Burlington, MA, Town HR Gets a Restructure

Burlington’s Human Resources Department has a new structure after Town Meeting approved a new role in May, splitting one combined school-town position into two distinct roles.

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Joanne Faust, Burlington’s second-ever Human Resources Director, joined the town 18 years ago in a position that was mostly focused on town-related HR activities with some school responsibilities sprinkled in.

Over the years, though, as staffing at the school district changed, more has shifted onto her plate. For example, she said, “I’m the Title Nine coordinator, I've taken on all of the background checking, the CORIs for all of our staff and volunteers, the fingerprinting for all of our staff.”

Burlington has around 400 employees on the town side and 800 in the schools, and Faust said the single role, funded 60% by the town and 40% by the School Department, became more work than a single person could handle. The new structure went into effect in July, and Faust moved to focus on the schools full time.

Things were operating smoothly on the town side, said Faust, and “I have more opportunities to learn and grow” on the school side. Additionally, after nearly two decades with the town, she was eager to have a fresh perspective on the processes she’d developed.

Enter Reggie Nichols, Burlington’s new full-time Human Resources Director. A native of the Roslindale neighborhood of Boston, Nichols comes to Burlington from the world of higher education, having worked in both student support and human resources at Middlesex Community College and as the Executive Director of Human Resources at Roxbury Community College.

A shift to a municipal setting seemed like the logical choice for Nichols, he said, after becoming more involved in the inner workings of his own town of Reading, where he’s lived with his family for 22 years.

“This place has been so welcoming, so embracing,” said Nichols, “and it reminds me very much of the town I live in.” He’s excited for the opportunity to offer his perspective to help refine the solid foundation he says Faust has laid in her time with the town.

Both Faust and Nichols value strong recruitment practices; these will play a central role especially for school-based positions in the next several years.

Superintendent Dr. Eric Conti has shared predictions of shrinking staffing pools – something Faust says the district has been proactive about addressing, attending career fairs and sharing what is so special about Burlington as a community and BPS as a workplace.

The new HR team say they are open and committed to learning from one another and collaborating to serve the people who ensure our community runs smoothly.