and especially last year, as we successfully took on the challenge of COVID-19, ”said Erwin.

“I’m proud of the organization that HR has become – a community that is really committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for everyone at CU Boulder. It’s hard to get away from this campus and the friends and colleagues I’ve cherished over the years. This campus has shaped me in a meaningful and meaningful way, and my gratitude rests deeply. Now it’s time for me to focus on family, travel, community service and the outdoors, ”she said.

Among other things, Erwin and her employees have set up an HR Service Center. centralized the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA); Creation of a dedicated department for diversity, justice and inclusion with Chancellor funds; has established a compensation program to comply with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act; Promotion of performance planning through value-based competencies and cornerstones; centralizes the onboarding program for employees; conducted a faculty and staff engagement survey; and supported the recruitment of teachers and managers.

The search for Erwin’s successor will begin immediately, and Chief Operating Officer Patrick O’Rourke expects to announce the next Chief Human Resources Officer this summer or early fall. From July 1, Merna Jacobsen, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Deputy HR Manager, will act as interim HR manager.

As O’Rourke Erwins recognized numerous contributions throughout her CU career, she found that she had launched programs and initiatives that employees will continue to support for years to come and initiated others that lay the foundations for the future will form.

“I am grateful that Katherine was a member of our leadership team. During her tenure, the CU Boulder HR team has evolved to meet the demands of a changing campus and society. CU Boulder needs to be a place to recruit, support and retain a diverse and dedicated workforce, and Katherine has focused her career on helping us become a better campus, “said O’Rourke.

O’Rourke added, “Our work continues and we will continue to learn how to better serve our employees as we move forward. However, I hope that all of you with me will thank Katherine for her service to our community and for helping us build on her accomplishments. Katherine is a kind and compassionate leader who I learned from every day. ”

Erwin began her career at CU Boulder in 1991 as an instructor at the Norlin Library. She graduated from CU Law School in 1999 and worked as a legal assistant in the Office of University Counsel until 2003. She later became an employee relations specialist and investigator and then director of the former Discrimination and Harassment Office and the Office of Industrial Relations, a forerunner of the Office for Institutional Justice and Compliance (OIEC).

In 2015 Erwin was appointed Deputy Head of Human Resources and in 2016 selected as Head of Human Resources. In addition to her Juris PhD from Boulder University, Erwin earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Science degree in library science from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.