Bringing a wealth of experience from a career spanning three decades in the Navajo human resources sector, Reycita Toddy was officially appointed as the new director of the Division of Human Resources by Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren. Having held nearly every conceivable position within the department, Toddy is well-prepared to tackle the significant challenges ahead. President Nygren has expressed a concerted effort to revitalize the employment landscape within the Navajo Nation, acknowledging the pressing urgency imposed by a high unemployment rate and a staggering 1,000 job vacancies, as reported by the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President.
According to Toddy, who is Tewa and hails from Polacca, Arizona, one pressing hurdle she will face is to implement President Nygren's executive order, which was established to expedite the tribal hiring process to fill approximately 1,500 jobs. Despite the daily fluctuation of vacancies owing to retirements and resignations, Toddy assured that positions are available for keen applicants to seize. In addressing these concerns, President Nygren is said to fortify the division with ample resources and support, especially in light of the budget proposals for the upcoming fiscal year. Toddy told the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President that her main mission is to "make things happen."
An essential shift brought on by President Nygren's policy changes includes a streamlined application process, where now applicants are required to submit a single set of credentials, suitable for multiple job applications, and easily accessible online — a move designed to eradicate the previously cumbersome paperwork involved. Toddy emphasized the need to bolster staffing, particularly within the Division of Public Safety, to facilitate prompt background checks, a process that formerly took three to six months, often resulting in the loss of potential employees to other opportunities.
One unspoken issue, that employees must often travel extensive distances from places such as Shiprock, Tuba City, and Albuquerque for work at the tribal capital, has not eluded Toddy. Committed to advocating for President Nygren's priority to construct more affordable and tribal housing, she believes enhanced living accommodations near the workplace will significantly contribute to the comfort, safety, and economic stability of the tribal workforce — a cornerstone of sound human resources practice.
