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Get to Know HFC: Jennifer Chapman enjoys supporting employees from day one

Release Date
Jennifer Chapman, new HR Generalist in Human Resources at Henry Ford College.

Because HFC’s Human Resources department has been short-staffed, Jennifer Chapman, special assistant to HFC Vice President of Strategy and Human Resources Dr. Lori Gonko, helped out in HR during the past year.

Effective Oct. 1, Chapman officially moved to the HR office in the Welcome Center and is now an HR Generalist. She still reports to Gonko.

“I’ve been working in the HR office for the past year and a half, so this position was a natural transition with Dr. Gonko's blessing,” said Chapman.

Desire to return to higher ed

A lifelong Detroiter, Chapman has a 7-year-old daughter. A graduate of Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Chapman earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She also completed some coursework at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

“I always wanted to work in higher education. When I was a student at U-M, I did a work study program in admissions and really enjoyed it,” recalled Chapman.

After spending 10 years in health care, Chapman wanted a change.

“I wanted to get back the joy I had felt working in higher ed,” she said. “I remember how I would pass by the HFC campus and thought about working there. I would check the job boards for openings and saw the position that was the right fit for me; it was relevant to my job experience being an executive assistant. I applied and not long after, I was back in higher ed.”

Helping people in a fun and positive environment

Chapman’s main duty in her new position includes assisting in the onboarding process, making sure new hires complete their paperwork and have all their initial employment questions answered.

“I like helping people. It’s nice to be able to help people when they first join HFC; this is similar to what I missed when I worked in admissions years ago. Seeing people eager to get started is fun and positive. Over here, it’s nice to work in a team environment with optimism and a positive outlook every day.”

Added Gonko: “Jennifer has done an exceptional job and is eager to continue working with the HR team and enhancing her breadth of HR knowledge. A generalist’s role provides the opportunity for her to support all functional areas within the office, assist with projects, and continue to be the amazing teammate that she has been.”