Debra K. Wells

Debra K. Wells, Human Resources Director for Cuyahoga County Public Library since 1981, initially served as the first EEO/AAP Officer, then as Personnel Manager before her current post. She drafted CCPL's first Affirmative Action Policy, which was adopted in 1975 and continues in force today. She also wrote a comprehensive Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual and coordinated the library's first successful effort to develop position descriptions and job performance standards and job analysis process for pay classification. She also served on the management team that negotiated the first collective bargaining agreement in 1983 and has played a key role in every contract negotiations since then as chief negotiator. The current three-year contract expires March 31, 2007. As an HR generalist, Debra developed the initial plan for automation of the HR recordkeeping and reporting systems in 1984, from which the library's legacy, in-house, main frame system was developed. Since then, the library has had three systems through an outside vendor. Debra was the system administrator on each of those successful conversion efforts. Now, the library is hosted by ADP on their MS Enterprise HR/Payroll system, ADP's "flagship" system, and is poised for self-service. In 2005, the library automated the job application and selection process and timecard reporting. She is currently working on a comprehensive system of training and development, including e-learning applications.

Debra earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Journalism from Kent State University in 1974 and studied for her Juris Doctorate in EEO Law through Antioch school of Law in Washington D.C. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, both nationally and locally and is active on the Commission on Economic Inclusion and on IPMA.. She is a past Chairperson of the Cleveland Employers Equal Opportunity Association and has served on the Advisory Boards for United Cerebral Palsy, The Center for Families and Children and Kaiser Permanente. Debra currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Cleveland Chapter of IHRIM (the International Human Resource Information Management Assn) and is the program chair for that group. Debra was recognized as the HR Professional of the year by that group in 1997 and again in 2004. Debra is a world traveler and also a professional singer who worked for years with a local band and a jazz orchestra. She recently won the "Star Search" on Norwegian Cruise Lines' Hawaiian Islands trip.