ROBERT J. LAVIGNA
rlavigna@ohr.wisc.edu
608-890-3888 (O)
608-395-8472 (C)
EDUCATION
 M.S., Personnel/ Human Resources, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations
 B.A., Public Affairs/Accounting, George Washington University
WORK EXPERIENCE
2010-now – Assistant Vice Chancellor for Human Resources, University of Wisconsin
Direct full range of centralized HR activities for a university ranked as one of the world’s top 25 research
institutions. Manage activities of 7 senior executives and 100 staff. Develop and administer systems and
policies for more than 150 academic units and 29,000 employees. Direct university-wide systems for
recruitment, assessment and hiring; classification and compensation; payroll and benefits; training and
development; and employee assistance.
 Leading campus-wide project to strategically redesign entire university HR system.
 Designed and implemented employee engagement survey and follow-up program.
 Implemented comprehensive onboarding program for deans and other senior executives.
 Directed transition to PeopleSoft payroll system for 70,000 employees on 26 campuses ($82M project).
 Teaching as an adjunct professor in the La Follette School of Public Policy.
2006-10 – Vice President for Research, Partnership for Public Service
Designed and directed major HR research that created practical knowledge to help federal agencies
attract, develop and retain talent.
 Reports/Web products include:
 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government
 On Demand Government: Deploying Flexibilities to Ensure Service Continuity
 In the Public We Trust – Renewing the Connection between Government and the Public (in
cooperation with Gallup Consulting)
 Unrealized Vision: Reimagining the Senior Executive Service
 Leaving Talent on the Table: Capitalizing on Student Interns to Recruit Top Performers
 Great Expectations! What Students Want in an Employer and How Agencies Can Deliver It
 A Golden Opportunity: Recruiting Baby Boomers Into Government
 The Weakest Link: How Strengthening Assessment Leads to Better Federal Hiring
 Cyber IN-Security: Strengthening the Federal Cyber Security Workforce
 Developed relationships with research sponsors that included Gallup, Hay Group, Booz Allen Hamilton,
PDRI, Atlantic Philanthropies and Robertson Foundation.
2001-06 – Director, Consulting Services-East, CPS Human Resource Services
Designed and directed consulting projects for public sector organizations in all phases of HR.
 Founded regional office and grew multi-million dollar business delivering HR solutions in
workforce/succession planning, recruiting and hiring, executive search, process re-engineering,
classification and compensation, and employee development.
 Exceeded revenue goals and consistently achieved high client satisfaction ratings.
 Secured and directed $110M/year contract to recruit and assess federal job candidates for TSA jobs at
all U.S. airports and headquarters.
 Built national staff of 450 in three months.
 Put in place automated application and applicant tracking system in 60 days.
 Implemented systems to recruit/assess 100K TSA candidates/year and hire more than 15K.
 Managed 7 private sector subcontractors including Monster and Taleo.
 Consistently received high performance ratings/awards from TSA.
Robert J. Lavigna
1991-2001 – Administrator, Merit Recruitment and Selection, State of Wisconsin
Directed Wisconsin state government recruiting and hiring system. Appointed and re-appointed by the
Governor and unanimously confirmed three times by state Senate. Longest-serving merit system
administrator in state history. Delivered recruiting, assessment and hiring services to 50 state agencies, 26 U.
of Wisconsin campuses, and 150 local governments. Had independent authority to promulgate administrative
rules. Interpreted and enforced Wisconsin Code of Ethics.
 Worked with Governor, legislature, unions and advocacy groups to design and implement hiring
reforms that won innovation awards from organizations such as the Ford Foundation, Urban League,
Society for Human Resource Management, International Public Management Association for HR, and
National Association of State Personnel Executives.
 Improved hiring speed with innovations such as on-the-spot hiring, “critical recruiting program,” and
working with Governor/legislature to repeal “rule of five” that limited choices for hiring managers.
 Implemented metrics to assess hiring timeliness and manager satisfaction with job candidates.
 Decentralized HR authority while creating system to ensure adherence to merit standards.
 Became one of first states to launch online job application system.
 Exceeded minority hiring goals by 100%, and increased hiring of people with disabilities.
 Won federal grant for, and directed, statewide Labor-Management Cooperation Program.
1988-91 – Assistant to Assistant Comptroller General, U.S. General Accounting Office
 Developed Career Resource Center to provide comprehensive career planning services.
 Served on task force that redesigned GAO's management training strategy.
 Designed and administered first-ever employee satisfaction survey.
1987-88 – GAO HR Leadership Development Program, Cornell University
 Competitively selected for Master’s Degree program. GPA 3.95.
 Received Society for Human Resource Management Master's Thesis Award.
1980-87 – HR Director, Washington Regional Office, GAO
 Recruited and hired hundreds of recent college graduates from across the country.
 Managed cooperative education program that resulted in permanent GAO hires.
 Developed affirmative action strategy that was adopted GAO-wide.
 Received Comptroller General EEO Award and five Outstanding Achievement Awards.
1974-80 – Auditor/Senior Evaluator, GAO
 Managed audits/evaluations in agencies such as Defense, FDIC, Commerce, Interior, and EPA.
 Received four performance awards.
AWARDS
Individual
 “Public Official of the Year,” Governing Magazine
 Elected Fellow, National Academy of Public Administration
 “Honorary Life Membership,” International Public Management Association for HR, IPMA-HR
 “Stockberger Achievement Award” for “Lifetime contributions to public sector HR,” IPMA-HR
 ASPA Section on Personnel award for “Outstanding service to public sector HR”
 “Rooney Leadership Award,” National Association of State Personnel Executives
 “Administrator of the Year,” ASPA Wisconsin Capital Chapter
 “Henry Toll Fellowship,” Council of State Governments (first HR executive ever to be selected)
 “Karl K. Wettengel Award” for “Outstanding contributions to personnel management,” IPMA-HR
 “Master's Thesis Award,” Society for Human Resource Management
 “Comptroller General EEO Award,” GAO
 Nine “Outstanding Achievement”/”Special Recognition” awards, GAO
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Robert J. Lavigna
Organizational
 Ford Foundation “Innovations in American Government Award” national finalist and semi-finalist
 “Agency Excellence Award,” IPMA-HR
 “Minority Employer of the Year,” Milwaukee Urban League (twice)
 “Exemplary State and Local Government Award," National Center for Public Productivity
 “Rooney Innovation Award,” National Association of State Personnel Executives
 Council of State Governments “Innovations Award” Regional Finalist
 “Best Practice Leadership Award,” Saratoga Institute
 “Best Practices Award,” Society for Human Resource Management Wisconsin Chapter
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
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Past President, International Public Management Association for HR (IPMA-HR)
Past Chair, American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Section on Personnel
Past President, IPMA-HR Central Region
Past President, ASPA Wisconsin Capital Chapter
National Public Service Awards Screening Committee
Editorial Board, Review of Public Personnel Administration
Publications Advisory Board, Public Personnel Management
Program Committee, IPMA-HR national conference
Founding Chair, IPMA-HR/National Association of State Personnel Executives Benchmarking and Best
Practices Committee
 IPMA-HR Workforce Planning Committee
 Program Committee, American Society for Public Administration national conference
 Certified HR Professional, IPMA-HR
SPEECHES AND PRESENTATIONS
Frequently invited to speak at conferences for organizations that have included the UN, NAPA, IPMA-HR,
ASPA, Governing magazine, National Institutes of Health, Government Finance Officers Association,
National Association of State Personnel Executives, International City/County Management Association,
International Quality and Productivity Center and others. Spoken in Africa, Europe, Asia, South America
and the Caribbean. Conducted training and webinars.
REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS
Books and book chapters
 Engaging Government Employees: Motivate and Inspire Your People to Achieve Superior
Performance (American Management Association), 2013
 “Human Resource Metrics in Government: Measuring the Impacts of HRM” (co-authored with Dr.
Steven Hays. U. of South Carolina), in Public Personnel Administration: Problems and Prospects, 5th
edition (Prentice-Hall), 2009
 “Wisconsin State Government: Reforming Human Resources Management While Retaining Merit
Principles and Cooperative Labor Relations” (co-authored with Peter Fox), in Civil Service Reform in the
States (State University of New York Press), 2006
 “Timely Hiring in Public Sector Organizations,” in Human Resource Recruitment and Best Talent
Retention Toolkit for the Public Sector (United Nations Division for Public Management and Economic
Development), 2005
 “Recruitment and selection of public workers: An international compendium (co-authored with Dr.
Steven Hays, U. of South Carolina),” in Human Resources for Effective Public Administration in a
Globalized World (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs), 2005
 “Reforming Public Sector HRM: Best Practices From the Practitioner’s View,” in Public Personnel
Administration: Problems and Prospects, 4th edition (Prentice Hall), 2003
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Robert J. Lavigna
Articles and other publications
 “Why Government Workers Are Harder to Motivate,” Harvard Business Review online, November
2014
 “Now Is the Time to Improve Federal Employee Engagement,” The Public Manager, 2014
 “Recruiting Against the Private Sector: What Government Can Do To Better to Compete For Talent on
University Campuses,” www.ere.net, 2014
 Bi-monthly column, PA Times. Sample columns: “Why Employee Engagement Efforts Can Fail,” “Free
Pizza and Coke on Friday Afternoon is Not an Employee Engagement Strategy,” “Where Will New
Talent Come From,” “Teach for America: A Model for Attracting and Developing Talent,” "Becoming a
Best Place to Work,” and “Do You Know Who’s Leaving Your Agency – and Why?”
 Commentary on “Pulling the Levers: Transformational Leadership, Public Service Motivation and
Mission Valence,” Public Administration Review, 2012
 “Harnessing the Power of Employee Engagement,” Government Finance Review, 2011-12
 “Transformational Leadership and Public Service Motivation: Driving Individual and Organizational
Performance” (with Dr. Laurie E. Paarlberg, University of North Carolina-Wilmington), Public
Administration Review, 2010
 Column, IPMA-HR News – “From Research to Practice,” 2008-11. Columns included “Unrealized
Vision: Reimagining Senior Leadership in Government” and “Leaving Talent on the Table: Capitalizing
on Student Interns to Recruit Top Performers”
 “Getting On Board: Integrating New Employees,” Government Finance Review, 2009
 “A Golden Opportunity: Recruiting Baby Boomers into Government” and “Tapping Talent on College
Campuses – the Future is Now! “Government Finance Review, 2008
 “Government’s Looming Talent Shortage: Experienced Workers Needed,” IPMA-HR News, 2007
 “Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders,” Government Finance Review, 2006
 “Building the Leadership Pipeline in Local, State and Federal Government,” IQ Report, International
City/County Management Association, 2006
 “Winning the War for Talent,” Government Finance Review, 2005
 “What Can Organizations Do Now To Prepare for the Upcoming Retirement Wave?,” “Performance
Management,” and “Workforce Planning,” Human Capital (Australia), 2005
 “Time to Hire,” Workforce Management, 2005
 “Outsourcing – A Delicate Balance,” IPMA-HR News, 2005
 “Best Practices In Public Sector Human Resources: Wisconsin State Government,” Human Resource
Management, 2002
 “HR Benchmarking,” Personnel View, 1999
 "Recruiting the Best and Brightest," Public Personnel Management, 1996
 "Assessing Managers' Satisfaction with Staffing Services," Personnel Psychology, 1995 (co-authored
with Dr. Herbert G. Heneman, U. of Wisconsin)
 "Recruiting the Best and the Brightest: Reinventing Wisconsin's Hiring System," 1995 (brochure
produced in cooperation with the Ford Foundation)
 "Predicting Job Performance," Public Personnel Management, 1992
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