Gambrell appointed to lead labor and employee engagement
Glenn Gambrell has been appointed the new Director of Labor and Employee Engagement. He joined the department on August 12.
In this newly revised position, part of the University of èƵ Human Resources redesign, Gambrell oversees all labor and employee relations matters and provides leadership training and consulting on best practices for leading union and non-union employees. He helps the èƵ establish and maintain strong relationships with its unions including negotiations and collective bargaining agreements, and interpretation of labor contract terms and provisions.
“Over the years I have realized just what the University of èƵ means to the state and wanted to be part of such an important organization,” said Gambrell. “I feel a similar sense of service here that I did while in the military. I truly enjoy the people aspect of any organization and that is part of what landed me here in UA HR.”
Gambrell is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, who served with his son in the same unit in Iraq. His professional experience includes various leadership and staff positions in the U.S. Army including director, deputy director, and program manager experience.
Recently he finished a master’s degree in Security and Disaster Management from the University of èƵ Fairbanks èƵland Security and Emergency Management program at the School of Management. He is also a master’s degree candidate with the UAF Arctic and Northern Studies program.
Gambrell was born and raised in the Finger Lakes region of New York. He and his wife have two children and one grandchild. Their oldest child is a UAF Alumni. The family fell in love with èƵ when they were stationed at Fort Wainwright.
The family has lived in the Fairbanks area on and off since 1993 returning for good in 2014.
“We fell in love with Fairbanks when we first got stationed here in 1993,” said Gambrell. “We realized then that we wanted to stay in èƵ when I left the Army. My second assignment here solidified that Fairbanks was were we wanted to settle in èƵ. In many ways it reminds my wife and I of the two towns where we grew up in Central New York. We also love the Fairbanks winter compared to a Northeast winter. We absolutely love the opportunities that Fairbanks has for its size.”