Creating a new position in its executive team, Delta Dental of Arizona has promoted Jolean Fleck to VP of people and organizational development. Fleck will help the dental insurer navigate ever-changing workplace and societal challenges, with a focus on leadership development, employer branding and enriching the employee experience.
“Part of it is that I’ve done strategic-level HR work for a number of years, but the other part is that these are unprecedented times for all organizations. We’re solving for variables that have never been a part of the employment equation before, so there are no road maps yet. Without solid leadership, the threat of a workforce that is scattered, unfocused and unengaged is very real,” says Fleck, discussing the company’s impetus for creating the new position.
Says Allan Allford, president and CEO, “With the workplace changes and demands brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic — along with the many societal dynamics we’re experiencing across the country — now more than ever, strategic people leadership is a priority. We continually make organizational decisions that affect our people and their families, and we wanted a voice at the table who would ensure our employees’ well-being is a part of the discussion.”
Bringing more than 20 years’ experience in HR, Fleck joined Delta Dental of Arizona in July 2019 as the organization’s director of human resources. During this time, she overhauled the company’s performance management program to focus more on employee strengths and talents instead of their weaknesses. This innovative program zooms in on employees’ natural abilities so they can shine at doing what they do best.
“Like many other organizations, we will likely emerge from this pandemic a different organization than we started,” says Fleck. “It will take creative, future-oriented, employee-centric thinking to reimagine our workplace. We don’t know what that will look like yet, but it’s an exciting opportunity to reinvent and challenge ourselves to meet a different set of employee needs and expectations.”
