Administration

Henne-Hallman receives Ray T. Fortunato Award for Excellence in Human Resources

Lorraine Goffe, left, vice president for human resources and chief human resources officer at Penn State, presented Valerie Henne-Hallman, human resources strategic partner for Penn State Berks, Penn State Lehigh Valley and Penn State Schuylkill, with the 2019 Ray T. Fortunato Award for Excellence in Human Resources in early July at The Nittany Lion.  Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Valerie Henne-Hallman, human resources strategic partner for Penn State Berks, Penn State Lehigh Valley and Penn State Schuylkill, is the recipient of the 2019 Ray T. Fortunato Award for Excellence in Human Resources for her contributions to human resources at Penn State.

The award, made possible by the late Ray T. Fortunato, has been established to acknowledge human resources employees for their unique contributions and dedication to bettering human resources at Penn State. This year’s award was presented to Henne-Hallman by Lorraine Goffe, vice president for human resources and chief human resources officer at Penn State, during the most recent human resources all-staff Town Hall at The Nittany Lion in early July.

“Valerie is an outstanding person and HR professional,” said Jennifer Wilkes, associate vice president for Commonwealth Campuses and Henne-Hallman's direct supervisor. “She is so deserving of this award and I am thrilled that she was selected.”

Those who nominated Henne-Hallman described her as “a rare human resource professional who is able to look at situations from a high level; yet, never loses touch with the individuals who are impacted,” and “someone who embraces challenges and focuses on the positive and has a great deal of compassion for the people they serve, with a true desire to help and ensure the work environment is professional and enjoyable.”

“I was completely shocked to receive the award and am incredibly honored to have been recognized among such a talented group of HR professionals,” Henne-Hallman said.

More information about the award and its benefactor, Ray T. Fortunato, can be found here.

Last Updated July 25, 2019