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Welcome to Human Resources

Supporting Current and Prospective Employees

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Benefits Availability and Open Enrollment 2026 Information!

Upcoming HR Trainings

Announcements/Updates
Student Employment
HR Org Chart
HR Directory
Benefits & Leaves
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Medical, Dental & Vision plans, Retirement plans, Leaves information

 

Payroll
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Payroll processing, payroll approver permissions, tax requirements, direct deposit.

HR Operations
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Hiring procedures and processing, PageUp recruitment, new hire paperwork, onboarding and trainings. Employment Verifications.

Employee & Labor Relations
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Contract literacy, compliance, performance evaluations, personnel changes

Liz Parkes, AVP of HR, headshot

Liz Parkes, Associate Vice President of Human Resources


Liz Parkes is the Associate Vice President (AVP) of Human Resources at Western, where she leads a service-oriented team dedicated to providing efficient and courteous support to the university's employees, while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.

After earning her law degree, Liz began her career at the Office of the Attorney General in Spokane, representing the Department of Child and Family Services. She then moved to Seattle, where she worked at a boutique litigation firm before returning to her hometown of Bellingham. There, Liz spent 20 years at the Haggen corporate office, overseeing a broad range of responsibilities, including employee and labor relations, contract negotiation, commercial leasing, and various legal and Human Resources functions.