½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï is welcoming its first vice president for people and workplace culture.
Ryan Simmons will join ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï at the end of August, bringing 25 years of experience in human resources, leadership development, and culture-oriented organizational development. He led Children’s Hospital Colorado through several cultural transitions, where he ensured that the organization maintained its core values while adapting to new challenges. Children’s Hospital Colorado has consistently been ranked as a top 10 pediatric hospital system by U.S. News and World Report.
Simmons graduated cum laude from the University of Colorado Boulder and earned a M.Ed. in human resources development from Colorado State University Denver.
“I am honored to have been selected to join ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï,” Simmons said. “I am very familiar with the uniqueness of ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï, having lived and worked in Colorado Springs for a long time, and I truly believe the people of ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï are the reason ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï is so successful in providing the finest liberal arts education in the country. I hope to help build on the long and impactful history of ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï as we reimagine our future as a community together.”
The vice president for people and workplace culture is a new role that will lead Human Resources at ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï and will focus not only on the function of HR but create an environment and culture where all faculty, staff, and students can thrive.
In his role at ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï, Simmons will be a strategic partner to the leadership team. As ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï President L. Song Richardson shared in an announcement to employees, “he will help build a positive work culture and position us to meet current and future needs as we fulfill the college’s mission. Ryan will champion a workplace culture that allows everyone to do their best work and he will work with the HR team to deliver an unparalleled employee experience by maintaining a diverse, inclusive, and open-minded environment where our employees are able to thrive and engage in life-long learning and development.”
Simmons starts at ½ñÈÕ³Ô¹Ï on August 29.
