Phyllis Walker is a strategic human resources and data analytics leader with more than 20 years of progressive experience advancing human capital initiatives, optimizing HR operations, and aligning workforce strategies with institutional goals. Throughout her career in higher education and human capital management, she has successfully led initiatives in compensation and classification, benefits administration, talent acquisition, HRIS implementation and management, retirement plan administration, payroll operations, and workforce analytics, driving organizational effectiveness and operational excellence.
Currently serving as associate director of Data Analytics and Operations at Spelman College, Walker provides strategic leadership for faculty data governance, compensation analytics, and institutional reporting. She serves as the college's faculty data strategist, ensuring integrity, security, accessibility, and effective use of faculty data to support academic planning, institutional effectiveness, accreditation, and executive decision-making. She also leads process improvement initiatives, data standardization efforts, automation projects, and cross-functional collaborations that strengthen operational efficiency and promote data-informed decision-making across the institution.
Prior to her current role, Walker served as manager of classification and compensation at Spelman College, where she administered staff compensation and classification programs, conducted comprehensive job evaluations, administered retirement plan operations, and managed position control. Her extensive professional experience also includes leadership positions at Morehouse College, ADP, and Clark Atlanta University, where she oversaw employee benefits, HRIS administration, payroll operations, compliance, talent acquisition, employee relations, organizational development, and strategic human resources initiatives.
Walker holds a Bachelor of Arts in human resources management and maintains professional certifications as a Certified Healthcare Reform Specialist (CHRS) and a PeopleAdmin Certified Administrator. She is recognized for her ability to bridge human resources strategy with data analytics, leveraging technology and evidence-based insights to improve business processes, strengthen organizational performance, and support institutional success.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Walker enjoys traveling, exploring new experiences, and spending quality time with her family.