Vice President Juanita Hicks Remarks | May 14, 2025
Welcome from Dr. Juanita Hicks, Vice President for University Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer
Thank you, Ryan, and good morning, everyone.
It’s a true pleasure to be with you today as we mark 20 years of celebrating the incredible work of our F&A and UHR teams.
Whether this is your very first recognition ceremony or your twentieth, I want you to hear this clearly: your service matters. Deeply. And we are so grateful for everything you do.
I’d like to start by recognizing the University Human Resources senior leadership team. Their dedication, vision, and daily efforts are critical to strengthening UGA’s workforce and helping our university thrive.
As I call your name, please stand—and remain standing—so we can show our appreciation:
- Diane Kirkwood, Deputy Director;
- Travis Jackson, Senior Director for Employee Wellbeing,
- Russ Ramsey, Senior Director for HR Administration & Compensation;
- Nakia Wade, Senior Director for Talent Management;
- Traci Strickland, Director of Service Team;
- Leslie Rogers, Director of Learning and Development and
- Tracey O’Malley, Director of Workforce Engagement
Let’s give these leaders a round of applause for their outstanding service.
One of the things I admire most about our F&A and UHR communities is the strong sense of shared purpose. You’re not just doing your job—you’re building something, an organization and experience that is bigger than any one person. That’s powerful.
And just as we come together each year to honor your years of service and exceptional contributions, it’s also a privilege to introduce someone who’s been a steadfast champion of your work.
President Morehead’s presence with us today reminds us that pausing to recognize the achievements and milestones in our organization is more than symbolic—it is what makes us a successful and thriving organization. We’re honored to have him here to help us celebrate this important occasion.
Please join me in giving a very warm welcome to University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead.
Thank you, President Morehead, for your kind words—and for your continued support of our teams. Your leadership makes a difference, and we are sincerely grateful.
As Ryan shared earlier, it’s easy to get swept up in the busyness of day-to-day tasks. But today is a moment to pause. To reflect. And to recognize that you are important, you are valued, and your work is foundational to UGA’s success.
That’s especially true in F&A and UHR. Much of what you do happens behind the scenes. You may not always see the results immediately—but your impact is felt everywhere on this campus.
Let’s take a look at what your work made possible this past year:
- Over 61,000 job applications were submitted through UGAJobs—supporting departments in bringing in top talent.
- Our Learning & Development team led 11,612 in-person workshops, helping employees grow and thrive.
- Through the Professional Education Portal, faculty and staff completed over 152,000 courses—demonstrating an incredible culture of continuous learning.
- And more than 11,400 completed trainings were completed through the Journeys Performance & Staff Competency program—building strong, future-ready teams.
Behind every number is a person who was welcomed, supported, or empowered—because of your work.
And these contributions don’t just serve individual employees—they help power UGA’s momentum as a national leader:
- UGA reached a record $628 million in research and development expenditures—a 10% increase in just one year and a 77% jump over the past decade.
- Graduation rates hit new highs: 76% for four-year and 89% for six-year, with a 96% career outcomes rate—and nearly two-thirds of graduates choosing to stay and work in Georgia.
- UGA continued its top-tier rankings—recognized among the top 20 public universities for the ninth year running, and praised by Forbes, Money, and The Princeton Review as a top value.
- We also celebrated standout student achievements—Fulbrights, Boren, Schwarzman, Truman, and Goldwater Scholars—and the Jere W. Morehead Honors College earning the number one spot in the national rankings.
And this year, UGA became a candidate for accreditation for its new School of Medicine—an initiative projected to generate over $2.3 billion in economic impact by 2040.
From record-breaking fundraising to cutting-edge research and innovation, from bold new facilities to national recognition—UGA is on the rise.
And none of that happens without you.
You are the engine behind it all. The people who keep the university moving forward. The professionals who show up every day with excellence, integrity, and heart.
Today, we honor more than 870 years of collective service among our stage honorees—and over 3,000 years of service from colleagues across UGA who reached a five-year milestone in the last fiscal year.
That’s extraordinary. And I hope you feel the same pride we feel because we couldn’t do this without you.
