West Virginia University Vice President for Human Resources Margaret Phillips announced today her plans to retire, effective Nov. 7. Phillips has served as vice president since 2006, and previously was chief of staff for former President David C. Hardesty Jr.
President Gordon Gee applauded Phillips’ leadership, saying, “Margie Phillips represents what is so outstanding about West Virginians – a willingness to serve her profession, her University and her state, while guiding and mentoring others. We will miss Margie’s steady and unwavering leadership, but have recruited her to continue her involvement with her alma mater by helping us build relationships with alumni, friends and students in her new home in South Carolina.”
Gee said a national search will begin immediately.
“Although I have devoted more than half my life to WVU, I can never repay this institution and the people of WVU for everything they have given me,” Phillips said.
“I will miss the familiarity of going to the office every day, the feeling of accomplishment when a particularly difficult challenge has been successfully addressed, and the excitement of introducing a new program that will benefit thousands of employees. In short, I am a better person for having WVU and the people of WVU in my life.”
Phillips came to WVU in 1982 as a compensation analyst and served in various positions, including special assistant to the vice president of Institutional Advancement, before being named chief of staff and then vice president for Human Resources.
Among the division’s many accomplishments in recent years:
- A Mountaineer Leadership Academy for directors and an online supervisory training program for supervisors
- A compensation structure for employees in the non-classified category and a new salary schedule for classified staff
- A performance management system and management tool
- An employee wellness program
- A dual career program for faculty, senior administrators and their trailing spouses and partners
- A student employment office to help students fund their education while attending WVU
- A client-based HR service delivery program that embeds human resources professionals in large colleges and administrative units
- An electronic classified employee handbook
- Creation of an employee remembrance ceremony to recognize employees and retirees who passed away in the previous year and
- An employment program for WVU retirees seeking temporary employment with WVU called Senior Mountaineer Temps.
Under her leadership, the division has also piloted veterans’ recruitment initiatives, winning several recognitions for those efforts, and initiated a comprehensive retirement planning conference.
In 2013, Phillips earned the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources’ national award for Excellence in Human Resources Practices. In that same year, she was named the HR Professional of the Year by the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
Upon retirement, Phillips will remain connected to WVU in a role that will build relationships with WVU alumni and friends and recruit students from the south.
-WVU-
07/08/14
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