DEBI CHERNAK, SPHR

SENIOR HR PROFESSIONAL / BUSINESS PARTNER / DIRECTOR / VP

Strategic & Workforce Planning
Corporate & Employment Branding
Recruiting & Retention of Top Talent
Organization Development, Culture & Values
Employee Relations & Engagement
Coaching & Performance Management
Total Rewards / Compensation & Benefits
Best Companies to Work for in Colorado
Employment Law Compliance
Contracts * Facilities * IT * Administration
EDUCATION
M.Ed. in Organizational Performance & Change
Colorado State University, Denver, Colorado * GPA 4.0
B.B.A. in Business Administration, Summa Cum Laude
Loyola College, Sellinger School of Business & Management, Baltimore, Maryland
* GPA 3.9
Concentrations in Management, Marketing & Organizational Behavior
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
VICE PRESIDENT of HUMAN RESOURCES, BRANDING & ENGAGEMENT
The Affinity Corporation, Inc. * Denver, Colorado * 2009 to 2010
The Affinity Corporation partners with community stakeholders to develop and emp
ower vibrant, sustainable communities through affordable housing, economic devel
opment, and educational achievement.
* Executive accountability for strategic planning, budgeting, internal and ext
ernal branding and engagement, marketing, communications, staffing, organization
al structure, compensation and benefits, organization development, business deve
lopment research, customer training and support.
* Joined the company as Director of Human Resources and quickly promoted to VP
of HR, Branding & Engagement. Reported to CEO and supervised Director of Develo
pment Services, Director of Creative Strategy, Director of Communications, and H
uman Resources Manager.
DIRECTOR of HUMAN RESOURCES
Aztek Networks, Inc. * Boulder, Colorado * 2001 to 2008
Global leader in the development of telecommunications access network products;
named a Top 25 Small/Medium Company in â Best Companies to Work for in Colorado * in
2008 and 2009.
* Executive Strategy Team member, instrumental in guiding Aztekâ s transformation f
rom a privately-held contract engineering company to a venture capital-funded pr
oduct leadership company.
* Post-VC funding, spearheaded Cultural Values Initiative that became the foun
dation of the companyâ s new vision, mission, guiding principles, and strategic plans
and budgets.
* Drove the restructuring and alignment of corporate/department/individual str
ategic planning, budgeting, goal setting, and performance management processes.
* Ensured that Total Rewards philosophy and compensation and benefits programs
continually met recruiting, retention, and strategic business goals and objecti
ves.
* Implemented innovative recruiting, engagement. and retention strategies, inc
luding an incentive stock option plan, dual career ladder for technical staff, e
xpanded flex-time and telecommuting opportunities, and contractor/employee refer
ral bonus program.
* Directed recruiting, selection, and onboarding to meet Aztekâ s real-time, flexib
le staffing needs scaled to product development and release lifecycles.
* Developed and implemented a values- and competency-based 360-degree performa
nce management program tied to corporate goals and objectives.
* Trained and coached employees, managers and executives on core organizationa
l competencies, including leadership, management, values-based decision making,
employee relations, performance, goal setting, interviewing, team building, and
legal compliance.
* Directed task forces conducting needs analyses, research, and vendor selecti
on for applicant tracking, talent management, and HRIS software solutions to inc
rease efficiency and effectiveness of HR processes, reduce costs, and improve HR
metrics.
* Senior member of IT/Facilities Committee.
* Supervised staff of up to four, including a Senior Technical Recruiter, Bene
fits Administrator, Travel and Events Coordinator, and Receptionist/Administrati
ve Assistant.
VICE PRESIDENT of HUMAN RESOURCES & ADMINISTRATION
Live Wire Networks, Inc. * Denver, Colorado * 1996 to 2000
Competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) providing VoIP, DSL, LAN/WAN network i
ntegration, and voice and data cabling services to commercial and residential cu
stomers along the Front Range.
* Established and directed human resources, sales, and marketing functions. De
veloped, documented, and trained employees on policies and procedures for recrui
ting and selection, performance management, compensation, benefits, administrati
on, sales, finance, and operations.
* Revamped sales commission plan and instituted employee and customer referral
bonus programs.
* Drove corporate branding and marketing campaigns, including development of n
ew logo and identity package, PR and media advertising campaigns, new product an
d service introductions, web site, trade shows, quarterly customer newsletter, a
nd corporate networking activities.
* Developed human resources and customer service plan for multi-state expansio
n and delivered presentations to private and venture capital investors.
* Joined the precursor company (Advanced Cabling & Communications, Inc.) as Bu
siness & Marketing Manager; co-founded AccNet of Colorado, LLC; ACC and AccNet l
ater merged to form Live Wire Networks.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
PHR/SPHR Certification Course Instructor * Colorado State University; Regis Un
iversity; Colorado Human Resource Association; Boulder Area Human Resource Assoc
iation
Business & Marketing Manager * Gallagher Marine Systems, Alexandria, VA
Founder & President * ExecuType Business Centers, Inc., Baltimore, MD
PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY SERVICE
Best Companies to Work for in Colorado, 2010 * Marketing & Social Media Commit
tee
CHRA Annual Conference; Colorado SHRM Biennial State Conference * Volunteer
Alliance of Professional Consultants * Officer, Member, Fellow
Conifer Community Park * Beaver Ranch * Board of Directors, Fund-Raising Chair
, Bark Park Chair
CERTIFICATIONS & AFFILIATIONS
SPHR * Senior Professional in Human Resources
PHR * Professional in Human Resources
CPC * Certified Professional Consultant
Society for Human Resource Management
Colorado Human Resource Association
Boulder Area Human Resource Association
Colorado State University Alumni Association
The DaVinci Institute