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Jeff Risinger Named Texas A&M VP For Human Resources And Organizational Effectiveness

Risinger’s appointment is effective April 1.
By Texas A&M University Division of Marketing & Communications Staff March 7, 2019

Dr. Jeff Risinger, who currently serves as Chief Human Resources Officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, has been appointed Vice President for Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness (VPHROE) at Texas A&M University. The appointment is effective April 1.

In this role, Risinger will be the principal steward for the university’s human capital, providing strategic leadership to sustain Texas A&M University as an employer of choice and promoting a human resources’ vision and strategy that attracts, develops and supports the talent to advance the university’s mission.

“We are delighted to welcome Jeff Risinger to Texas A&M for this vital role,” Texas A&M President Michael K. Young said. “Our staff is integral to our continual pursuit of excellence as a tier-one university and we look forward to Dr. Risinger’s leadership in this regard.”

Risinger was selected following a nationwide search conducted by a university advisory committee consisting of faculty, staff, and student membership. The position reports to the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Dr. Jerry Strawser.

“We are excited to welcome this addition to university leadership,” Strawser said. “Dr. Risinger’s experience with large-scale organizations in strategic human resource management, leadership development and successful programmatic implementations such as Workday will undoubtedly contribute to the recruitment and retention of high-value employees here at Texas A&M.”

Risinger’s career in human resources has included roles in academia, federal government, and corporations. He has served since 2014 as the Chief Human Resources Officer and Vice Chancellor for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, a 12,000-employee Academic Medical Center. In this role, he implemented a new Talent Management System and led the planning and successful implementation process for the Workday program.

Prior to this role, Risinger served as Chief Human Capital Officer for the Federal Housing Finance Agency from 2011 to 2014, working with two $6 trillion government-sponsored enterprises, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Risinger has also served as the Chief Human Capital Officer for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and with CLECO Corporation in the utilities industry.

Risinger received a Ph.D. in Human Resource Development from the University of Texas-Tyler. He received an MBA from Texas A&M University. He has a Master of Arts in Human Resource Management from Louisiana Tech University-Ruston, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from East Texas State University-Texarkana (now Texas A&M University-Texarkana).

“Texas A&M is very special to me,” Risinger said. “The greatest professional decision of my life was to receive my business education at the Mays Business School. That education created so many unbelievable career opportunities, the greatest of which is to be able to return to Texas A&M at this time.”

Elizabeth Schwartz served as Interim VPHROE throughout the search. “We are so grateful for the leadership and outstanding stewardship that Elizabeth Schwartz brings to this campus and has brought to this interim role,” Young said.

Added Strawser: “I also want to thank Elizabeth Schwartz for stepping into this role to lead the division with honor and selfless service and look forward to continued collaboration with her.”

Schwartz will return on April 1 to her role as Director of Total Rewards, overseeing non-faculty compensation and employee benefits, and lecturer.

Media contact: Lesley Henton, lshenton@tamu.edu.

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