
Warren Petty
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Department/Office
- Howard University Cabinet
Biography
Warren Petty, Ed.D. serves as vice president and chief human resources officer at Howard University, a position he has held since April 2022. A Howard alumnus, Petty earned his Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University’s School of Communications in 1986. He furthered his education with a master’s degree in communications from Wheaton College and completed his doctorate in organizational change and leadership at the University of Southern California in 2023.
With over 25 years of executive management experience across various industries, Petty is a nationally recognized expert in human resources process transformation and aligning HR strategies with organizational goals. Before rejoining Howard University, he was vice president of human resources at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ, where he led initiatives in employee onboarding, talent management, and the implementation of the Workday ERP system, contributing to increased employee retention and satisfaction.
Petty's extensive experience includes senior roles at HeartShare Human Services and The Children’s Aid Society in New York City, where he focused on workforce management and support within metropolitan-based organizations. His career is marked by a commitment to enhancing service excellence and strengthening leadership development pipelines.
In his current role at Howard University, Petty is responsible for implementing and executing Workday to better support employees and fostering relationships with managers and teams to enhance the university's leadership development. His dedication to human resources excellence and his deep connection to Howard University underscore his commitment to advancing the institution's mission as a global model of excellence.