By Karissa Chittavong
Online Manager
Dr. Mychal Coleman was appointed to be the new head of Human Resources (HR) at Amarillo College on Nov. 4.
Before coming to Amarillo College, Coleman’s background consisted of many years worth of experience in HR. “I started out as a recruiter. I moved in from there as a compensation analyst, Coleman said. “And my next job, I moved to training and development, and then I was HR general to director,” he said.
Coleman said he chose Amarillo College because it offers opportunities for him to apply his human resources theories to be in a real world setting. “AC offered me a lot of opportunities to apply my HR theories here as well,” he said. “My aim is to make the college world class.”
As well as opportunities at Amarillo College, Coleman liked how the culture is at Amarillo College. “It’s a strong culture.” Coleman said, “Everyone has a great work ethic and people want to be part of the AC culture.”
Coleman’s goal as the new head of the HR Department is to change how HR is to something bigger. “Transforming the HR department into a world class, changing the business model from compliance to strategic business partner,” he said. “Upgrading and enhancing the organization, development, into organizational effectiveness, to better position us strategically to develop a talent management system.”
Director of Organizational Development William Ratliff states how knowledgeable he is. “I believe his extensive knowledge in strategic planning and processes can move us forward and help align our goals with the overall strategic plan of Amarillo College to take us to that next level,” he said.
Ratliff also mentions how the future of the department would be like with Dr. Coleman in charge. “He definitely has a bold vision of the future of both the human resources and organizational development departments and how those will impact the college as a whole,” he said “He uses the term “world-class” to describe where he wants us to go, and I’m confident that if anyone can take us there, he can.”
Denese Skinner, vice president of strategic initiatives explains the traits of Coleman as he became the new head of HR. “Dr. Coleman brings a wealth of experience to AC,” she said. “He is a deep thinker who connects HR theory, research, evidence-based strategy, and wisdom from lived experience to the real-world business application of Human Resources.”
In his first few weeks at Amarillo College, Coleman has high hopes in his job and to see a change in the department. “My job is to work with a group of individuals to inspire them to be part of a higher purpose,” he said, “And then doing so to inspire the campus, to be part of a higher purpose.”
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