Denise Cassel retired on January 24th after serving 24 years in Los Alamos County. Courtesy photo
BY KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
January 29th was Denise Cassel’s last day at work. After 24 years in the Los Alamos County HR department and 16 years as HR manager, Cassel moves on to the next chapter of her life: retirement.
Her successor, Jennifer Dorian, worked with Cassel prior to retirement to ensure a smooth transition.
“I really loved my time in Los Alamos County,” said Cassel. “It’s a great place to work. I will miss the people, but I will still be there so I can stop by. The county has been very good to me and my family … we have many great memories and I wish you all the best and … I look forward to seeing what you can do. “
“Denise has supported the county through many challenging times over the past 24 years, yet always maintained a positive demeanor that positively impacted the various problems that crossed her desk,” said district manager Harry Burgess. “I’m going to miss Denise not only because of her obvious skills in running our human resources department, but also because of her friendship during my time in the county. I wish her all the best for her upcoming retirement! “
Human Resources has been a part of Cassel’s professional career from the start. She said she earned a degree in public administration from San Diego State University with a major in human resources. When her husband Justin Cassel was hired by the Los Alamos Fire Department, Cassel said the county had a vacancy for a staff development coordinator and she was hired in June 1997.
“It was a great choice because government and public administration are a perfect match and I really enjoyed my time,” said Cassel. “The people are great and we have great, talented people who are always up to the occasion.”
Cassel’s time in the county was marked by several significant events including the Cerro Grande Fire, September 11th and the Las Conchas Fire.
“I’ve seen our employees rise again and again, even when it wasn’t their job to take care of the community … that will be my greatest asset – the people …” she said.
Cassel recalls the county where FEMA trailers were set up in Sullivan Field during the Cerro Grande Fire and rescue workers who traveled across the community to re-light the residents’ indicator lights. She also remembers the county’s park and recreation workers who are working with Los Alamos Medical Center to clean up the hospital so it can be repopulated.
In addition to these important events, Cassel recalls the construction of Fire Station 3 at White Rock, the White Rock Branch Library, and the new city building on Central Avenue.
“Our community has changed a lot for the better,” she said.
Some of her own career highlights have been setting up procedures and structures. For example, Cassel said that a structure was put in place in the county recruiting process, the compensation plan was revised along with the county positive action plan. She also helped set up the Los Alamos County Academy, a nine-week course designed to help soft-skilled local government leaders develop leadership concepts. The Senior Management Team sponsors this course and leads many of the modules for the students, including new hires and those who have recently been promoted or wish to be a manager.
The digital world is playing an increasingly important role in the human resources department, said Cassel. For example, applicants can create and save a profile to apply for multiple county jobs. This makes the hiring process more efficient. In addition, Cassel pointed out that after hiring an employee, the information from his application can be transferred to the employee file.
Cassel gave some advice to Dorian.
“I told her that I know she will be great. She has a great background … I told her that the people are great and they use them as resources for things she doesn’t know and they can give her the historical perspective, ”said Cassel. “She knows the HR side of the company. Use the resources, listen, and think about what’s best for the community. The HR team is absolutely solid and a great support system. You can help her transition. “
Now that Cassel is retired, she and her husband, who retired as battalion chiefs in 2017, plan to stay in town for the time being. Cassel said they are considering moving to either Colorado or Montana in the future to be closer to family and friends.
Plus, “… we love to travel and that’s why we imagine doing some of it,” she said.
