August 13, 2025
Heather Horn named vice president for Human Resources
University of Washington President Robert J. Jones announced the appointment of Heather Horn to serve as the next vice president for Human Resources beginning Oct. 1.
Horn succeeds Mindy Kornberg, who is retiring after 19 years at the UW.
Horn comes to the UW after serving as vice provost and chief human resources officer at Oregon State University. Before that, she worked for the University of Illinois as a human resource professional in both unit HR and central HR offices, primarily focused on employee and labor relations efforts.
Heather HornUniversity of Washington
“Heather is a people-centered leader with deep and broad experience,” Jones said. “At the UW, Heather will build on the strengths of the UW Human Resource team and advance the key priorities already in motion: strengthening recruitment and retention, implementing Workday Recruiting and fostering a welcoming workplace for all employees.”
Horn brings more than 20 years of HR leadership at public research universities, where she’s led transformational change, modernized HR systems and processes, and built collaborative relationships that honor individual perspectives and advance institution objectives and values.
“I am deeply honored for the opportunity to serve this exceptional institution, tackling complex challenges that enhance the lives and experiences of everyone at the University of Washington,” Horn said.
Horn earned a master’s degree in labor and industrial relations and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Tag(s): Heather Horn • Human Resources