Where Are They Now?

Name: Becky Hoover

School:

Class: 1977

Occupation: Vice President of Talent Development and Human Resources at The University of Akron

What was your career path leading up to your current job?

My career path started as a lawyer and then moved into part-time university teaching and administrative roles. Eventually, I left the practice of law to devote myself to full-time university administration. Before I became a vice president at The University of Akron, I served as Director of Employee Relations and Immigration Services. In that role, I developed a program for resolving workplace disputes using mediation and other collaborative approaches. I was also responsible for overseeing employment-based immigration issues and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title IX and other employment laws. Before that, I served in the Office of the President at The University of Akron and in Human Relations at Purdue University. In all of these administrative roles, I have been able to use the skills I developed while working as an attorney and mediator in private practice. I have also been very grateful for the training I received in law school and during my studies for my Ph.D. in Public Administration.

What does your job entail, and what is your career goal?

I help the university recruit, retain and develop the very best talent and provide leadership for all aspects of human resources administration. We work to develop and implement innovative and competitive recruitment strategies to attract and yield the best candidates through both the creative use of technology and effective networking. We make sure that we do intentional outreach to diverse populations and develop strong employee immigration services and other support systems to meet the needs of our increasingly international workforce. We are also committed to building an HR function that recognizes the members of our diverse community have different life experiences, opportunities and obstacles, and responds to these differences in ways that fully support the success of each community member. I have no career goals beyond my current position. My next role will probably be to retire and spend more time at Lake Erie!

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?

Raising my four wonderful children, Kate, Kara, Chad and Trent while also building my career and helping to provide for them through my work outside the home. They are all now young adults and I am so very proud of the people they have become. It will be so great to watch them build careers and maybe families of their own in the years ahead. Balancing a career and a family has not always been easy, but it has been deeply satisfying.

What’s your favorite high school memory?

Probably running on the girls' track team that started while I was in high school. Back then, many opportunities for female athletes were just beginning to emerge. Title IX, the federal law requiring equal opportunity for girls and women in our schools, was still fairly new. It was my first experience as an athlete and it was such a great learning opportunity for me and all the members of our team. Coach John Kane was new to coaching a girls' team and he was just super in the role. It was such a good thing that he stepped up to get the team started in such a positive way. Having lived through the time when Title IX became a reality has made me really passionate about enforcing it as an administrator. I hope that all students get the chance to compete and learn about themselves and others as part of that experience.

What advice would you give to future graduates?

Work hard and learn skills that will help you solve problems. If you can solve problems for your employer, you'll always be valued in the workplace!