New chief human resources officer brings extensive experience to position

Mychal Coleman was about to graduate from Illinois State University with a bachelor's degree in political science and pre-law when he went to an on-campus interview with Allstate Insurance and got a job offer to be an employment representative.

What Coleman, Grand Valley's new chief human resources officer, discovered with that position at Allstate was a foundation to spend an entire career in human resources at various corporations and in higher education, gaining experience in recruiting, training and personnel development, compensation and benefits.

Most recently, Coleman served as vice president of Human Resources for the University of the Bahamas. He said he was interested in Grand Valley's position because of the university's top leadership.

"I was drawn to Grand Valley for many reasons, including President Mantella’s experience with student engagement, her mission to reshape the GVSU landscape to address a changing environment, and her vision to drive the university into the 21st century," Coleman said, adding Vice President for Finance and Administration Greg Sanial brings an expertise and background in operations, leadership and strategic execution.

Coleman earned a master's degree in industrial relations and human resources development from the University of Minnesota and a doctoral degree in organizational development from the University of St. Thomas.

He has taught courses on organizational behavior and change, human resources management and strategic planning. Coleman has written articles published in various journals, including the Journal of the Organization Development Network, SHRM, Journal for Quality & Participation, and HR Management. 

After years of working for corporations, Coleman moved to academia while at the University of Minnesota. At its core, human resources is about the experience of employees, he said, and creating a culture that makes an organization "the employer of choice."

Among his goals at Grand Valley are to build continuous improvement within Human Resources, engage all employees, drive change management and talent development initiatives, establish a cutting-edge human resources brand, and transform the department into a world-class business partner model.