Deb has over 30 years of HR experience, including diverse leadership roles in human resources development, organization development, human resources operations, training and development, and talent management.

  

She is currently the SVP, Chief HR Officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), where she has responsibility for all HR Strategy and Services to include: Talent Acquisition and Development, HR Consulting, Workforce Planning and Development, Diversity/Inclusion, Total Rewards, Benefits, Compensation, HR systems and HR Compliance. She is a member of the Executive Management Group at DFCI, as well as staff to the Compensation Committee of the Board.

  

Prior to DFCI she had been the Associate Dean and Chief HR Officer at Harvard Medical School responsible for the development of an HR department that supports all constituents at the Medical School. Responsibilities of the Office of Human Resources included staffing, compensation, legal and regulatory compliance, management consulting, employee and labor relations, training, career development, organizational development, payroll, faculty appointment process, and HR Reporting. As CHRO she was a member of the Harvard Medical School Leadership Team.

  

Before Harvard Medical School Deb was Vice President of Human Resources at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. Deb joined Harvard Pilgrim in 1988 and progressed through multiple roles in HR. She was appointed Vice President of Human Resources in 1999 to lead HR during the turnaround of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. Her leadership was instrumental during the turnaround of the organization from receivership to profitability. In this leadership role, and as a member of the executive team, she facilitated organizational change while ensuring the highest level of HR service and staff engagement. She has also led efforts in the implementation of consumer directed benefit offerings, and driving choice around a variety of benefit options. Deb's professional experience has crossed varying industries and organizations in health care, retail, academia and social services. Harvard Pilgrim was awarded the #1 Best Places to Work (Boston Business Journal) in Boston during her tenure.

Most recently, Deb was appointed by the Honorable Charlie Baker, Governor of Massachusetts, to serve as co-chair on his administration's Human Resources transition team.  In addition, Deb was chosen by Governor Baker to serve on his Task Force to help assess the systemic challenges facing the chronically unemployed in Massachusetts. This task force consists of administrators from the commonwealth of Massachusetts and leaders in business, the community and in education. 

  

Deb is currently a member of The Human Resources Leadership Forum, The Health Care Leadership Forum, the New England Human Resources Association, and The DJ Dream Fund, where she also serves on the organization's board of directors.  Additionally, Deb was former Director of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for the Massachusetts South Shore Chamber of Commerce, and Employers against Domestic Violence.  In 2014, Deb was presented with the John D. Erdlen Five Star Award by the Northeast Human Resources Association for consistently demonstrating excellence in Human Resources through both her leadership efforts and throughout her career.

  

Deb holds a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology / Organizational Management from Antioch University and a Bachelors Degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.