Dear ACC Faculty and Staff,

Santa was very good to us this year! In the last two months of 2023, Human Resources brought on four new team members and promoted another to better serve our growing ACC family.

Elma Benavides joined ACC as its first Managing Director of Human Resources, charged with overseeing day-to-day operations in HR. This new position will allow me the time necessary to keep a broad perspective on staff and faculty needs. HR Team Leaders in the areas of Employment, Compensation, Benefits, and Professional Development will report directly to Elma. 

Elma has more than 30 years of professional HR experience in corporate, professional legal services, and higher education industries. Before joining us at ACC, she served as the Associate Vice President for Human Resources/Chief Human Resources Officer at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, for 20-plus years. There, she administered HR programs and was instrumental in the development and modernization of several initiatives in service to the University as an employer.

Elma holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas A&M University and a Master of Arts in Human Services with an emphasis in Administration from St. Edwards University. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources.

I want to thank the dedicated members of the hiring committee for helping us identify the perfect fit for this important new position:

• Neil Vickers, Executive Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration
• Charlene Buckley, Director of Equal Opportunity Compliance
• Austin Wood, Equal Opportunity Compliance Employee Relations Officer
• Michelle Costanzo, Associate Dean of Faculty Recruitment
• Casey Martinez, Equal Opportunity Compliance Education Coordinator
• Cassandra Olivo, Employee Associations Administrative Assistant

Cyndy Cerbin has been selected to fill another newly created position: HR Communications Coordinator. She’ll be working closely with me to improve Human Resources communications and collaboration across ACC’s 11 campuses and, with a dotted line of reporting to the Office of College Relations and Marketing (OCRM), foster cross-department partnerships. She comes to us with a diverse background, unique skills, and a wealth of experience.  

Most recently, Cyndy served as the Communications Specialist for the Dean of the College of Engineering at Texas A&M, a role that equipped her with a solid understanding of higher education. Previously, she was the Communications Director for the National Infantry Museum in Columbus, Georgia, where she helped build a nationally known and award-winning cultural history museum. Additionally, Cyndy's background as a former broadcast TV journalist provides her with excellent communication and storytelling skills.

Cyndy holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Colorado.

I appreciate the help of the hiring committee in assessing Cyndy's ability to enhance the College's communications efforts. Members included:

• Neil Vickers, Executive Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration
• Brette Lea, Vice Chancellor of Office of College Relations and Marketing
• Dr. Andrea Kehoe, Provost Office Head of Product
• Ping Chu, Adjunct Psychology Professor/Adjunct Faculty Association Communications Officer
• Mirosalva Zuniga, Director of Student Affairs Communications
• Stefanie Vermillion, Associate Director of Student Affairs Communications
• Liliana Tabasco, Associate Director of College Communications Relations
• Adam Ramirez, Student Help Desk Specialist

Alisol Martinez's 24 years of exceptional service and dedication to the ACC community have resulted in her promotion to the position of Benefits Manager. Alisol first came to ACC in 1999 as an HR Specialist II, following stints at the Texas Lottery Commission and the state legislature. Working through the ranks since then, Alisol has become a trusted expert in all areas of employee benefits, including group insurance plans, retirement plans, the Affordable Care Act, and the Family Medical Leave Act. As interim manager of the Benefits team, she has demonstrated an effortless approach to collaborative team-building, successfully navigating such challenges as pandemic response and Workday implementation.

I've had the unique opportunity to experience Alisol's professional ability first-hand through every angle since I started with ACC: as a customer, peer, and supervisor. I am thrilled with the robust committee of stakeholders' vote of confidence in Alisol's mastery of HR competencies and ACC values. The hiring committee included:

• Dr. Theresa Glenn, Associate Dean of Faculty Development and Professor of Communications
• Dr. David Albert, Adjunct Faculty Lead for American Federation of Teachers Union and Adjunct Professor of Government
• Sgt. Joshua Colquitt, ACC Police Department
• Austin Wood, Equal Opportunity Compliance Employee Relations Officer
• Regina Thompson, Campus Planning and Operations Project Manager

Alisol’s deep and broad subject matter expertise, advanced ability to anticipate needs and solve problems, collaborative team management, strong professional judgment and discretion, resilience, high orientation for learning, and ongoing personal development will benefit the entire ACC community. I am proud to be able to reward her unwavering commitment to our staff, faculty, and students with this long-deserved promotion.

Divya Krisnankutty is the newest member of our Employment Services team. As an HR specialist, Divya's main responsibilities are new employee orientation, onboarding, and coaching hiring managers through the hiring process. She has more than 10 years of experience in Human Resources, working in such areas as talent acquisition, employee immigration, and employee relations. Divya earned a Bachelor’s degree in Management Studies and a Master’s in Human Resources in India. 

Brittney Tran was promoted to full-time status after working as an hourly student employee at ACC. She holds degrees in geography, art, and anthropology and is currently working on a Master's degree in Human Resources from the University of Houston. She gained administrative and HR experience at Texas NeuroRehab Center and the Texas Counseling Association. At ACC, Brittney is focusing on verifying employment applications and assisting with orientations.

And finally -- for now! -- let me introduce Joshua Williamson. As a process analyst on our Business Processes and Initiatives team, Joshua will be identifying inefficiencies and improving the functionality of Workday. Over the last 15+ years, Joshua has worked in data analytics for companies like Dell and HCA Healthcare. With a strong analytical mindset and a keen eye for identifying business opportunities, Joshua has successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams to streamline processes, optimize performance, and implement strategic solutions. Joshua holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from McNeese State University.

Please join me in welcoming and congratulating all our new and newly promoted HR team members. And look for more news about our department's progress in the coming weeks!