Town Manager Jodi Miller is pleased to announce that Karen A. Harris will become the Town of Garner’s next human resources director starting Nov. 12.

Ms. Harris has dedicated her career to public service and has over 25 years of experience leading the human resources function within government and higher education and has served in an executive leadership role since joining the N.C. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) in 2019. During her tenure with DHHS, she has served as assistant director of human resources for divisions, deputy director for human resources and since 2021 as director of human resources.

At DHHS, Ms. Harris has led a team of 200 human resources professionals who are responsible for supporting over 18,000 employees in the areas of employee relations and engagement, talent acquisition, employee/leadership training and development, classification and compensation, benefits and wellness, and safety. She has been instrumental in working toward the restructuring of the DHHS’s Human Resources Division to ensure better efficiency and effectiveness for the delivery of human resources services. Accomplishments include the development and implementation of a HR strategic plan and the automation of several business processes to include the new-hire onboarding.

Ms. Harris was the recipient of the 2023 Governor’s Award of Excellence as part of DHHS’s COVID-19 Response Team.

“We are excited that Ms. Harris will be joining the Garner team," Town Manager Jodi Miller said. "Her experience, education and talents will assist in our ongoing goals to make Garner an employer of choice in the region and a great place to work."

Prior to her tenure with DHHS, Ms. Harris worked for the District of Columbia government where her focus was developing strategic HR initiatives within the areas of recruitment and retention, performance management and employee engagement. She advised and provided guidance to city government employees and executive leaders on complex human resources issues and concerns.

Ms. Harris is a Senior Certified Professional with the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM-SCP). She has a Master of Public Administration with honors and a Bachelor of Arts in history with honors from North Carolina Central University.

Ms. Harris enjoys volunteering in her community and along with her sisters has awarded over 14 scholarships to graduating high school seniors in her hometown of Williamston, N.C. She is a member and active participant of several professional, civic and community organizations.

“I am excited to join a team that will help drive the Town of Garner’s growth and expansion by focusing on recruiting, retaining and supporting the well-being of a highly skilled workforce," Ms. Harris said. "I look forward to engaging with every level of the Town’s workforce to foster a culture of excellence.”

To learn more about the Town’s Human Resources Department, please visit GarnerNC.gov/departments/human-resources.