MICHELLE THOMISEE
Benton,AR
Summary
Strategic HR leader with extensive experience in total rewards, benefits, wellness, and people analytics within a large academic medical center. Proven ability to design and administer complex benefits and wellbeing programs, integrate employee assistance initiatives, and deliver data-driven solutions that align with institutional mission and financial sustainability. Recognized for building trust across diverse stakeholders, optimizing HR service delivery, and leading high-performing teams through large-scale transformation. Adept at navigating state retirement systems, vendor partnerships, and regulatory compliance to balance employee experience with organizational effectiveness.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Director, Total Rewards
UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
04.2023 - Current
- Lead a 22+ member team covering benefits, wellness, leave administration, compensation, people analytics, and HR Solution Center.
- Provide strategic direction for benefits and wellbeing programs, integrating health, retirement, wellness, and employee assistance resources.
- Serve as trusted advisor to CHRO and senior leadership on workforce strategy, benefits policy, and regulatory compliance.
- Manage vendor relationships, state retirement systems, and multimillion-dollar benefits budgets.
- Oversee development of predictive financial models and dashboards to guide compensation and attrition strategies.
Assistant Director, Total Rewards
UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
02.2022 - 04.2023
- Managed completion of classification & compensation study in under 12 months.
- Oversaw benefits vendor management, open enrollment, and compliance with federal/state laws.
- Directed employee education on benefits and compensation programs.
- Served as project lead for SAP-to-Workday conversion.
Manager of Compensation
UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
10.2018 - 02.2022
- Administered compensation programs for 8,000+ employees.
- Implemented living wage initiatives and developed institutional position management process.
- Partnered with senior leaders to align pay practices with institutional goals.
Senior Compensation Analyst
UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
11.2015 - 10.2018
- Conducted job audits and classification reviews.
- Delivered market analyses across clinical, IT, and executive roles.
- Served as principal trainer for compensation policies.
HR Senior Consultant - Recruitment
UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
01.2015 - 11.2015
- Provided human capital management advisory services to departments within UAMS.
- Managed all aspects of filling temporary positions and assignments for the campus.
Recruiter/HR Generalist
North Metro Medical Center
05.2013 - 06.2014
- Developed or implemented recruiting strategies to meet current or anticipated staffing needs.
- Collaborated with hiring managers to understand position requirements.
- Managed full-cycle recruiting process, from sourcing candidates to extending offers.
Accountant-Fiscal Support Analyst
Arkansas State Military Department
04.2010 - 05.2013
- Researched and implemented best practices to improve audit results.
- Collaborated with external partners to complete audits.
- Managed and trained team members to enhance audit department performance and increase operational efficiency.
- Managed accounts receivable and payable, reconciled bank statements, and prepared financial reports.
Other HR/Accounting support roles
10.2005 - 04.2010
- Administered employee benefits programs, including health insurance and retirement plans, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations.
- Developed and documented HR procedures to refine processes and drive compliance with policies.
Education
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Business Administration and Management
University of Arkansas At Little Rock
Skills
- Strategic Benefits & Wellbeing Design (Health, Retirement, Supplemental)
- Wellness, Engagement & Employee Assistance Program Oversight
- Public-Sector & State Retirement Systems (APERS, ATRS)
- Vendor Management, RFP Leadership & Contract Compliance
- People Analytics & Data-Driven Workforce Planning
- HR Service Delivery & Shared Services Optimization
- Budget Planning, Financial Stewardship & Cost Containment
- Executive Advising & Cross-Institutional Collaboration
- Change Management & Transformation Leadership
Accomplishments
- Designed and launched Paid Parental Leave program for 12,000+ employees.
- Redefined Short-Term Disability coverage, balancing cost savings with employee protection.
- Directed holistic wellness initiatives, including Benefits & Wellness Fairs with 2,500+ employees engaged annually.
- Achieved $600K in annual savings through process improvements in tenure administration.
- Partnered across HR to create People Analytics dashboards that improved executive decision-making on compensation equity, attrition, and leave trends.
- Oversaw implementation of institution-wide Living Wage increases ($14/hr in 2019; $15/hr in 2022).
- Served as project lead for enterprise-wide Workday conversion, overseeing design, testing, and go-live.
- Led two enterprise-wide Classification & Compensation Studies, completed within accelerated timelines.
Professional Highlights
- Guided UAMS through TEAM Transformation and HR process optimization, including PMRR/WPRR reforms.
- Managed multimillion-dollar benefit budgets with a focus on sustainability and cost containment.
- Developed innovative programs to balance employee affordability with institutional cost control, including medical plan subsidy strategies.
- Recognized for diplomatic leadership style that fosters collaboration while driving results.
Certification
CCP - Certified Compensation Professional In-Progress, 4 of 8 courses completed
Timeline
Senior Director, Total Rewards
UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
04.2023 - Current
Assistant Director, Total Rewards
UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
02.2022 - 04.2023
Manager of Compensation
UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
10.2018 - 02.2022
Senior Compensation Analyst
UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
11.2015 - 10.2018
HR Senior Consultant - Recruitment
UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
01.2015 - 11.2015
Recruiter/HR Generalist
North Metro Medical Center
05.2013 - 06.2014
Accountant-Fiscal Support Analyst
Arkansas State Military Department
04.2010 - 05.2013
Other HR/Accounting support roles
10.2005 - 04.2010
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Business Administration and Management
University of Arkansas At Little Rock
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