Fort Valley State University announced the appointment of Tineke Battle as chief human resources officer. Battle has extensive experience as a leader in a wide range of human resources and workforce development operations in higher education environments, most recently as assistant vice provost for faculty affairs at Pennsylvania State University. She will begin work at FVSU on December 1, 2019.

“A critical component of FVSU’s forward progress is to ensure that we have talent who can educate, innovate, and build partnerships,” said Dr. Paul Jones, FVSU president. “Not only has Tineke Battle shown leadership in all of those areas, she has demonstrated an ability to help institutions attract, develop, and retain leaders who are committed to excellence. We are confident she will help FVSU continue to be competitive, relevant, and forward-leaning through investment in our people.”

President Jones also conveyed the university’s sincere appreciation for the work of Patrice Terrell, who has served as interim chief human resources officer during this important leadership transition time in the human resources department.

Battle’s career has involved leadership in virtually every aspect of human resources — including talent acquisition, employee engagement, employee relations, professional development, diversity and inclusion, automation and technology implementation, compensation, analytics and performance assessment, branding and internal communications. At Pennsylvania State University, she advised university administrators on the interpretation and implementation of academic human resources policies and procedures. She also led key strategic initiatives related to process modernization, workforce strategy, promotion and tenure, and change management across the university. She has been responsible for faculty search processes and human resources support across multiple campuses. Prior to her work at Pennsylvania State University, Battle served in multiple director-level roles at Georgia State University, leading human resource and administrative services related to instruction, innovation & technology, talent management, and multi-million dollar human resources business operations. Her data-driven work resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in expense reductions and more effective management practices. She was also tapped as a representative of Georgia State University to collaborate on the system-wide implementation of the OneUSG human resources system.

“I am excited about this great opportunity to be part of the FVSU family,” said Battle. “I look forward to aligning with President Jones’s vision that we not only be recognized as a forward-thinking and innovative institution, but that we continue to recruit and retain exceptional talent, that we ensure employees feel valued, that we are committed to excellence, and that we create a work environment that allows every employee to be successful because of it.”

Battle earned an associate’s degree in accounting from Phillips College of Atlanta, a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology from Georgia State University, and a Master of Education degree in learning, leadership, and organizational development from the University of Georgia. She is a graduate of the Management and Leadership in Higher Education program at Harvard University and the Executive Leadership Academy for Women at Georgia State University. Additional credentials include Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified Professional Innovator, Certified Affirmative Action Professional, Certified Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Facilitator, and a certification in negotiation, conflict resolution, and mediating campus disputes.