“Becoming Our Best Selves Is a Lifelong Story; One Chapter at a Time.”
Erica Jorden is an accomplished human resources executive, organizational development leader, author, certified coach, and strategic advisor whose career has been dedicated to helping individuals and organizations reach their highest potential. With more than three decades of professional experience and nearly two decades of executive-level human resources leadership, Erica has built an impressive reputation for transforming workplace cultures, developing high-performing teams, and creating people-centered strategies that drive sustainable organizational success. Her philosophy is rooted in the belief that every employee has value, every organization has purpose, and every leader has the opportunity to positively shape lives through thoughtful, compassionate leadership.
Currently serving as Director of Human Resources for University City District in Philadelphia, Erica has successfully built the organization’s first formal Human Resources department from the ground up. In this role, she oversees every aspect of the employee lifecycle, including talent acquisition, onboarding, employee relations, compensation and benefits, performance management, learning and development, succession planning, compliance, HR technology implementation, policy development, and organizational culture. She has introduced strategic initiatives that have modernized operations, improved employee engagement, and positioned human resources as a trusted business partner supporting executive leadership and organizational growth.
Throughout her career, Erica has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to design scalable HR programs that balance operational excellence with employee well-being. She has led enterprise-wide initiatives involving HRIS implementations, workforce planning, organizational restructuring, performance management redesign, employee engagement strategies, and leadership development programs. Her ability to simplify complex processes while maintaining empathy for employees has become one of her defining leadership characteristics, allowing organizations to navigate change with confidence while maintaining strong workplace cultures.
Prior to her current leadership role, Erica held several progressive positions with Comcast, where she spent more than a decade supporting one of the nation’s largest organizations across multiple human resources disciplines. As a Senior HR Consultant, Military Concierge Program Manager, Leave of Absence Consultant, Employee Programs Manager, Business Process Analyst, and Contact Tracing Case Manager during the COVID-19 pandemic, she became recognized as a trusted subject matter expert in leave administration, ADA accommodations, FMLA, military leave, payroll coordination, employee programs, and enterprise process improvement. Her work impacted thousands of employees while establishing best practices that strengthened operational consistency and enhanced the employee experience.
Erica further expanded her leadership experience with Wayfair, where she managed a high-performing remote team responsible for Short-Term Disability, ADA accommodations, Family and Medical Leave Act administration, military leave, and employee program management across North America. Leading a virtual team of specialists, she successfully implemented quality assurance programs, return-to-work processes, standard operating procedures, employee engagement initiatives, and performance management systems while serving as a trusted advisor to leadership on highly sensitive employee matters. Her expertise in absence management, compliance, and organizational process improvement continues to distinguish her as a respected leader within the human resources profession.
Beyond corporate leadership, Erica is equally passionate about education, coaching, entrepreneurship, and personal development. She holds a Master of Education with an emphasis in Adult Education and has pursued doctoral studies in Human Resource Management. As a Certified Life Coach, Certified Organizational Development Coach, and member of the International Coaching Federation, she combines evidence-based leadership practices with coaching methodologies that empower individuals to discover their strengths, overcome challenges, and achieve meaningful personal and professional growth. Her passion for lifelong learning is reflected in numerous leadership, diversity, organizational development, and inclusion certifications that continually strengthen her ability to serve organizations and their people.
Erica’s influence extends well beyond the workplace through her work as an accomplished author and speaker. She has published multiple books focused on resilience, faith, wisdom, and personal transformation, while also expanding into children’s literature with works designed to inspire young readers through creativity and imagination. Her commitment to writing reflects her broader mission of educating, encouraging, and empowering others at every stage of life. As a conference speaker on leading with wisdom, she brings authenticity, compassion, and practical insight to audiences seeking leadership that balances business performance with human connection.
At the heart of Erica’s leadership philosophy is a deep belief that organizational success begins with people. She understands that every policy, process, and strategic decision ultimately affects someone’s career, family, and future. Her leadership style emphasizes empathy, accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement while creating environments where employees feel respected, supported, and inspired to perform at their highest levels. Whether designing organizational strategies, coaching emerging leaders, improving employee engagement, or resolving complex workplace challenges, Erica consistently demonstrates that exceptional leadership begins with serving others.
Motivated by her role as a mother, Erica credits her daughter as the driving force behind her pursuit of excellence. Her commitment to becoming the best version of herself personally and professionally influences every aspect of her work. She believes laughter builds stronger teams, kindness creates stronger cultures, and authentic leadership produces lasting organizational results. Her passion for children’s literacy, education, writing, and community development further reflects her dedication to creating opportunities that extend beyond business and positively impact future generations.
As Erica looks toward board service, she brings a unique combination of executive leadership, strategic human resources expertise, governance awareness, organizational development, coaching, education, entrepreneurship, and operational excellence. She is passionate about helping organizations build strong cultures, navigate growth, strengthen governance, and develop leaders capable of driving long-term success. With experience spanning corporate enterprise environments, nonprofit leadership, education, and community development, Erica offers boards a thoughtful, people-centered perspective that aligns strategic business objectives with sustainable organizational performance.
Character:
Erica leads with authenticity, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to serving others through every stage of organizational growth. She consistently demonstrates integrity by placing people at the center of every decision while creating cultures built on trust, accountability, and respect.
Knowledge:
Her extensive expertise across human resources, organizational development, absence management, employee relations, coaching, compliance, and leadership development enables her to solve complex business challenges with confidence. She continuously invests in professional education and lifelong learning, ensuring her knowledge remains current and impactful.
Strategic:
Erica approaches every initiative with a long-term perspective, designing scalable systems, improving organizational processes, and aligning people strategies with business objectives. Her ability to build departments, implement enterprise programs, and guide organizational transformation makes her a highly effective strategic advisor.
Communication:
An accomplished communicator who builds meaningful relationships through empathy, transparency, and active listening. Whether coaching leaders, facilitating training, speaking at conferences, or authoring books, she inspires others through thoughtful communication that encourages growth, collaboration, and positive change.
