Patricia Burke joined Union Institute & University in 2010 as HR Generalist. With over 16 years of experience in higher education human resources, Patty quickly moved up the ladder to Assistant Director-HR, Compliance and Operations Director, Chief Human Resources Officer, and finally to VP, Human Resources. Prior to joining Union, Patty worked as a Benefits Analyst/Employee Relations Specialist at Northern Kentucky University, where she also served as an adjunct instructor. Before Northern Kentucky University, she was an HR specialist at The Cincinnati Enquirer and served as a Mediation Officer for the KY Administrative Office of the Courts.

Patty has a Juris Doctorate from the University of Kentucky College of Law and a BA from Northern Kentucky University.  After earning her JD, Patty focused on Human Resources and employment law because of a desire to be involved in all aspects of a workplace and to support the people whose talents and commitment are essential to the success of an organization. She is passionate about helping people, business operations, and communities thrive.   In all her roles, Patty has been especially committed to health and wellness, diversity and inclusion, and employee engagement and benefit initiatives.  In addition to her JD degree, Patty has senior status-SPHR and SCP-HR professional certifications and belongs to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR).

Patty’s notable accomplishments at Union include;

• successfully negotiated and maintained cost containment for Union benefits with minimal cost increases while adding plan options and enhancements for the benefit of employees;
• initiated and oversaw  the addition of the first-ever mental health counseling service (Employment Assistance Plan) for all employees, as well as the addition of voluntary life insurance options for employees’ spouses and dependents;
• assumed responsibility for the first Title IX office at Union, which included the development of Union’s Sexual Misconduct Policy; implemented university-wide training on sexual harassment prevention;
• successfully negotiated and oversaw the implementation of a new Payroll/HRIS system, which incorporated new efficiencies and protocols system-wide;
• initiated and oversaw updates to employee policies, which included implementation of a flexible work policy (even prior to the pandemic);
• initiated and implemented training development courses for faculty and staff, including training on Data Security, FERPA, Title IX and Managers training.

Helping to guide Union faculty and staff through an unprecedented worldwide pandemic has been one of the biggest challenges she has faced in her career. The challenges continue as workplaces face transformational, fundamental change.

Patty is involved in community activities, volunteering her time and efforts organizing and coaching youth softball, soccer and volleyball teams and leagues. She also serves as a tutor for Cincinnati public schools and is a volunteer member of the Kenny and Brian Williams Foundation in Greater Cincinnati.  Patty is a proud mom of one son, who resides with his wife in Maryland.