Kevin Myatt is leaving Vanderbilt for Yale. (photo by Neil Brake)
Human Resources chief Myatt to take post at Yale
Kevin Myatt, associate vice chancellor and chief Human Resource officer, announced this week that he is leaving Vanderbilt University to accept a position as senior vice president of Human Resources at Yale-New Haven Health System in New Haven, Conn., effective Dec. 3.
Myatt, who came to Nashville in 2003, oversaw a total payroll for the University and Medical Center that eclipsed the $1 billion mark for combined salaries, hourly wages, incentives, special checks and overtime.
Human Resources Senior Director Lenon Coleman will serve as the interim chief Human Resource officer during the search for Myatt's replacement.
“I think it goes without saying that we are very sorry to see Kevin Myatt leave Vanderbilt,” said Harry Jacobson, M.D., vice chancellor for Health Affairs.
“We asked him to come to Vanderbilt and oversee a department responsible for what is now $1 billion in salaries and benefits. And he has done a great job. This is another indication of our stature nationally in that Yale has now targeted him to lead its Human Resources department,” Jacobson said.
Interim Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos agreed.
“Kevin took our human resource program to a new level of performance and commitment to Vanderbilt's mission.
"He helped make Vanderbilt a better place — not just to work, but to stay for a career. I am particularly grateful for his leadership in our efforts to become the employer of choice for faculty and staff, which will be his most important and long-lasting legacy," Zeppos said.
Prior to joining the Vanderbilt team, Myatt was vice president for human resources at The North Carolina Baptist Hospitals Inc., a multi-hospital academic health system affiliated with Wake Forest University.
The position at Yale will enable him to return exclusively to a health care setting as a member of the senior leadership team of a thriving, comprehensive health care enterprise.
“Vanderbilt has been wonderful to me and my family,” Myatt said. “We have had an absolutely marvelous experience rich with memories that I will treasure forever.”
“It is a dynamic and diverse institution that is destined for greatness. This was an incredibly difficult decision, one that led me to my passion for direct input into health care.”
Lauren Brisky, Vanderbilt's vice chancellor for administration and chief financial officer, said “it certainly comes as no surprise” that Yale-New Haven has chosen Myatt as a key member of its leadership team.
“Those of us who had the pleasure of working closely with Kevin understand that, while the depth and breadth of his knowledge is unparalleled, it is his professionalism, his integrity and his objectivity that set him apart,” she said.
“Kevin is a master of the seemingly impossible task of balancing the needs of employees with the needs of the institution. What makes Kevin so effective is that he understands that the decisions he makes can profoundly affect peoples' lives, and he leads his organization and makes his decisions with that in mind.
“I am deeply appreciative of the care that Kevin has taken of our organization and of our employees over the past five years,” Brisky said.