Meet the Human Resources Staff

Jill Wood

Jill Wood is UMSL’s Interim Executive Director of HR. Prior to joining UMSL’s HR team, Jill worked in the University of Missouri System’s (UM) Office of Academic Affairs and UM Human Resources. She also served as an adjunct instructor at Mizzou. Jill has extensive experience in leadership development, performance management, project management and team facilitation. In industry, Jill was a change management consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting. She has a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis program from Mizzou, a Master of Education degree from Harvard University, and a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Briar Cliff University.

Lauren Reedy

Lauren Reedy is the HR Coordinator for Professional Development and Immigration. She assists noncitizen employees and prospective employees who are pursuing an H1-B visa or Lawful Permanent Residency. She also coordinates and facilitates professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. Prior to joining the HR team at UMSL, Lauren worked in a leadership development capacity for the Office of Academic Affairs at the University of Missouri System. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from Mizzou and is currently pursuing a Juris Doctor degree from Howard University School of Law.

Mary Thaxton

Mary Thaxton is Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration at UMSL. She has been at the university for 26 years. Her primary responsibility is to support the Vice Chancellor and the Human Resources Interim Executive Director. She works on special projects, coordinates meetings and events on-campus.

Heather Floden

Heather Floden is one of UMSL’s Senior Human Resources Partners and has worked in Human Resources for over 15 years. She chose HR as a career because as a profession, it is ever evolving to make things better and allows for opportunities to make a positive impact on employees she works with. Most recently Heather was the HR Director of Training & Development for MERS/Goodwill and prior to that was the HR Manager for a large department of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Tennessee. Her SHRM-SCP certification is in progress.

Terrance McDonald

Terrance McDonald, a Senior Human Resources Partner, is an experienced Human Resources professional with over 20 years of progressive interdisciplinary experience in retail, government and distribution having supported multiunit and single site locations with hourly and salaried employees. Other experiences include providing HR services such as staffing and recruitment in a government agency supporting veterans and their families. Terrance’s previous role was with Amazon providing site consultative and strategic HR support to senior leaders regarding employment decisions, performance management, performance reviews, labor planning and associate engagement. Terrance holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (with some coursework completed at UMSL) and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management. SHRM-SCP certification is in progress.

Andrea Dunbar

Andrea Dunbar prides herself for spending her entire adulthood working at UMSL. At the age of 21, when she embarked upon a mission to find full-time employment, little did she know she was adventuring into a career. She has spent the past 38 years as a Business and HR Specialist, training, supporting and working to improve the academic hiring processes. Her tenure has been a rewarding experience affording the opportunity to build successful collaboratives, meaningful working relationships and everlasting friendships. She noted, “The best thing about working at UMSL has been the ability to witness the mission of this great University fulfilled by educating students in the St. Louis region and beyond.” Andrea is “truly grateful for my colleagues, past and present, who’ve continued to provide guidance and mentorship along this journey. I will forever remain ‘UMSL Proud’.”

唐娜猎人

唐娜猎人serves as UMSL’s Human Resources Recruitment Consultant. This role allows Donna to share her passion for recruitment through networking and relationship building, while advancing the vision of UMSL. Donna brings over 17 years of experience in academia and recruiting. She began in Michigan, with various roles in Enrollment Services and Corporate Recruitment. When she returned to her home state of Missouri, she progressively earned the role of Client Service Manager, overseeing clients in two states for one of the top largest recruiting firms in the country. She has a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Human Resources, and plans to pursue her doctoral degree.

Cleola Butler

Cleola Butler serves as UMSL’s Human Resources Specialist. She comes with experience in education, including K-12 (Registration, Student Services) and Higher Education (Admissions and Financial Aid and Business Support), as well as corporate experience (Accounting and HR Clerk). Driven by integrity, she takes pride in providing the best customer service possible. As HR Specialist, her goal will be working to implement daily operations that will enhance the performance of HR. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies (with coursework completed at UMSL).