Buncombe County is preparing for a transition in its Human Resources department as HR Director Sharon Burke leaves the County. To help maintain the vital operations conducted by our HR department, County Manager Avril Pinder is tapping Karen Marshall as interim director. Karen brings more than 30 years of HR leadership experience from numerous cities. She also has extensive knowledge in talent acquisition, employee relations, professional development, and more. County Manager Avril Pinder says Karen’s significant time spent serving as an HR director was especially appealing when looking to select an interim director. “I’m very confident in her ability oversee daily operations, provide guidance and management to staff, and maintain effective operations during the transition,” says Avril. “It will also be beneficial to our organization to have someone who has spent considerable time serving as a mentor to other HR professionals in our industry.”
Buncombe County is in the midst of a thorough search for its next HR Director and hopes to have someone in the position by October. You can view the job listing for the Buncombe County HR Director here.
Karen Marshall’s professional biography
Karen Marshall, IPMA-SCP, has led HR departments for more than 30 years providing leadership for organizations with upward of 8,000 employees. Her experience includes leading HR departments for the following cities: Everett, WA, Wichita, KS, Fort Worth, TX, and Rockville, MD. She has been responsible for the following areas: Talent Acquisition, HRIS, DEIB, Labor/Employee Relations, Risk Management, Training & Development, Benefits, Wellness, and Compensation & Classification. Karen led her organizations in employee engagement initiatives and has fostered work environments recognized for their accountability, responsiveness, and ability to structure HR performance metrics that support her organizations’ vision and mission.
Karen relishes the opportunity to serve as a change agent and looks forward to bringing her experience and energy to Buncombe County on an interim basis.