Executive Director of Human Resources

As Executive Director of Human Resources, Gloria Thornwell is responsible for creating, implementing, and executing human resource strategies to support more than 800 full-time and part-time staff at VOA Chesapeake & Carolinas.

As a Certified Senior Executive, and professor, Thornwell has over 20 years of professional human resource management and business experience and is an Adjunct Professor in the undergraduate and graduate Organizational Management programs at Washington Adventist University, and Assistant Professor in the School of Humanities, English and Social Sciences at Prince George’s Community College, a qualified Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) practitioner, PHR-certified, and has earned the Human Capital Strategist designation by the Human Capital Institute. 

Her scope of responsibility has included all aspects of Integrated Talent Management such as Workforce Analytics; Strategic Workforce Planning; Change Management; Training, Development & Coaching; Performance Management; Employee Relations; Career and Talent Planning; Compensation Planning, Design, and Administration; Organization Development; and Succession Planning. 

Thornwell has broad experiences developing, leading, and executing policies & programs within the areas of employment, retention, compensation design, employee relations, EEO compliance, Affirmative Action Planning, and execution. She’s competent and skilled at facilitation and conflict resolution, an excellent project manager with great communication skills, high integrity, and the ability to build trust and quickly establish credibility at all levels.

Thornwell is the former Chair of the Board of Directors for The Training Source, Inc. and of the Board’s Strategic Partnership committee and she is a former Board Member of the Black Public Relations Society.  She’s served on two Society for Human Resource Management committees including the National Employment Committee and the National Staffing Panel.  

She was an invited speaker at the SHRM annual student conference in Orlando, Florida and is co-author of a white paper entitled “Leaves of Absence under USERRA.”  A contributor to several articles in the HR Magazine and in the Wall Street Journal On-line, she has previously served on the Board of Directors for the University of Maryland University College Alumni Association, participated as a panelist at a University of Maryland University College Women’s Conference, speaker at a Blacks in Government (BIG) seminar in Washington, D.C. and a panelist at a Small Minority Business Construction Conference.  

In 2000, Thornwell received a Citation from United States Senator, the Honorable Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland – Retired), for her kidney donation to her sibling. She is a supporter of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and in partnership with the NKF, led the first annual Prince George’s County (MD) Kidney Walk. 

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree (Cum Laude) in Public Administration from North Carolina Central University and a Master of Science in Human Resources Management from the University of Maryland University College.