PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Amanda Bailey, a leader in employee recruitment and development with extensive experience in the education sector, has been appointed Brown University’s next vice president for human resources, effective July 2.
In her role, Bailey will provide strategic leadership for human resources, working collaboratively across campus to recruit and retain staff of the highest expertise, position Brown as an employer of choice and support members of the University community on everything from benefits and compensation to employee relations, wellness and professional development.
Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Barbara Chernow said that Bailey’s experience and accomplishments make her an ideal fit to serve as Brown’s next strategic human resources leader.
“Amanda’s focus on operational excellence, deep commitment to creating professional development opportunities for employees and track record of emphasizing workforce diversity and inclusivity fits well with Brown's vision,” Chernow said when announcing Bailey’s appointment to faculty and staff.
Bailey is currently the acting chief of staff and associate vice president of human resources at Morehouse College, a private, historically black men’s college in Atlanta founded in 1867. Among other accomplishments there, she launched a program focused on employee and leadership development, increased diversity on the college’s leadership team and established new policies and procedures for talent management, talent development and compensation.
Previously, Bailey served at Broward County Public Schools in Florida, first as director of compensation and employee and labor relations and then as the district’s chief human resources officer. She has also worked for Edison Learning, Inc., an international educational services provider, and at Westwood College.
Bailey comes to College Hill with previous ties to the Ocean State, having earned a master’s degree in labor relations and human resources management from the University of Rhode Island.
At URI, Bailey worked with then-professor Lynn Pasquerella, a Brown Ph.D. alumna who is now president of the Association of American College and Universities. Pasquerella not only gave Bailey a sense of Brown’s culture and character but also inspired her to work intentionally to position people to be as successful as possible individually, while simultaneously contributing their unique expertise and perspectives toward achieving institutional goals.
Bailey said Brown’s emphasis on respectful dialogue and on the critical role that diversity and inclusion plays in advancing academic and administrative excellence aligns directly with her values and makes the vice presidency an ideal next step in her career.
“The work of an effective human resources team should advance the potential of employees, ensure an unrelenting focus on excellence and create transformational impact for the University from within,” Bailey said. “Brown is a community that brings together a diversity of perspectives in service of the best possible outcomes — that makes me tremendously excited to join the University and to work with colleagues across campus to continue advancing toward unparalleled academic excellence, leadership and service.”
In addition to her master’s degree, Bailey holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Florida Atlantic University.
Her appointment follows a national search conducted by a committee of Brown faculty and staff. As vice president for human resources, she will report directly to Chernow.