Bernadette Cohen has more than 25 years’ experience in human resources management in various industry sectors, including private and public higher education, automotive Fortune 500, professional services, insurance and nonprofit.
As Spelman’s top human resources executive, Ms. Cohen is responsible for leading all aspects of human capital management, including legal compliance for employment matters, compensation and total rewards, employee relations, managerial coaching, professional and leadership development, diversity and inclusion, organizational development, talent acquisition, wellness, benefit plan designs, and performance management.
Prior to joining Spelman, Ms. Cohen served as vice president of Human Resources and was a cabinet member at the Atlanta Housing Authority. She also gained labor relations experience as a member of the contract negotiation team Robert Bosch Corporation where she successfully defended the company against NLRB challenges and an OFCCP class action lawsuit.
Ms. Cohen is a published author, mentor, certified mediator and arbitrator, and certified managerial coach. She has also served as a guest speaker/lecturer.
She holds a bachelor of business administration (cum laude) North Carolina Central University. She completed the Executive Leadership Program at Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State