Kent named HR director for DOE Oak Ridge

Melanie M. Kent was recently named director of the Human Resources Division at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office.

In her new position, Kent has the responsibility for providing leadership and direction for the development and implementation of comprehensive Human Capital Management strategies, a press release said.

Kent has more than 30 years of experience in federal human resources providing the full range of services to multiple DOE program organizations, including Science, Environmental Management, Nuclear Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Fossil Energy.

Kent began her federal career in 1979 in the human resources arena. She served as the chief of the Federal Human Resources Branch in the DOE ORO from May 2001 to April 2015.

The release said Kent has supported DOE on multiple headquarters-level teams and committees during her career. She served as a lead auditor for talent management and strategic alignment on several Human Capital Management and Accountability Program audits. She was an active participant on the core team responsible for the design and implementation of the Department’s Corporate Human Resources Information System and was instrumental in the evaluation, selection, and implementation of QuickHire as the department’s first automated applicant system and predecessor to the current Hiring Management system. Most recently, she has worked closely with the Office of Human Capital Management to stand up the department’s Shared Service Center for Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.

Kent has held an active certification in delegated examining from the Office of Personnel Management for more than 28 years. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management with emphasis in human resources from Tennessee Technological University.

Melanie and her husband David have two children. They live in Clinton.