Alumnus charged with recruiting, developing and retaining talent at BW

Baldwin Wallace University is a people-powered organization, and BW's new chief talent officer (CTO), Jeremy Short '91, is aiming to rev up that engine.

"Great people with talent, heart and commitment have made BW the successful learning community it is today," Short says. "My job as chief talent officer is to take us to the next level."

Serving the talent life cycle

Short returned to his alma mater to take the new executive management, CTO post created by President Bob Helmer following the retirement of BW's HR director. The role is envisioned as providing holistic leadership of the full "talent life-cycle" of faculty and staff.

Short is working to develop systems, processes, training and culture that serve each step in the employee journey at BW, including recruitment, onboarding and deployment, evaluation, development and retention.

"I want the faculty and staff to feel valued, challenged and engaged, which ultimately will bring the best experiences to our students," Short says. "There are dozens of drivers of employee engagement, but knowing that what you do, day to day, is contributing to the mission is key."

"My goal is to help each employee identify how they fit into BW student success," he continues. "Regardless of who you are and what you do here, you should know your contribution is meaningful, appreciated and respected."

Education and career path

Short, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from BW, later earned a Master of Science in organizational leadership from Brenau University in Atlanta.

He's spent much of his career at Sherwin-Williams, where he served in a variety of roles over 17 years, including human resource generalist, HR manager in sales and marketing, HR director of the automotive finishes division, HR director of research and development and, finally, director of diversity and inclusion for more than 30,000 employees in the Americas Group.

Prior to arriving at BW, Short was director of talent management and development for The MetroHealth System.

Brown and gold DNA

Short is a 2020 winner of BW's Alumni Merit Award, the highest honor conferred by the BW Alumni Association, and BW is in his DNA. Short's parents are both BW alumni, and he grew up in Berea visiting campus often.

He is also in his sixth year as an adjunct professor teaching human resource management in the BW School of Business.

In the community

Short has been active in the community as the past president of the Cleveland Advisory Board of the Ohio Diversity Council and was a board member of the Northeast Ohio Military Employers' Consortium.

Currently, he is a member of the Diversity Professionals Group of the Greater Cleveland Partnership's Commission on Economic Inclusion and the chair of the board of the Elimination of Prejudice Foundation, a nonprofit affiliated with Pi Lambda Phi fraternity.

He has also authored the book "Start Right - Real World Advice for Getting the Job You Want."