Dear colleagues,
I regret to inform you that Human Resources and Equal Opportunity Director Melissa Honkola, after serious contemplation, submitted her resignation last week. I respect her wishes and have accepted the resignation, effective January29. In her time here Melissa demonstrated incredible dedication, leadership, and knowledge. I was impressed with her ability to jump into the position, bridge connections with the Twin Cities, and set a vision for our human resources and equal opportunity operations. We have learned from her expertise and will continue to focus on and enhance our HR/EO capacity.
Melissa asked me to share this message with you:
Coming back to UMD in the Director of Human Resources and Equal Opportunity position had been a professional goal of mine for 15 years. The decision to resign was extremely difficult but necessary for me to balance work with personal obligations. I want to express my sincerest appreciation to the many UMD campus community members who trusted me with their HR issues. I am honored to have had the opportunity to serve the UMD campus community.
Melissa informed her team of this news this morning. She will also reach out to the HR liaisons and union representatives. I will continue discussions with the Vice Chancellors and the Twin Cities Office of Human Resources as I work to identify an interim leadership plan. I will update you as that develops further.
I wish Melissa the very best and am very grateful for the experience to work with her. If any of you have questions, please feel free to contact me
Sincerely,
Lendley C. Black
Chancellor
