RICHARD B. RUSSELL, SPHR
Greeneville, TN 37743
Phone: 423/638-1502 or 423/327-1070
abia44@r.postjobfree.com
Summary: A certified Human Resource professional with an advanced degree
that has proven management and leadership experience in
strategic / operational planning and alignment, union avoidance,
flexible staffing, outsourcing and management of third party
relationships, self-directed work teams, recruiting, talent
management, training needs assessment / design / delivery, and
creating a climate that embraces change and continuous
improvement. In addition, has strong experience in state and
federal regulations, variable compensation, benefits, benefits
design, safety, ergonomics, and security.
Experience: Line Power Manufacturing/Line Power Rebuild (Electro-
Mechanical Corp) (09/09-10/10)
Manufacturers of power centers for underground
mining, portable transformers- switchgear for utilities
commercial and industrial applications including
both wind and solar energy---Bristol, VA
Human Resources Manager
Responsibilities: Full range of HR
responsibilities for two manufacturing plants similar to those duties in
previous job with the exception of shared
responsibilities for safety and no environmental programming.
Significant activities follow:
. Succession Planning: Trained and lead management team
through process that assessed office staff upward
mobility, cross functional movement, developmental needs,
appropriateness of pay and overall bench strength. Program
identified weakness and allowed for improved planning.
. Employee Job Talks: Doubled the frequency of meetings to
monthly that included safety training on same frequency.
Initiated Job Talks for office employees as new program-
improved morale.
. Safety Metrics: Reduced lost time to zero and recordable
incidents by over 60% through safety training, more focus
on injury investigation and return to work program---
significant cost reduction.
. Turnover Analysis: Lead/facilitated corporate-wide HR
group through problem solving activities that included data
analysis, research, brainstorming, and a proposal that
was adopted for 2011.
. Employment: Improved hiring and selection decisions through
HR engagement in all hiring and selection activities on a
team basis with functional areas--introduced use of
internet, job boards and assessments as recruiting tools
---improved effectiveness of orientation as part of on-
boarding process.
. Nonexempt Office Personnel: Proposed that this group of
office personnel be paid and benefited like salaried
employees to allow more effective recruiting, retention,
and employee satisfaction---program implementation planned
for 2011.
Donaldson Company, Inc.
(7/07-8/09)
Manufacturers of filtration equipment for heavy
truck, off highway equipment and compressor
markets ---Greeneville, TN
Human Resources Manager
Responsibilities: Planned and carried out
policies, and procedures relating to all phases of human
resources activities working in partnership
with the staff level plant management and supervisor
team. Activities included
recruiting/hiring/and orienting new employees, wage and benefit
administration and surveys, EEO/AAP, training
and development, succession and replacement
planning, employee counseling, safety and
environmental compliance, communications
programming, worker's compensation and
maintaining union free status. Key activities follow:
. HR Audit: Audit provided a framework of analysis on
compliance issues and assisted in identifying employment
practices that were missing or not legally defensible---
provided method to identify needs, assess priorities and
close gaps.
. Handbook Development: Developed and updated the employee
handbook which required writing several policies and
procedures as first time documentation---allowed for more
consistent administration, clearer understanding and
avoidance of legal issues.
RICHARD B. RUSSELL
Page 2
EXPERIENCE continued
. Orientation: Developed and implemented a new employee
orientation program which included a corporate overview,
company strategy, benefits education, policies and
procedures, safety programming and initial paperwork. This
program lead to better employee understanding and job
satisfaction.
. Safety Training: Designed, developed and delivered safety
training including fork truck training, lock-out/tag-out,
hazardous communications, welding safety, safety and
worker's compensation, hearing conservation and personal
protective equipment (PPE). Moved organization toward
legal compliance.
. Compressed Workweek: Responsible for implementation of a 4
X 10 work week which resulted in greater employee
satisfaction and a cost savings of $75,000.
. Union Free Strategy: Facilitated several union free
training sessions geared at preventive labor and the
potential passage of the Employee Free Choice Act---also
conducted an employee relations scan to identify tactical
gaps in overall strategy. Benefits derived were greater
employee satisfaction and removal of the need for third
party intervention.
. Cost Reduction: Conducted job analysis, grading, and
appropriate re-classification of employees that resulted in
$50,000 cost savings; implemented a vacation buy program
that saved approximately $25,000; through appropriate case
management cut worker's compensation recordable and lost
times by 50% which resulted in $62,000 cost savings.
Reduced turnover by 7.5% to save $143,500.
Tuck Management Group, Inc.
(5/05 - 07/07)
Human Resources & Industrial Relations consulting
firm---Kingsport, TN
Human Resources Consultant
Responsibilities: Provide clients with a full
line of HR generalist services that included legal
compliance, compensation, benefits, HR audits,
advertising, staffing, recruiting, retention, employee
assessments, reference checking, criminal
background checks, occupational medicine, training,
employee orientation, employee handbooks, risk
management and loss prevention. Also assisted employers with
all types of problem solving related to employment
and employee issues. Examples follow:
. Staffing & Training: Lead and trained a team of people in
total employment process that allowed client to successfully
staff a 200 person start-up organization. Directly involved
with initial hires. Developed and delivered first line
supervisor training for clients.
. HR Management: Provided complete HR Director services
including recruiting for five operating locations of a major
company over a 12 week period while company hired a
replacement.
. Communications: Administered an employee opinion survey and
conducted employee feedback sessions during a union
organizing campaign that resulted in the union withdrawing
its petition for election.
. Selection & Hiring Process: Established a drug screening
program, a pre-employment physical program and successfully
provided staffing services for an engineering design and
build firm.
Deere & Co. ---Corporate Office for John Deere
(4/04 - 4/05)
Manufacturers of agricultural, construction,
forestry, and lawn and garden products---Moline, Il
Project Manager, Business Continuity Planning (Human Resources
Dept)
Responsibilities: Serve in a Human Resources leadership capacity
for Business Continuity Planning (BCP). BCP is the process of
developing advance arrangements and procedures that enable an
organization to respond to a crisis event.
. Leadership: Leading 26 Corporate HR departments through
planned formal BCP Process which provided plans and
strategies for each department.
. Business / Financial Analysis: Conducted business impact
analysis for crisis management that included both financial
and operational impact. Analysis determined dollars and / or
processes at risk and possible outcomes.
. Strategy Development: Established recovery point and
recovery time objectives, identified internal and external
interdependencies, and have developed multiple action
strategies based on gap analysis which will result in
critical processes being restored and revenue / asset streams
being protected.
RICHARD B. RUSSELL
Page 3
EXPERIENCE continued
Business Unit Team Leader, Support Services (Human Resources)
(9/96 - 4/04)
John Deere Power Products, Greeneville, TN---Manufacturers of
lawn and garden equipment
Responsibilities: Managed up to 25 employees
with responsibility for human resources, payroll,
systems, safety, ergonomics and security with
additional responsibility for maintenance and facilities
engineering. Highlights follow:
. Hiring/Staffing: Developed staffing strategy allowing a build-to-
demand strategy implementation; significantly reduced average
inventory, increased inventory turns and exceeded profitability
expectations.
. Workforce Flexibility: Outsourced seasonal production and
maintenance employment to third-party contingency group,
adding 550 additional staff with a 12% savings ($1.2M
annually). Negotiated contract with a counter-seasonal local
employer that brought contract work in during off-season to
provide 75 jobs per year over a three-year period, enhancing
employee job security, retention and welfare.
. Benefits Design and Administration: Designed / administered
a comprehensive, yet cost-effective market-competitive
benefits program that successfully met recruitment and
retention objectives, while saving $2M annually.
. Union Avoidance: Designed and implemented a successful union-
free avoidance strategy / plan
that included employee education on company and union
history as well as legal ramifications;
additionally engaged world-class leadership education /
seminars.
. Continuous Improvement: Championed successful job rotation
program as a team effort to reduce exposure
time and improve safety, ergonomics, quality and floor
coverage---Initiated attendance programming and
attendance awards that ultimately reduced absenteeism
to 3.5% for an annual cost savings of $250,000---
Promoted / improved ergonomics processes with training
and on-floor applications to develop action plans
implement fixes, serving as division-wide model-
improved employee well being and retention.
. Training and Development: Trained exempt employees on new
corporate-initiated performance
management system, integrating stretch goals,
development goals and core competencies to
promote accountability and continuous improvement---
Introduced 80-hour orientation and training program
that allowed new employees to become productive in
shorter period.
Manager, Human Resources (John Deere)
(3/88 -
09/96)
Managed HR start-up of Greeneville Plant which was first new
factory in 25+ years for John Deere; pioneered drug testing,
premium sharing, comprehensive co-pay health plan, pre-
employment training, floor level teams, all salaried workforce
and pre-employment testing -all first for John Deere.
TRW ---Rogersville, Tennessee
(3/77 - 3/88)
Manufacturer of power rack and pinion steering
for passenger car / light truck markets
Supervisor, Human Resources
Responsibilities / HR Initiatives: Directed all HR staff,
functions and programs to align human capital with business
initiatives, designing / implementing / managing:
1. union free programming . compliance management
2. college recruiting . flexible benefits plans
3. retirement benefits plan . substance abuse program
4. comprehensive co-pay health plan . plant newsletter
5. Post Retirement Benefits: Developed and implemented cost-
effective retiree benefits that utilized third-party
administered comprehensive co-pay plan contributing to
company's competitive edge in recruiting with high job
satisfaction / retention.
6. Flexible Benefits: Introduced and administered first
flexible benefits plans, encompassing four health plans, four
dental plans and five levels of optional life insurance, as
well as flexible spending accounts for health services
(Section 125) and child care services. Changes better met
employee needs and served as excellent recruiting tool.
Education: East Tennessee State University East Tennessee
State University
Master of Business Administration Bachelor of
Science, Business Management
December, 1987 March 1976
GPA: 3.83 GPA: 3.33