Andrea Nelson, who has served as director of the organization development team in human resources since 2021, has been promoted to assistant vice chancellor for human resources and organizational strategy. In this new leadership role, Nelson will help shape and oversee HR initiatives that support WashU Medicine’s mission, operations and people strategy.
The newly created position, which began Sept. 1, expands Nelson’s responsibilities to include collaboration with faculty affairs, clinical operations, organization design, workforce planning and BJC Healthcare. She will also serve as a liaison between Human Resources, WashU Medicine leadership and executive faculty.
In addition, Nelson aims to work closely with HR’s centers of expertise and business partners to support the medical school’s evolving needs.
“I am thrilled Andrea is joining the senior HR leadership team and could not be more confident in her ability to lead in this expanded role,” said Apryle Gladney, vice chancellor and chief human resources officer. “She brings a deep breadth of experience and a rich understanding of our community. Her strong institutional knowledge, paired with her proven track record in organizational and leadership development, will be invaluable as we continue to advance our strategic priorities and elevate support across WashU Medicine.”
In her previous role, Nelson supported WashU Medicine leadership in a variety of ways, including change management support, succession and retention planning, and coaching for executive faculty and staff leaders. Her work over the past five years has helped to strengthen leadership capability and organizational resilience during a period of significant institutional change.
“Andrea has been instrumental in shaping our department’s culture and leadership,” said Opeolu Adeoye, MD, head of the Department of Emergency Medicine and the BJC HealthCare Distinguished Professor of Emergency Medicine. “By earning the trust of our faculty and staff, she helped lay the foundation for meaningful change. Together, we built a strong leadership pipeline, improved our leadership team’s effectiveness and introduced a 360-feedback process to support leader development. She also guided our community clinical expansion with skill and care.”
Nelson’s key priorities in this role include culture initiatives, engagement programs, workforce planning, career planning and leadership development. Faculty and staff can expect her to be a visible partner in leadership conversations about career growth, culture and workforce planning.
“I plan to spend a lot of time upfront listening and understanding what is most needed to enable the mission,” Nelson said. “I am excited to build trusted partnerships to help shape our culture where people feel genuine support in their careers. Once I learn more, I can align the initiatives to create meaningful, people-focused priorities that drive our mission forward.”
For more information about Nelson’s role, visit the HR website.