Twenty-five years after graduating from Campbell University’s Lundy-Fetterman School of Business, Trent Elmore is back on campus to serve as the university’s director of human resources.
“It’s exciting to serve in this capacity at Campbell,” said Elmore.
In 1992, Elmore graduated from Campbell’s prestigious Trust and Wealth Management program. He used that degree to build a career in retirement planning with Central Carolina Bank and then TrustMark, a retirement planning software company in Charlotte, North Carolina.
His experience in building and communicating pension plans made him realize that he not only wanted to help people planning for their future, but he wanted to be a true agent of change in the present. So he made the jump to human resources.
In 1998, Elmore became the director of human resources for Pinehurst Medical Clinic, where he advocated for employees and maintained federal and state employee compliance for 10 years. In 2008, he transitioned to Springs Memorial Hospital to serve in a similar role.
In his opinion, the human resources industry gives him the opportunity to help others, serve God, and make a difference. He finds fulfillment in meeting the needs of the unique blend of emotions that come through the door – from the joy of someone gaining employment for the first time to the indignation of a disciplinary scenario.
“I’ve always enjoyed helping people and problem solving,” he said. “If something is out of order or isn’t working well, I always try my best to address the issue and ensure things run smoothly again.”
The key to being successful in human resources is listening, he says.
Elmore began his post as Campbell’s director of human resources on Jan. 17, 2017. His first order of business is learning the department, his teammates, and the university’s policies and procedures so he can serve his team effectively.
“I’m really glad to be here. My door is always open should anyone have an issue, questions, or suggestions.”