MHR Graduate Is an Industry "Game Changer"

Keeping a marathon pace has become a way of life for Workforce Management Magazine’s “Game Changer” Julie Heitzler ’11MHR. After earning a bachelor’s degree and a Senior Professional Human Resources certification while holding a full-time HR management position with Marriott, she opted for another degree. “I still needed to quench my thirst for learning and understanding more about the role of human resources in organizations,” she said. “I researched several colleges and programs, attended an information session, and because of Rollins’ reputation, ultimately decided that Rollins was the place for me.”

While enrolled in Rollins’ Master of Human Resources (MHR) program, Heitzler took up running. “I completed two marathons by training six months for each—though I don’t even like running—at the same time attending graduate school and working a full-time job.” She also incorporated her Rollins knowledge into her work at the Orlando Airport Marriott. “It was great,” she said. “I could take what I learned in school at night and apply it the very next day.”

Graduating with honors in May, Heitzler continued to apply her knowledge and maintain her pace. Less than six months after earning her MHR degree, she won Marriott’s 2011 Human Resources Excellence Award and Workforce Management Magazine’s 2011 Game Changer Award. Heitzler elaborated on her achievements: “My biggest claim to fame is that, in the short time  I have been in my job, I’ve been able to significantly reduce turnover and increase engagement while keeping a watchful eye on costs.”

Indeed, Heitzler raised her company’s employee engagement score from 75 percent to 86 percent, an achievement noted by Workforce Management Magazine: “The human resources manager, 29, has accomplished the dual goals of increasing that number while cutting costs, in the process earning a reputation as a savvy leader who offers ‘extraordinarily powerful recommendations.’”

Two degrees, two marathons, and two awards later, Heitzler still has no intention of slowing down. “My plans for the future are to continue to develop my HR leadership skills and challenge myself to continually move outside my comfort zone,” she said. Crediting Rollins with increasing her self-assurance, she said, “Over the last two years, my confidence within my discipline has grown to help me become a leader who can influence my organization to achieve greater results.”

By Renée Anduze