Provided

Mary George Opperman, center, and her children, Emily and Will, in the ballroom of the Yale Club in New York City.

Mary George Opperman, vice president and chief human resource officer at Cornell University, has been elected a fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources (NAHR), the highest honor an individual in the human resources profession can receive. She was one of seven fellows inducted at the 2015 NAHR annual meeting Nov. 5 at the Yale Club of New York City.

Each year the NAHR elects as its fellows human resource professionals who are recognized by their peers for their sustained achievements in and contributions to their organizations, the human resource profession and society at large. The academy selects its fellows based on their leadership in the field of human resources and their roles in shaping human resource management thinking and policy. Since 1992 164 fellows have been elected, among them ILR School professors Lee Dyer, Kevin Hallock, David Lipsky and George Milkovich.

“Mary has worked tirelessly on behalf of Cornell and its employees, focusing on attracting and engaging employees who energize the university and advocating for policies and initiatives that are socially, economically and environmentally responsive to the challenges faced by the university,” said President Elizabeth Garrett. “I am pleased that – through this distinguished fellowship – the National Academy of Human Resources has recognized Mary for her outstanding leadership and perceptive guidance at Cornell, in Ithaca and in the human resource profession.”

Opperman’s leadership roles since joining Cornell in 1996 have included oversight of the Division of Human Resources, the Office of Inclusion and Workforce Diversity, and the Center for Regional Economic Advancement. In other roles, Opperman oversaw Environmental Health and Safety, Cornell University Police Department and Emergency Management.

Cornell has received numerous workplace awards under Opperman’s leadership. These include being named AARP’s top U.S. employer for workers 50 and older two years in a row – making Cornell the first employer to receive top billing more than once. Cornell has also been listed as a best employer for working mothers, prospective and adoptive parents, IT professionals, veterans and women executives. In March 2015, Opperman was selected by the editors of Human Resource Executive magazine as one of the 15 most influential women leaders in human resources.

She is active on local boards including those of Tompkins County Area Development, the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council, Planned Parenthood of the Southern Finger Lakes, Foodnet, Kendal at Ithaca, the Paleontological Research Institution and the Legacy Foundation of Tompkins County. She also serves on the TIAA-CREF Advisory Council and is a member of the governing body of the New York HR Leadership Summit. She previously served on the boards of Challenge Industries, the Tompkins Cortland Community College Foundation, the Community Dispute Resolution Center, the Workforce Investment Board, the Women’s Opportunity Center and the United Way of Tompkins County.