Heidi Hayden couldn’t feel prouder about where she works.
“I feel like I’m serving my country,” said Ms. Hayden, chief people officer at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in lower Manhattan. “It’s extremely honorable.”
As the head of human resources, Ms. Hayden said her chief function is to ensure that the museum’s approximately 340 employees work in the type of environment that allows the site to effectively support the mission and provide the best possible experience for its visitors.“It’s not always difficult, but sometimes it’s pretty emotional when I come here,” said Ms. Hayden, who earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in organizational management from St. Joseph’s College in 1998 and 2005. “We recognize as a staff the sacred place this memorial has in everybody’s hearts. We want to make sure we maintain the integrity and respect of this place.”
SJC Hosts Changing of the Flag Ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 11
Ms. Hayden, a Farmingville, N.Y., native and a former U.S. Marine, has worked in human resources nearly 30 years, including stints at Allstate Insurance and as the head of human resources at Nikon. She has served as an adjunct professor with SJC for 10 years.
“St. Joseph’s provided me with the ability to attend a college that was flexible to my needs and to develop an educational background that was supportive of what I was doing,” said Ms. Hayden, who attended St. Joseph’s accelerated weekend program, while still working full time in human resources.
