San Marcos, CA (June 10, 2015) – The Palomar Community College Governing Board approved the appointment of Mike Popielski, SPHR, as the Interim Assistant Superintendent/Vice President Human Resource Services at the Board’s June 9 meeting.  He will be relocating to north San Diego County to begin his employment with the College starting July 20, 2015.

Popielski is joining Palomar from Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis, IN, where he has served for the past six years as the Executive Director, Human Resources.  In that position, he has overseen the employment function for Ivy Tech’s statewide system of 32 campuses, working alongside the Vice President for Human Resources to produce internal and regulatory reports, budget preparation, and the development of human resources policies and procedures.

His 15 years of experience in human resources also includes work in the private sector as a human resources director, manager, generalist, and consultant.  Prior to joining higher education, his private sector employment focused on assisting small and mid-size companies with their human resource needs.  Additionally, he started his career path with the South Bend Tribune working in both prepress operations and quality management.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in Organizational Leadership and Supervision and a master’s degree from University of Scranton in Human Resource Management.  In addition, he is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR and SHRM-SCP).

“Mike’s well-rounded experience in human resources – in the higher education environment as well as in the private sector – makes him a great fit for Palomar,” said Palomar College Superintendent/President Robert P. Deegan. “I know that he will serve the College and community well.”

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