Howie Leblanco Email & Phone Number

Burlington, Vt, Us

South Burlington, Vt, Us

Consultation services include talent and organizational development, HR practices, equity, inclusive practices, employee conflicts, inclusive full-cycle recruitment, equity strategic planning, leadership coaching, anti-bias and discrimination training, and crisis management consultations. Clients in the higher education sector, public schools, and non-profits.

South Burlington, Vermont, Us

Colchester, Vt, Us

Collaborated with leadership to design and implement the institution’s human resources strategy that aligns with the mission and vision of the College and supports the institution’s commitment to fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging.Served as a trusted advisor to the Vice President of Finance and Administration on compensation structure and decisions that mitigate pay inequities and resolve existing pay compression. Provided leadership, guidance, coaching, and counseling to senior leaders, managers, and employees to navigate complex employee and labor relations issues. Managed the recruitment and selection process by providing search committees and managers with guidance and education regarding best practices, inclusive job language development, non-discrimination, and relevant employment laws.Served as a resource and thought partner on problem resolution and facilitation in the areas of employee relations, ADA compliance, diversity, equity and inclusion, performance management, and employee discipline. Provided mediation between employees and/or their managers using a restorative justice framework to empower all voices to be heard and impact to be shared and believed.Coached managers on best practices to develop and appreciate their employees as part of a larger holistic retention strategy.Led investigations on employee misconduct and supported leaders and managers with separation and termination decisions with compassion and kindness.Guided department leaders through team and organizational restructuring that has resulted in promotions, job redeployment, and position eliminations to better align the institution's work, process, and financial needs.Provided ongoing formal and informal learning about the social construction of race and racism, including how race influences systems of advantage and disadvantage to equal access to benefits, education, and opportunities.

Established the inaugural Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and shaped existing DEI related committees and working groups to align with and further advance the Office’s strategic direction.Served as a senior leader on the President’s Cabinet and an advisor to the President on decision-making and college strategies grounded in equity, inclusion, and belonging. Acted as a consultant and thought partner to the Human Resources department. Consulted on the design of an affirmative hiring process to reduce bias and increase candidates' sense of belonging and inclusion; approaches to employee relations relating to race and other dimensions of diversity; talent development strategies; employee-related policies and protocols; and regulations at the intersection of Title IV, VI, VII, and IX.Led leaders to examine and amend policies, structures, and procedures that create and support inequities and barriers for minoritized people, including those historically excluded because of race and ethnicity. Formed and led an Institutional Strategic Communications Team to provide communication responses to local, national, and global crises, social and cultural issues, and current events that impact students, faculty, staff, alumnx, and the Board of Trustees ability to learn and work equitably and together.Designed and established the College’s Community Bias Response Program to respond to incidents of bias and discrimination with a restorative justice and educational approaches to create an environment of inclusion, equity and belonging.Developed the College’s Strategic Initiative, Equity and Empowerment, and its framework for building individual and organizational capacities to examine and design structures, policies, and procedures rooted in equity, anti-oppression, anti-bias, and anti-racism.Fostered a culture of learning; developed anti-racist curriculum for employees, and developed a learning model and framework specific for the College.

Built a leadership development program that develops managers as skilled team builders. Consulted with managers and teams on training and professional development opportunities critical to their work and assignments.Led the development of a progressive performance management process rooted in coaching and continuous feedback frameworks to empower and excite employees to own their professional growth and development. Charged by College administrators to collaborate with faculty and staff in the Culture Shift Taskforce to investigate and deliver recommendations that would increase faculty cultural learning and competency, preventing implicit bias and unintentional harm to students with marginalized identities.Acted as a strategic thinking partner to managers and assisted in resolving employer relations to retain talents. Designed training and curriculum to support managers’ leadership development through blended learning opportunities, the Manager’s Roundtable Learning Group.Redesigned employee onboarding to reflect the institution’s culture and highlight the commitment to creating a belonging and inclusion workplace. Added more diversity and inclusion topics for discussion to the onboarding program, such as a workshop on pronouns to provide new employees with the tools and resources to integrate into the community.Served as the institutional resource for connecting employees to professional development and learning opportunities to further their professional growth and career. Provided career coaching to employees to inspire mobility within the Institution to retain talents.Hosted and facilitated community dialogues around diversity, equity, and inclusion, specifically in the areas of social identities, courageous conversations, intersectionality, gender bias, inclusive hiring, conflict management, and organizational development.

Managed small and large scale recruitment events throughout the year; and provided leadership and collaboration with other local higher education institutions to provide outreach and education to local minoritized communities. Created and led an Access and Success Team of professionals from various departments across campus. The team was charged to problem-solve the needs and challenges marginalized students experience in various processes.Facilitated the Student Ambassador Program and coached Senior Admissions Interns to enhance the visitor experience on campus.Led the Student Ambassador Team by providing coaching and training on resolving interpersonal and systems conflicts relating to their responsibilities and guests’ experience. They innovated new processes and systems through autonomy and guidance, such as a new project management procedure, improving efficiency and productivity.Designed extensive training and onboarding programs for new Admissions Counselors and Student Ambassadors.Expanded the number of partner access high schools beyond New England to increase geographic diversity and students with intersecting marginalized identities.Revised specific admissions and scholarship processes through the lens of equity and inclusion.Developed diversity, equity, and inclusion training to enable Admissions Counselors and the student employees to have meaningful conversations with prospective students and their families around sensitive topics and the College’s commitment to serving all students. Presented locally and regionally on various topics relating to recruiting, retention, support, and resource development for students with historically underserved or marginalized identities.

Collaborated with Saint Michael’s College and the University of Vermont to plan the annual fly-in program for school counselors. Handled flight coordination and developed the full-day program at Champlain to provide an in-depth dive into the Institution, its offerings, and resources for students. Established an Admissions Senior Intern position for Access and Success to work on diversity, inclusion, and equity initiatives in the division of Enrollment Management.In collaboration with the City of Burlington, developed an Access Conference to address the needs of students with identities historically excluded, BIPOC students,, refugee students, and first-generation college students.Developed a virtual admissions event to connect and engage with students who have accessibility barriers to visit campus or connect with faculty, staff, and students in the summer: a period vulnerable to enrollment withdrawal. Designed a communication and tracking plan to serve first-generation students and specific scholarship recipients through the Summer months to decrease disengagement and withdrawal from these populations.

Burlington, Vt, Us

Burlington, Vermont, Us

Certificate, Bravely Confronting Racism In Higher Education

Title Ix Coordinator Certificate

Master'S Degree, Human Relations And Organizational Development

Certificate, Positive Organizational Development

B.S. Of Science, Graphic Design