Comings and Goings: Get to Know AVP & Chief HR Officer Helen Howell

Associate Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer Helen HowellHelen worked in Human Resources at L&C from 2015 to 2019 as a Human Resources Business Partner, during which time she was responsible for benefits administration, coached supervisors and employees on all matters related to human resources, and worked to resolve employee relations issues and concerns. She left in 2019 to pursue the opportunity to be the first human resources manager for Snow Peak USA as Snow Peak built its first U.S. operation. She then returned to higher education in 2021 to become Chief People Officer at Pacific University in Forest Grove. Get to know Helen in the following Q&A:

What appealed to you about coming back to Lewis & Clark?

I love the way that people truly care about each other. There is a shared understanding that the work we do for students deeply matters. Lewis & Clark College is unique and special.

What is your philosophy and approach to Human Resources management?

I deeply believe that everyone should feel safe and have a sense of belonging which I believe can be supported with empathy, authenticity and a logical approach.

What is HR doing to recruit diverse candidates, and if hired, what kind of support is available for employees to encourage retention?

Beginnings are important and we have a lot of ways to support new community members in their work and forging connections. Right now HR is working on improving the onboarding process so we welcome your ideas.

Best tip or advice for someone new to Lewis & Clark?

Look up and look around. Enjoy the campus. Find people who love the same things you are into. If you have a growth mindset, this is a wonderful place to explore and grow.

What was the last book you couldn’t put down, show you binge-watched, or band you kept on replay? Why?

I am not much for watching screens but I do like to read. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer made me think (and cry) and wonder how we might live differently. My music playlist has been boring me lately. Send me your summer recommendations for music!

Is there anything else you would like to share?

When I am not at work you can find me happily sharing a meal with a friend, connecting with my family, or adventuring in the woods and the mountains. If I have the choice, I will lean towards exploring and trying something new.

Several people have joined our community recently, some continuing employees have taken on new roles and responsibilities at Lewis & Clark, and a few said a fond farewell.

Lewis & Clark welcomes these employees into new positions or new roles:

Clare Ahearn, assistant track and field coach, Physical Education and Athletics; Amanda Aldridge, student account specialist, Student/Departmental Account Services; Michael Angelo, area director, Campus Living; Alex Arnopol, graduate admissions counselor, Graduate Admissions; Brad Breier, head golf coach, Physical Education and Athletics; Kayla Carrar, assistant director, Lewis & Clark Community Counseling Center; Dylan Carlson, groundskeeper, Facilities Services; Mark Cebert, staff attorney, Criminal Justice Reform; Susie Cowen, staff attorney, National Crime Victim Law Institute; Shane Davis, locksmith, Facilities Services; Jason De La Cour, general maintenance, Facilities Services; Gregory Dyrek, groundskeeper, Facilities Services; Keri Erving, assistant director, Conference and Events; McKenna Fairbairn, programs coordinator, Oversees and Off-Campus Programs; Sven Franzen, dispatcher, Campus Safety; Ryan Greene, dispatcher, Campus Safety; Emily Hancock, director, Office of Strategic Partnership and Clinical Placements; Doug Lennox, athletics advancement officer, Advancement; Emmanuel Macias, executive assistant and special projects administrator, Dean of Students; Karla Márquez Gaab, clinical Fellow, Law School; Katie McMeen, student account specialist, Student and Departmental Account Services; Stephen Mercier, videographer and multimedia designer, Communications; Adam Mortensen, general maintenance, Facilities Services; Jeannie Mullins, interim payroll manager; Benson Nsanzabandi, staff accountant, Business and Finance Division; Reginald Raiford, director of facilities, Law School Facilities Services; Eryk Schaftlein, general maintenance, Law School Facilities Services; Stephanie Solano, administrative coordinator, Counseling, Therapy, and School Psychology: Emily Wentworth, men’s basketball camp assistant coach, Physical Education and Athletics; and Maika Yeigh, associate professor, Teacher Education.

Lewis & Clark wishes these employees good luck on their next adventure:

Ritch Adams, assistant director, Center for Business Law and Innovation; Kurt Armstrong, director, Law School Facilities; Donald Anderegg, carpenter, Facilities Services; Lucy Brehm, assistant director, Environmental, Natural Resources, and Energy Law Program; Juliane Corpus, area director, Campus Living; Georgia Davis, program assistant, Earthrise Law Center; Adonica De Vault, associate director, Career Center; Kenneth Dodson, carpenter and locksmith, Facilities Services; Mark Figueroa, program manager, Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement; Sky Greig, officer, Campus Safety; Esther Herron, registrar coordinator, Law Registrar; Brittany Hill, staff attorney, Criminal Justice Reform; Liz Hobbs, administrative specialist, Law Academic Affairs; Mimi Huang, assistant dean, Law Admissions; Brian Hulsey, circulation and resource sharing specialist, Boley Law Library; Natalie Johnstone, fellowship attorney, Criminal Justice Reform Clinic; Anne Le Chevallier, Catholic Student Life Coordinator, Office of Spiritual Life; Michael Lee, assistant director of employer and student engagement, Career Center, Gabriel Montez, service manager, Transportation and Parking; Julie Newsome, director of donor engagement, Advancement; Amelia Pruiett, NSF data science project coordinator, Biology; Marily Quesnel, associate director for admission systems, Law Admissions; Julie Radostitz, physician, Student Health Service; Cree Reynolds, registrar coordinator, Law Registrar’s Office; Melissa Roane, acquisitions and cataloging specialist, Watzek Library; Douglas Ross, dispatcher, Campus Safety; Andressa Scussel, program coordinator, Overseas and Off-Campus Programs; Eliza Silverman, staff attorney, Criminal Justice Reform Clinic; Elizabeth Struchen, donor engagement officer, Advancement; Miranda Wood, data and accreditation analyst, Research and Assessment Office; and Rochelle Zirdum, placement coordinator, Counseling, Therapy, and School Psychology.

This list of employees is provided by the Office of Human Resources, and published quarterly in The Source. Please direct inquiries to hr@lclark.edu.