The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government (ACCGov) has ended its search for a new Human Resources Director, inaugurating Vicki Casella into the role earlier this month. After a brief retirement, Casella is bringing over two decades of HR experience back into public service, according to ACCGov's official statement.
Casella's tenure in Gwinnett County, where she directed Human Resources for 14 years, stands at the core of her extensive career. During her time there, she provided support to over 5,000 employees across 20 different departments. After stepping down in 2021, Casella opted to return to the field, citing new employment opportunities as her motivation. According to ACCGov, "We’re fortunate to have someone of Vicki's experience joining ACCGov," said Acting Manager Niki Jones.
The announcement comes after former director Jeff Hale vacated the position in February to delve into the private sector, prompting the institution to cycle through interim directors. Hale's departure left an opening at a pivotal time for ACCGov and its 1,800 full-time workers, part-time employees, and a retiree network of 800 individuals. Casella's return to HR aligns with her original foray into public service as an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Investigator, further heightened by her time in the private sector, and academic grounding with a political science degree from the University of Illinois alongside a human resources management certificate from the University of Georgia.
The realm of public human resources is rife with distinct challenges, and programs unique to the sector: an arena wherein Casella has repeatedly proven her capacity to navigate and lead. "I’m excited to join the ACCGov team and appreciative of this opportunity to return to the human resources profession," she stated, looking forward to enhancing services provided to ACCGov's staff, and in turn, the community of Athens-Clarke County. The Human Resources Department at ACCGov is instrumental in managing recruitment, wellness, benefits, and a host of other employee-related functions.
