HR Manager Jennifer Dorian
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
A native to Albuquerque, Jennifer Dorian spent 20 years in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area but was looking for an opportunity to return to New Mexico.
When she discovered Los Alamos County had an opening for its Human Resources Manager position, Dorian seized the chance to come back to her home state.
Dorian officially started work Jan. 11 at the County. Previously, Denise Cassel was the Human Resources Manager before she retired Jan. 29.
Before joining the County staff, Dorian said she worked for 15 years as vice president of Human Resources for a private company, Key Impact Sales and Systems, which is a food broker in every state.
Moving from the private to public service sector has been a positive experience, she said.
“It is a new experience for me, and I am looking forward to an opportunity for continued professional development,” Dorian said. “I enjoy working with the human resources team and the Los Alamos community.”
She added she appreciates the strong sense of community in Los Alamos as well as the opportunity to help enhance its economic vitality as the Human Resources Manager.
Her favorite thing, however, is the people she has met.
“What I enjoy the most is meeting new people,” Dorian said. “My co-workers and the community have been very welcoming. I take a hands-on approach and look for opportunities in how HR can partner with employees and management to better support the County.”
There are a lot of changes in her field; Dorian said the technology is always changing.
“I think there is always room for improvement… technology is always changing,” she said. “Training and career development are also a very important …”
Developing resources and finding external ones for employees who are interested in career advancement is a big interest to Dorian as well as helping retain staff, she said.
A perk to her new job is that there is already a good system of established practices and policies in place, Dorian said.
“I think the big challenge is just opportunities to further automate and enhance the established practices in place,” she said. “I think they have done a terrific job having practices, protocols and procedures in place. We … just need to maintain those practices to keep the employees safe during the pandemic, which is number one and looking at opportunities to do things virtually (such as recruiting, training).”
Dorian lives in Santa Fe but said she loves all the outdoor amenities that Los Alamos offers including hiking and biking.
Dorian earned her under-graduate degree in human resources and finance from the University of New Mexico. She received a master’s degree in organizational development from Towson University in Maryland. Additionally, Dorian earned a Senior Human Resources Professional (SHRM-SCP) certificate from the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM).