Pursuant to an extensive national search, the University of New Mexico has announced that Dorothy Anderson has been named vice president for Human Resources effective Sept. 15.
Anderson brings 24 years of service in public education and human resources, including over 12 years of directly related HR experience and seven years in higher education. Her most recent appointment has been director of Human Resources Administration at New Mexico State University (NMSU).
"Dorothy brings a wealth of human resources and public education experience to UNM, including significant leadership roles at NMSU and Las Cruces Public Schools," Executive Vice President for Administration and COO/CFO David Harris said. "I am confident she has the strategic vision to advance the work of UNM’s HR team, as well as a solid understanding of human resources management specific to New Mexico."
Anderson earned her Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration both from New Mexico State University. She has been a Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources since 2008.
“I am honored to be selected as the University of New Mexico’s next vice president of Human Resources,” Anderson said. “New Mexico is my home and I am excited to continue working in higher education in this great state.”
Anderson will serve as the chief human resources executive at UNM, which is one of New Mexico’s largest employers with more than 20,000 employees across the state. She will report to Harris.
“As with any large institution, there are many unique needs and opportunities related to human resources; however, my years of experience with NMSU have prepared me for the challenges ahead,” expressed Anderson. “I look forward to working with the Board of Regents, President Frank, VP Harris as well as the Human Resources staff in identifying opportunities to enhance the services offered to our customers.”
Anderson was selected following an extensive national candidate search, yielding over 75 applicants, which was aided by the executive search firm of Greenwood/Asher & Associates and managed by an internal search committee chaired by President’s Chief of Staff Amy Wohlert. The applicant pool was narrowed to 14 semi-finalists, and four finalists were selected for interviews.
"We were fortunate to have an extremely strong candidate pool from which Dorothy rose to the top as the consensus choice for this important position," Wohlert said. "Her ability to articulate her vision for employee engagement made her an outstanding candidate and will serve her extremely well at UNM."