Workforce Strategies Task Force

To oversee recommendations impacting components of the employee value proposition and our future state organizational needs for our faculty, staff, student employees, residents, and all who engage in a working arrangement with UT San Antonio with the goal to attract, retain, engage and inspire talent who support our missions, vision and strategies and our culture of excellence and access.

Task Force Updates

Update
Date
  • This new Task Force launched three Working Groups focused on harmonizing plans, programs and offerings across the merged university: Leave Plans,  Benefit Programs and Wellness Programs. These Working Groups are conducting initial discovery to inventory offerings across both institutions.
  • Three more Working Groups will launch by the end of February for Staff Compensation, Learning & Development and Onboarding.
Jan 2026

Task Force Team

Co-Chairs
Katy Madden
Vice President for People Excellence
Academic Campus
Amy Tawney
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Health Campus
Members
Ginny Gomez-Leon
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Sheri Hardison
Vice President for Financial Affairs & Chief Financial Officer
Mary G. Hernandez
Senior Vice President for Administration and Operations and Chief Operating Officer
Marie Kuehler
Executive Director, HR Business Partners
Andrea Marks
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Hailey Mullican, JD
Vice President for Legal Affairs and Chief Legal Officer
Jason Pirruccello
Assistant General Counsel, Office of Legal Affairs
Heather Shipley, PhD
Provost and Senior Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ernest Vasquez
Assistance Vice President, HR Operations and HR Information System
Jennifer Welch
Senior Director, HR Strategic Services and Workforce Planning

Working Groups

Benefits Working Group

Harmonize benefit programs across the merged university ensuring compliance and alignment with strategic priorities & operational needs.

Leads
Georgina Anguiano Elliott
Director, Benefits & ADA Coordinator
Academic Campus
Veronica Longoria
Manager, HR Benefits
Health Campus
Members
Cassandra Costello
HR Partner
Shelly Crofford
Director, Employee Success Center
Aurora Fuentes
HR Partner
Tasha Jones
Talent Acquisition Sourcer
Nadia Lopez
Workplace Experience Program Manager
Lileny Luna
Org Development Consultant - Associate
Denise Moore
Executive Director, Faculty Personnel Services
Melanie Pardaen
Benefits Lead
Kristen Paredes
Talent Acquisition Partner
Wes Reel
Change Management Advisor
Sonya Vasquez
Benefits Administrator - Intermediate
Learning & Development Working Group

Evaluating learning and development programs across the merged university ensuring recommendations meet compliance requirements for each campus given differentiation in compliance and regulatory environments and in alignment with strategic priorities and operational needs.

Leads
Shelly Crofford
Director, Employee Success Center
Academic Campus
Mikel LaPorte
Assistant Director, Learning & Leadership Development
Members
Kate Appenzeller, PhD
Director of Faculty Development, Faculty Success
Jessica Blum
Senior HR Partner
Jennifer Cerecero
Executive Director, Environmental Health and Safety
Doug Eldridge
Organizational Development Specialist
Arbi Haghverdian
HR Partner
Giovannie Hoff
Manager, Learning & Leadership Development
Tonya Johnson
Manager – Compensation
Nadia Lopez
Workplace Experience Program Manager
Vivian Luu
Learning & Leadership Development Consultant
Allison Ouzts
Director, Clinical Education & N Pro Dev
Jennifer Schultz
Faculty Senior HR Business Partner
Sara Tate
Organizational Development Specialist
Melissa Vaikhman
Talent Acquisition Partner
Leave Plans Working Group

Harmonize leave plans across the merged university ensuring compliance and alignment with strategic priorities and operational needs. This WG is anticipated to be multifaceted and span multiple years due to complexity of proposing any changes to a leave plan.

Leads
Georgina Anguiano Elliott
Director, Benefits & ADA Coordinator
Academic Campus
Melanie Pardaen
Benefits Lead
Academic Campus
Ernest Vasquez
Assistance Vice President, HR Operations and HR Information System
Health Campus
Jennifer Welch
Senior Director, HR Strategic Services and Workforce Planning
Health Campus
Members
Osvaldo Fuentes
HR Manager, Leave Administratrion and Time & Attendance
Astacha Jones
Manager, Talent Acquisition
Nadia Lopez
Workplace Experience Program Manager
Javier Martinez
Senior Director, Financial Information Systems
Denise Moore
Executive Director, Faculty Personnel Services
Johnna Nerios
Senior Director, Practice Operations, UT Health Physicians (UTHP)
Paul Ortiz
HR Partner
Jason Pirruccello
Assistant General Counsel, Office of Legal Affairs
Teresa Rodriguez
IT Business Analyst II
Jennifer Schultz
Faculty Senior HR Business Partner
Shelia Valdez
HR Partner
Sonya Vasquez
Benefits Administrator - Intermediate
Onboarding Working Group

Harmonize onboarding across the merged university ensuring compliance and alignment with strategic priorities and operational needs.

Leads
Andrea McClure
Employee Services Supervisor, People Excellence
Academic Campus
Carmen Valenzuela
Manager, HR
Health Campus
Members
Rachelle Armat
Human Resources Coordinator
Marissa Carey
Human Resources Coordinator
Tiffany Dale
Learning & Leadership Development Consultant
Angelina Diazdeleon
Human Resources Coordinator
Sheila Estrada
Senior HR Partner
Forrest Hummel
Director – Parking & Transportation
Tessa Logan
Director Talent Acquisition
Nadia Lopez
Workplace Experience Program Manager
Christopher Paniagua
HR Partner
Wes Reel
Change Management Advisor
Teresa Rodriguez
IT Business Analyst II
Cory Thomas
Faculty Personnel Specialist II
Deeps Vyas
Benefits Specialist
Staff Compensation Working Group

Assessing staff compensation philosophy, strategy and practices across the merged university ensuring compliance and alignment with strategic priorities and operational needs.

Leads
Joseph Clarke
Assistant Director, Total Rewards
Health Campus
James Sheppard
Compensations Analyst II
Academic Campus
Members
Jennifer Evetts
HR Business Partner
Tonya Johnson
Manager – Compensation
Grace Kraemer
HR Partner
Tessa Logan
Director Talent Acquisition
Kristy Martindale
Senior HRIS Analyst
Patty Martinez
Compensation Analyst II
Kristen Meyer
Compensation Specialist
Savosha Norwood
Talent Acquisition Director
Claudia Puente-Arrellano
Compensation Analyst – Senior
India Thompson
HR Partner
Nick Whelchel
Senior Manager HR Business Partner
Wellness Programs Work Group

Harmonize wellness programs across the merged university ensuring compliance and alignment with strategic priorities & operational needs

Leads
Shelly Crofford
Director, Employee Success Center
Academic Campus
Laura Gottlieb
Manager, Learning & Leadership Development
Health Campus
Members
Kate Appenzeller, PhD
Director of Faculty Development, Faculty Success
Tiffany Dale
Learning & Leadership Development Consultant
Bryanda Dominguez
Wellness Program Manager
Jolyn Dominguez
Occupational Health Coordinator
Raquel Etienne
Talent Acquisition Sourcer
Nychole Krause
HR Partner
Nadia Lopez
Workplace Experience Program Manager
Ayasha Mays
HR Partner
Stacy A. Ogbeide, PSYD, ABPP
Associate Professor
Sheryl Robisheaux
Benefits Administrator - Intermediate
Leahna Schlepp
Benefits Specialist
Stephanie Zamarippa
Instructional Designer

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