Nicole Whitehead, College of DuPage’s new vice president of Human Resources, brings more than two decades of leadership experience in higher education and the private sector to the role.

She joins COD after serving as chief talent, culture and human resource officer at Bucknell University, where she led a comprehensive transformation of the employee experience and launched the institution’s first Human Resources Strategic Plan.

“Nicole brings a thoughtful, people-centered approach to leadership along with extensive experience building strong workplace cultures,” said COD President Dr. Muddassir Siddiqi. “Her commitment to supporting employees, fostering engagement and creating opportunities for professional growth aligns with the College’s mission and values. We are excited to welcome her to the COD community.”

For Whitehead, the opportunity to join COD was rooted in its people and culture.

“What makes the culture at COD unique is the lived experiences of our diverse faculty, staff and student populations,” she said. “I want to build upon that by focusing on how we can support those experiences — creating programs and learning opportunities where, no matter what walk of life you’re from, you feel you can thrive.”

Whitehead, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business, a Master of Business Administration from Lewis University, and a doctorate in higher education and organizational change from Benedictine University, said her career path was shaped by a desire to help people succeed. “I started out in banking and e-commerce, but I was always drawn to projects that involved humans or removing barriers to success,” she said. “When I went back to college, I had to choose between project management and human resources for my MBA concentration, and I chose HR. I say that I am a humanist with a business background.”

Whitehead said supporting employees ultimately strengthens the College’s ability to serve students.

“When employees feel supported, valued and empowered to do their best work, that positively impacts every student we serve,” she said.

Whitehead has held senior human resources leadership positions at Joliet Junior College and other higher education institutions. Before transitioning to education, she spent a decade in leadership positions with Fiserv.

Excited to be at COD, Whitehead looks forward to enhancing a strong employee base focused on service.

“What I would like my legacy to be here is that we have an environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, whether we are in agreement or disagreement,” she said. “The thing that brings us together is treating each other like humans. If I can make progress in valuing every human on our best day and our worst day, I’ll feel I’ve done my job.”