Human Resources is pleased to announce that it has hired its first ever talent acquisition and diversity, equity, and inclusion specialist. Some of you may already know Marli Jefferson, as she is an existing member of the Drake family. Marli joined Public Safety in 2017, and upon obtaining her master’s, she was eager to take on a new challenge.

Although diversity, equity, and inclusion are topics we all deeply care about in Human Resources, our department has not yet had a person with the terms diversity, equity, and inclusion in their job title. Make no mistake, DEI is a part of each of our roles. However, we both wanted and needed additional expertise in these areas, as we strive to continuously grow, change, and improve. We are thrilled that Marli brings both expertise and enthusiasm to the table when it comes to DEI. And, if you have been involved in any hires recently, you already know that talent acquisition is a space where we could use some more help.

“I am so happy to continue my professional journey at Drake,” said Marli. “I am excited to bring my expertise but most of all my passion and willingness to learn to this new position. There is tremendous space for modernizing how we approach talent acquisition and further embed DEI principles in the work that we do. I am looking forward to contributing to these efforts.”

In the TA/DEI specialist role, Marli will play a prominent part our talent acquisition strategies and practices—including new employee orientation, search committee training, and student employment. As some of you may have heard, the parent company of Hire Touch, our current applicant tracking system, is going to sunset the program at the end of the year. Marli will be part of the project team searching for Hire Touch’s replacement. Her timing in joining our department could not be better.

We thank you for your Generosity of Spirit as we managed these past several months without a full team. We also want to thank those who served on the search committee as their feedback was incredibly valuable in the vetting process. Drake HR is happy to once again be fully staffed.

— Maureen De Armond, Human Resources