UHD’s President, Loren J. Blanchard, Ph. D, recently announced that a candidate has been selected to become UHD’s inaugural Vice President for Human Resources. His announcement is being reprinted here with permission for the convenience of UHD employees.

Dear UHD Community,

I am pleased to announce that after a national search, Carole E. Clerie has been selected to become our inaugural Vice President for Human Resources at the University of Houston-Downtown. Ms. Clerie will officially join our UHD family on Monday, April 1, 2024.

In this position, Ms. Clerie will be responsible for identifying and implementing long-range strategic talent management goals with a commitment to employee relations, organizational development, and the mission of the University of Houston-Downtown in cooperation with the University of Houston System. Ms. Clerie will also provide leadership and oversight of the Division of Human Resources, setting, enforcing, and evaluating legally compliant HR policies, procedures, and best practices.

Ms. Clerie, a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources, joins us with more than 15 years of higher education experience. She will transition to UHD from Texas State University where she currently serves as Chief Human Resources Officer. Prior to Texas State University, Ms. Clerie served Columbus State University as Director of Human Resources, Fort Valley State University in Georgia as the Chief Human Resources Officer, and Lynn University in Florida as the Director of Employee Services. Her combined experience includes employee relations, payroll and benefits administration, classification and compensation, salary grade development, recruitment and talent acquisition, professional development, records and data management, risk management, communication, and wellness initiatives. Ms. Clerie earned her bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Florida Atlantic University and an MBA in finance from Lynn University.

As we prepare for Ms. Clerie’s transition to UHD, please join me in expressing gratitude to Ms. Erica Morales for serving as the Interim Assistant Vice President for Human Resources for the past 11 months. Under her leadership, we navigated the shift from Employment Services & Operations (ESO) to Human Resources (HR), and our staffers in HR demonstrated a steadfast commitment to excellence and service. I am thankful as well for Provost Deborah Bordelon, who chaired the VPHR Search Committee, and for each of the search committee members whose dedication throughout the entire process positioned UHD to locate and hire the best candidate for this vital new position on our campus.

Sincerely,

Loren J. Blanchard, Ph.D.
President, University of Houston-Downtown