The U of A community is invited to celebrate the service and contributions of human resources partner Rhonda Houser, who is retiring March 31.

Houser has served as the HR partner on campus for the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences since 2020. She was also asked to serve as HR partner for the School of Law beginning in January 2023. In addition to her recent time with the university, Houser served in various HR roles from 1985-2000.

The reception will be from 4-5 p.m. Wednesday, March 27, in the atrium of the AFLS Building. Refreshments will be available, and Bumpers College Dean Jeff Edwards and School of Law Dean Cynthia Nance will make comments.

Houser has been supporting recruitment and retention efforts, including consulting with departments to efficiently and effectively facilitate searches, recruitment and candidate selection processes. She also assists in implementing onboarding programs for college faculty and staff, with employee relations issues and interpretation regarding HR policies and procedures.

"Rhonda has been a tremendous help to me since I've been here as a department head and now in my role as dean," Edwards said. "Her experience, understanding of procedures and institutional knowledge have been a great benefit as the college has grown and we've brought in new faculty and staff members. She has been a valuable member of our team and will be greatly missed, but we congratulate her, thank her for her service and wish her well in retirement."

"It has been a pleasure working with Rhonda as our HR partner," Nance said. "I truly appreciate her professionalism, kindness and calm demeanor when working through difficult matters. I will truly miss her wise counsel and great sense of humor. All of us in the School of Law wish her the very best in her retirement and hope that she finds joy in it."

She returned to campus in 2020 after serving as director of HR at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art from 2009-19. Her team was responsible for all HR functions, including staffing, benefits, performance management, payroll and employee relations.

Houser created a recruitment, screening and hiring program in which she and her team of two were asked to develop and execute a career fair where more than 700 applicants were interviewed in one day. The team also completed the selection process, onboarding and training for the over 100 front-of-house positions in less than a 45-day timeline. She says she was never as proud of a staff as when Crystal Bridges opened its doors on Nov. 11, 2011.

In addition, the Volunteer Services Department reported to her. When the museum opened, it had more than 900 active volunteers and still has more than 500. Houser credits the Volunteer Services manager for the stellar program created and maintained for the volunteers.

Houser considers the well-rounded foundation she was provided at the U of A for preparing her for her career in private industry, as well as time with a non-profit. In addition to training and development, she also shares her appreciation for being allowed to serve as the chair-elect, chair and past chair for the College and University Personnel Association (CUPA) SW Region, and as representative on the national CUPA Board of Directors.

"Networking and connecting with HR professionals from across the country allowed me to see things from different perspectives and understand that many of the challenges being faced are common to many other higher education institutions also," she said.

Houser, who was honored as the 2005 Northwest Arkansas HR Professional of the Year by the NWA Human Resources Association, worked at the U of A from 1985-2000 in various roles. She began as a personnel assistant, was promoted to personnel analyst and eventually was named director of employment and classification/compensation. She left campus be vice president for administration at Staffmark from 2000-02. She was the owner of HR Factor in Bentonville from 2003-07 and HR director and minority owner of FirstStaff Staffing in Fayetteville from 2007-09.

Houser earned her bachelor's degree in business administration and her master's in education, both from the U of A.

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture. For more information about Bumpers College, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter at @BumpersCollege and Instagram at BumpersCollege.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.