Deloris (Dee) Hunt, MSA, joined Michigan Medicine as Chief Human Resources Officer in 2018, bringing more than 25 years of Human Resources executive experience in the health care industry.
In her role, Deloris provides strategic leadership and direction to all of Michigan Medicine’s human resources functions, including HR strategy, HR operations, organizational effectiveness, learning and development, talent acquisition, labor relations, compensation, HR information systems and other HR services.
She was named the Michigan HR Executive of the Year in 2012 and was honored by the Michigan Chronicle as 2018 Woman of Excellence. She is deeply committed to the community and served seven years as a Commissioner for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, was a part of the Flint water investigation and is a founding member and past president of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources, Detroit Chapter.
Currently Deloris serves as the chair of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association Service Corporation HR Committee and serves as a board member on the American Society of Employers.
Deloris earned her business administration degree from Wayne State University and Master Degree in General Administration from Central Michigan University.
Why Michigan Medicine? Which attributes of this organization persuaded you to join us?
While working in Ann Arbor in the early 2000s, I reached out to the HR leadership working here and learned about their priorities including Voices of the Staff, training programs and establishing a new training and development area. Over the years, I was invited to multiple events and continued to stay in contact with UM HR Professionals even after leaving the area. I was impressed with the focus on staff development and advancement. During the interview process, I learned so much more about recent changes and investments and, as a result, my interest grew in contributing to the incredible work that is happening here.
What is your proudest moment working at Michigan Medicine?
As a CHRO/People Officer, identifying a single moment is not an easy task. There are so many things that produce pride and appreciation when I reflect upon them. One moment that I will never forget is the pride I experienced while watching how faculty, staff and retirees came together to help address the pandemic in 2020, including coordinating department volunteers, redeployment, training, and so much more. This demonstrated our core values of “Caring and Teamwork.”
What advice would you give others who wish to serve in a similar leadership role?
Our current reality demonstrates how important it is for all leaders to be committed to learning and growing in response to unpredictable change. For my role, I have found it is important to be willing to be the conscience of the organization as well as a leader of change, accountability, and a role model of core values and behaviors. It is also essential to be a strategic partner and servant leader who is flexible and willing to partner outside of HR, and even outside of the organization for expanded knowledge.
