Bassam M. Deeb, Ph.D., president of Trocaire College in Buffalo, has received the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) 2019 Chief Executive HR Champion Award.

Recognizing that what makes an institution great are its people, this national award honors a president or chancellor of a higher education institution or system who has demonstrated significant support for the institution's human resources function. Thanks to the generous support of Sibson Consulting, CUPA-HR is pleased to offer an $8,000 contribution to Trocaire College's endowment or scholarship fund.

Since his appointment as president of Trocaire College in 2012, Deeb has provided forward-thinking vision and support to the college's HR organization. The creation and support of a chief HR officer position that serves on the president's council and reports to the president and the board of trustees highlights his understanding of the importance of human resource leadership in sustaining a competitive organization. Deeb also created a new Compensation Committee of the board of trustees, which aims to ensure compensation practices and philosophy are in alignment with the institution's strategic plan.

Early in his tenure, Deeb directed a review and revision of the evaluation processes for all employees, creating alignment between evaluation and goal setting, strategic objectives, budgeting and professional development. This effort led to the creation of the Mary Clare Development Center for faculty development and the strengthening of the Staff Advisory Committee to drive the staff's development needs. Deeb allocates 10 percent of the total rewards budget toward professional development for members of faculty, staff and administration, and he supports the concept of an "organization of continuous learning."

Under Deeb's leadership, Trocaire College was awarded the "Great Colleges to Work For" designation in 2018 by the Chronicle of Higher Education, specifically recognizing the professional and career development programs, supervisor/department chair relationships, and work-life balance.

"Dr. Deeb is always willing to try new approaches, take risks, employ nontraditional solutions, and urge unrestraint in the face of the status quo," says Jan Peters, chief HR officer at Trocaire College. "He has brought in executives from industries outside of higher education, inspired leadership to engage candidly in healthy conflict, set up systems for teams to chase innovation, and embedded diversity and inclusion into our philosophies and operations."