About Us

LaTonda Williams
Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources/CHRO
lwwilliams@ualr.edu

LaTonda is the Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources.  LaTonda is responsible for overseeing a broad range of activities, including employee benefits, recruitment, employee relations, policy interpretation, training and development, Title IX, and the department’s overall operations. LaTonda provides guidance regarding disciplinary procedures, oversees the departmental budget, and ensures compliance with state and federal employment laws.

Cynthia Evans
Operations and Finance Manager/Leave Administrator
cgevans@ualr.edu

Cynthia is responsible for the accounting duties of the Department of Human Resources. Cynthia is responsible for processing requests for FMLA, Catastrophic Leave, Medical Leave Without Pay, and Workers’ Compensation.

Debra Simpson-Webster
Associate Director Benefits/Leave Administration
dasimpson@ualr.edu

Debra is responsible for the day-to-day administration of employee benefits. Debra administers employee benefits programs, such as medical, dental, and vision plans; life insurance plans, 403(b) and 457(b) retirement plans; and defined benefit retirement plans; long-term disability, flexible spending programs, and voluntary products.  Debra also handles retiree benefits and processes death insurance claims.  Debra responds to benefit inquiries and complaints to ensure quick and courteous resolutions.

Kirtida Monpara
HR Specialist – Benefits
kmonpara@ualr.edu

Kirtida is responsible for the accounting duties of benefits. This includes payments for retirement plans, flexible spending, voluntary products, and UA System benefit payments. Allen processes COBRA for new and terminating employees, reconciles monthly enrollment for health, dental, and vision insurance, and assists the Associate Director of Benefits as needed with the completion of required reports.

Vacant
HR Administrative Assistant

The HR Administrative Assistant assists with administrative functions in the HR office and provides customer service support to visitors, students, and employees. They are also responsible for processing tuition discount requests.

Karen Baker
Associate Director – Employee Relations/Training and Development/ADA Coordinator/Deputy Title IX Coordinator/EEO Officer/ADA and Senior Deputy Title IX Coordinator
knbaker@ualr.edu

Karen supports UA Little Rock employees by providing guidance on the grievance and complaint process and facilitating and mediating conflict resolutions. Karen is responsible for requests for accommodations under the ADA and ensures business practices comply with state and federal employment laws.

Andrea Davis
HR Specialist – Employee Relations and Training and Development
aldavis9@ualr.edu

Andrea is responsible for university-wide employee training, including supervisory and management training, leadership coaching, and development.

Each Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) is assigned to work directly with departments and colleges to address their individual HR needs.

Valarie Abrams
vaabrams@ualr.edu
HRBP for College of Business, Health, and Human Services

Candi Barnum
cdbarnum@ualr.edu
Senior HRBP for:

• Vice Chancellor – Advancement
• Vice Chancellor – Athletics
• Vice Chancellor – Finance and Administration
• Vice Chancellor – Student Affairs
• Vice Chancellor – University Affairs

Vacant
HRBP for:

• College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
• Graduate School
• Provost Office
• School of Law

Connie Thorbs
cthorbs@ualr.edu
HRBP for College of Humanities, Arts, Social Science, and Education

Sivakamy Chandrahasan
schandrahasa@ualr.edu
Programmer Analyst

The HR Programmer Analyst supports the efforts of the Department of Human Resources by facilitating the collection, analysis, and interpretation of institutional data. They are responsible for troubleshooting and problem-solving to resolve hardware and software problems and maintain the HR website.

Michele Curd
Director of HCM and HR Business Partner
rmcurd@ualr@edu

Michele is the Director of HCM and HR Business Partner.  She is responsible for a broad range of activities including, but not limited to, managing HR Business Partners and other assigned personnel, oversight of all staffing business processes including recruitment and compensation Workday tasks, employee records, legislative reports, performance evaluations, and acting as HCM Lead for Workday.

Stephanie Ferguson
HR Personnel Specialist
sdandersonf@ualr.edu

As the HR Personnel Specialist, Stephanie is responsible for delivering exceptional customer service to campus constituents through the management of a variety of employment-related business processes. These critical business processes include, but are not limited to, immigration compliance, new employee orientation, payroll actions, performance evaluations, employment verifications, employee reports, training sessions, unemployment claims/hearings, position management, record retention, onboarding, and offboarding.

Allen Houston
HR Solutions Center Analyst

The HR Solutions Center Analyst serves as the leading customer service contact person for the Department of Human Resources. This position provides comprehensive customer service to the campus community by researching and responding to human resources-related questions and appropriate resolutions to HR issues in a timely manner and makes necessary referrals.

Emily Bell
Director of Title IX
edbell@ualr.edu

Emily is the designated university official with primary responsibility for coordinating the university’s compliance with Title IX. This includes providing leadership for Title IX activities; providing consultation, education, and training; and helping to ensure the university responds appropriately, effectively, and equitably to Title IX issues.