Melinda Adams was recently named UMSL’s chief human resources officer and associate vice chancellor for human resources. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
When Melinda Adams accepted her first job in personnel management – now known as human resources – as a high school student, she wasn’t even sure what personnel management was. But her three-month summer job covering a personnel assistant’s maternity leave turned into a three-year gig, setting the foundation for a career now spanning 30+ years in human resources.
Adams, who went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration and human resources, a master’s degree in strategic leadership and a senior HR professional certification, joined the University of Missouri in 1995 and has since served in multiple human resources leadership roles, including HR director for MU Extension and, most recently, assistant vice president of HR for the UM System.
Earlier this month, Adams was named chief human resources officer and associate vice chancellor for human resources at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. She had been working for UMSL on an interim basis since August and was not intending to stay full-time but quickly fell in love with the environment and the people.
“There’s a different level of excitement that you have when you’re closer to the campus community and to the mission,” Adams said. “I really missed that. I really enjoyed what I was doing with UM System and enjoyed the impact that I could make there with a lot of the programs that we worked on, but I really missed the campus community and working in that kind of capacity.”
As UMSL’s chief HR officer, Adams is the primary HR leader for the UMSL campus, which includes serving as a liaison between the university and UM System. She’ll be developing UMSL’s HR policies, processes and employment programs and leading the HR team that works with supervisors across campus on hiring, onboarding, conflict resolution and employee development.
Adams’ role also includes leading efforts to identify trends in employment, including recruitment and compensation, to inform leaders on areas for improvements. She hopes to work closely with UMSL’s Staff Advisory Council and Faculty Senate to further support a valued and engaged campus community. Above all, she hopes to strengthen UMSL’s HR team enhance the strategic partnerships in support of campus objectives.
“We can’t have anything if we don’t have people,” Adams said. “Our people are our greatest resource. We can’t graduate students without people. We can’t develop research without people. So it’s all about the talent that we’re bringing in and retaining. We have a hand in that, but it’s not just us – all leaders have a hand in it, and all employees have a hand in it because of the culture.”
Adams sees many growth opportunities within UMSL HR, particularly in regard to orientation and training. To that end, her team is in the process of developing a comprehensive 90-day onboarding program that will immerse new employees in UMSL’s culture, values and strategic priorities and set them up for success. It is scheduled to launch by fall 2026. She also seeks to enhance workforce stability by leveraging HR data to identify early-career turnover rates higher than campus or industry averages and track retention rates for early- and mid-career employees to develop strategies for improvements.
Adams also sees opportunities to elevate UMSL employees to work with leaders in a more strategic way and is developing a year-long supervisory training series, which will also launch this fall.
“As CHRO, Melinda’s vision for UMSL Human Resources is to serve as a trusted partner and catalyst for positive change, fostering a high-performing, engaged and valued workforce,” Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations and Chief Financial Officer Tanika Busch said. “She is deeply committed to collaboration, exceptional service and continuous improvement in support of our faculty, staff and institutional mission.”
Adams, who recently relocated to St. Louis for her new role at UMSL, has also gotten involved with SHRM of Greater St. Louis, a local chapter of human resources professionals. She’s excited to get to know colleagues and business owners across the city and potentially develop partnerships for recruitment. From recruiting and hiring to employee relations and retirement, she sees nearly endless opportunities for UMSL HR to empower its employees and support the university’s mission as a leader in academic and community excellence.
“In HR, we advise employees about career development and where they see themselves going, and you think about titles and salary and job duties, but there’s so much more than that,” Adams said. “There’s feeling fulfilled and knowing that the work that you’re doing truly matters and that you’re able to make an impact and help other people. For me, that’s what fills me up. Being able to work with all of our HR team, our executive leaders and the staff council, it just feels natural. It feels like home.”
