Trummell Valdera
People with a great understanding of the intricisies of the human mind make great HR specialist. And Trummell Valdera has that understanding.
Valdera earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University roughly thirty years ago. And since then, she has taken care of people throughout the country; she didn't begin her career as a human resources professional. Her first job after college was actually working as a social worker in a group home in her native Philadelphia.
The leap from social worker to human resources may seem unusual to some, but it wasn't for Trummell Valdera. Working with disadvantaged teenage girls easily transitioned to her first HR gig, hiring minority women to work for a health consortium. Her first job in HR lead to a three decades plus career working in the health care industry.
Trummell Valdera has worked with major hospitals and health care centers across the United States. One of her earliest jobs was at Johns Hopkins Health System and Medical Institution in Maryland. After nearly a decade at Johns Hopkins, Valdera was able to work her way up from an entry level HR position to the position of senior director.
Trummell Valdera has also held several other positions in HR, including a position as vice president of human resources at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Valdera was at CHOP for 10 years. But In 2004, Valdera was brought on board at Jackson Health System in Miami, where she served as senior vice president and chief human resources officer. And the role she played at Jackson Health System was critical.
Prior to Valdera coming to the health system, it was in a state of crisis. She was hired by CEO Marvin O'Quinn to help turn the HR department, and the hospital itself, around. One huge contribution Valdera made to Jackson was consolidating the recruiting process. Prior to her arrival, doctors and nurses were recruited outside of HR, a strategy that made the process more difficult. She also removed the hierarchical structure of the organization, which led to a better use of each employee's skills. Another key contribution to the health system from Valdera was improving communication between labor unions and HR.