Meet the HR Team

Welcome to the Human Resources Department. I’m glad to introduce you to our department and the services we provide.

Our department manages critical employee-related functions, including recruitment and talent acquisition, benefits and compensation, retirement planning, payroll processing, personnel records, HRIS, performance appraisal management, student employment, diversity initiatives, employee development and training, wellness programming, and employee and labor relations.

The HR team takes great pride in our work, and we’re committed to supporting the success of our employees and the success of the College as a whole. I encourage you to explore the tools and information we offer on this page and our Employee Hub site (SSO login required). Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to help and look forward to working with you and being available to answer any questions you may have.

Warm regards,

Joe Vitale
Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
Oberlin College

About Joe

Joe Vitale is Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Oberlin College and a member of the President’s executive leadership team. Since he was appointed Chief Human Resources Officer in 2015, he has led the Department of Human Resources in its mission to attract, retain, and develop a talented and diverse workforce in support of the College’s strategic goals and institutional mission.

Joe oversees all core HR functions, including benefits and compensation, labor and employee relations, talent acquisition, retirement planning, payroll, student employment, DEI initiatives for faculty and staff, wellness , and organizational development. Under his leadership, the HR team supports a dynamic campus community through responsive service, policy development, and innovative programming. He also helped create the College’s first leadership program, the Signature Leadership Development Program.

Joe brings more than two decades of experience in human resources and organizational leadership. He previously served as Vice President for Human Resources at Kent State University and as a managing partner at an executive search firm. Early in his career, he was Deputy Finance Director for U.S. Senator John Glenn.

His work has earned regional and national recognition:

• Finalist, Crain’s Cleveland Business “HR Executive of the Year” (2013)
• OnCon ICON Top 100 Human Resources Professional (2022 and 2023)
• OnCon ICON Top 50 Human Resources Professional (2026)

Joe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Behavioral Sciences from The Ohio State University and a Master of Public Administration. He is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and a Certified Diversity Recruiter (CDR).

Joe is also an engaged community leader. He has served on several nonprofit boards in Northeast Ohio, including the Spanish-American Committee, the Oberlin Business Partnership, and the Ohio Travel Soccer League. Nationally, he served on the advisory board of the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC), where he also represented the region as director. He was also elected to public office in Olmsted Falls, Ohio.

Outside of work, Joe volunteers with youth programs across the region and is a volunteer assistant coach for the Oberlin College Women’s Soccer Team. He and his wife, Jody, are the proud parents of two daughters.