Susan Lara-Willars has been named senior vice president and chief human resources officer (CHRO) of Valleywise Health.
As CHRO, Susan will be responsible for all aspects of human resources (HR) at Valleywise Health, including people strategy, benefits and compensation, employee relations, leader and staff development and talent acquisition.
“We are excited to welcome Susan to our team,” said Lia Christiansen, chief administrative officer. “We look forward to her contributions and leadership, as we continue to focus on workforce development, employee engagement and our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.”
Susan has more than 25 years’ HR experience in health care. She comes to Valleywise Health from the Travis County Health District in Austin, where she led HR operations for Central Health, CommUnityCare Health Centers and Sendero Health Plans. The healthcare district is the safety net system in Austin and provides care at more than 27 sites throughout Travis County. Previously, she served as vice president of HR for Mission Regional Medical Center in Mission, Texas.
Susan, who is bilingual (English & Spanish), has a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Texas Pan American and a MBA from Aspen University.