Sterling Barker

Strategic Human Resources executive with 20+ years of experience building and scaling HR functions in growing organizations across logistics, distribution, financial services, professional services, and other operational environments. Proven success developing HR infrastructure, strengthening leadership capability, improving employee relations, implementing scalable processes, and aligning workforce strategy with business growth objectives.

Founder & Principal Consultant at Sterling Leadership Group, LLC (2026 – Present)

• Provide executive coaching, leadership-development, and organizational consulting services to business leaders, teams, and organizations.
• Design and facilitate workshops, leadership-development programs, and learning experiences focused on communication, accountability, trust, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness.
• Develop and deliver presentations, workshops, and facilitated discussions for professional associations, leadership groups, and organizational audiences on leadership, accountability, organizational effectiveness, and workplace culture.
• Advise executives and managers on leadership effectiveness, organizational culture, stakeholder engagement, organizational change, and workforce strategy.
• Coach leaders using Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching® methodology and stakeholder-feedback principles to strengthen leadership effectiveness and measurable behavior change.
• Support organizations through leadership-development, organizational-change, workforce-planning, and people-operations consulting engagements.
• Build strategic partnerships with business leaders, professional associations, and community organizations to identify coaching, consulting, and leadership-development opportunities.

Vice President of HR & Administrative Services at Utah Housing Corporation (2016 – 2026)

Served as the senior Human Resources and Administrative Services executive for Utah Housing Corporation, providing strategic leadership for human resources, talent acquisition, workforce planning, employee relations, compensation, organizational development, compliance, and administrative services. Partnered closely with executive leadership to build scalable people practices, strengthen organizational capability, and align workforce strategies with business objectives.

• Served as a trusted advisor to executive leadership and the Board of Trustees on workforce strategy, employee relations, organizational development, succession planning, compensation, and compliance matters.
• Led and developed HR and administrative-services teams, strengthening service delivery, workforce support, operational effectiveness, and organizational accountability.
• Provided executive oversight for talent acquisition, succession planning, leadership development, and workforce-planning initiatives supporting organizational growth and long-term workforce needs.
• Modernized recruiting operations through implementation of ApplicantPro, Predictive Index, Selective Hiring assessments, Prehire360, and other selection tools that improved hiring efficiency and data-informed candidate evaluation.
• Designed and implemented the organization's first enterprise succession-planning and leadership-development program, resulting in multiple internal promotions and improved leadership continuity.
• Modernized compensation, performance management, talent review, and employee-engagement programs, strengthening market competitiveness, internal equity, workforce retention, and contributing to employee engagement levels of 92%.
• Implemented the organization's Leading by Listening accountability model, strengthening leadership effectiveness, workplace culture, employee engagement, and organizational alignment.
• Served as the organization's lead advisor on sensitive employee-relations matters and workplace investigations, partnering with leadership and legal counsel to ensure fair, compliant, and legally defensible outcomes.
• Established workforce metrics, executive dashboards, and reporting practices that enabled data-driven decision-making related to talent management, succession planning, employee engagement, and organizational performance.
• Served on the Board of Trustees' executive search committee responsible for selection of a new CEO, developing the RFP and evaluation methodology for a nationwide search engagement, participating in executive interviews, and advising trustees on recruiting governance and selection best practices.

HR Director at ProStar [became Visible SCM, acquired by Maersk] (2013 – 2016)

Provided Human Resources leadership for a rapidly growing logistics, fulfillment, warehousing, packaging, and distribution organization operating six locations across five states. Partnered with executive and operational leaders to support workforce growth, employee relations, talent acquisition, organizational development, compliance, and performance management initiatives in a multi-site operational environment.

• Partnered with executive and operational leadership to align workforce planning, talent strategies, and organizational priorities with business objectives across six locations in five states.
• Resolved a critical staffing challenge by implementing a strategic recruiting partnership that increased warehouse headcount by 20% and reduced turnover by 15%.
• Standardized HR policies, employment practices, and workforce-support processes across geographically dispersed operations, improving consistency, compliance, and scalability during a period of significant growth.
• Advised executives and operational leaders on employee relations, workforce planning, performance management, leadership effectiveness, and organizational change initiatives.
• Led a sensitive workplace investigation and leadership transition, providing recommendations that strengthened accountability, workforce stability, and operational effectiveness.
• Conducted workplace investigations involving employee complaints, policy violations, misconduct allegations, and performance concerns, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally defensible outcomes.

HR Director at Landmark Home Warranty (2012 – 2012)

Served as the organization's senior Human Resources leader during a period of rapid growth, partnering with executive leadership to build the HR infrastructure, workforce practices, and organizational capability necessary to support continued expansion. Advised leaders on employee relations, talent acquisition, performance management, compliance, and organizational effectiveness.

• Built and formalized the company's HR function, establishing recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, policy administration, employee development, and compliance programs that supported continued growth.
• Partnered with executive leadership to develop workforce strategies, HR programs, and organizational processes that supported a period in which the organization doubled in size.
• Implemented scalable workforce practices, policies, and operational processes that enabled rapid organizational growth while maintaining workforce support, accountability, and consistency.
• Advised executives and managers on employee relations, disciplinary actions, performance concerns, leadership effectiveness, and workplace challenges, helping strengthen organizational capability and manager effectiveness.
• Led talent acquisition, onboarding, and workforce-development efforts supporting organizational growth and evolving operational needs.
• Conducted workplace investigations involving employee complaints, policy concerns, performance issues, and employee-relations matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally defensible outcomes.

HR Manager at Jones Waldo Law Firm (2009 – 2010)

Led human resources operations for a multi-office law firm, partnering with attorneys, shareholders, and firm leadership on employee relations, workforce planning, recruiting, performance management, compliance, and organizational effectiveness initiatives. Served as a trusted advisor on employment practices, workplace concerns, policy interpretation, investigations, and personnel matters across multiple office locations.

• Partnered with attorneys, shareholders, and firm leadership on employee relations, workforce planning, recruiting, performance management, and organizational challenges across multiple office locations.
• Revitalized a long-standing attorney performance-management process, achieving 100% completion of annual performance reviews through relationship building, leader coaching, and disciplined follow-through.
• Advised firm leadership on employee relations, employment practices, policy interpretation, disciplinary actions, workplace concerns, and risk-mitigation strategies.
• Conducted workplace investigations involving employee complaints, performance concerns, policy violations, and personnel matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally defensible outcomes.
• Standardized HR practices and workforce-support processes across multiple offices, improving organizational consistency, compliance, and employee support.
• Served as a confidential resource to attorneys, managers, and employees on sensitive workplace matters requiring sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism.

HR/Operations Supervisor at KPMG LLP (2000 – 2008)

Developed foundational Human Resources, operations, leadership, and organizational-change expertise within a highly matrixed Big Four professional-services environment. Partnered with local, regional, and national leaders on workforce initiatives, organizational transitions, employee development, business-continuity efforts, and operational priorities while leading teams of up to 15 professionals.

• Partnered with the Office Managing Partner during the integration of former Arthur Andersen professionals and administrative staff, supporting workforce assessment, employee integration, organizational transition, and change-management efforts during a period of significant organizational disruption and growth.
• Led teams of up to 15 professionals, strengthening employee development, operational effectiveness, service delivery, workforce support, and performance accountability within a complex matrixed organization.
• Collaborated with local, regional, and national leadership on workforce initiatives, employee-development efforts, organizational priorities, and process-improvement activities supporting operational effectiveness.
• Coordinated operational transitions associated with office growth, relocation, and business-continuity initiatives, ensuring uninterrupted support in a rapidly evolving environment.
• Selected to facilitate customer-service and professional-development programs across multiple offices, contributing to employee development, leadership capability, and organizational effectiveness.

Executive Director at Utah SHRM (2024 – 2025)

Led a statewide Board of Directors in advancing governance, professional development, workforce initiatives, and strategic priorities throughout Utah. Contributed to a SHRM Pinnacle Award-winning council.

• Recruited and selected 20 volunteer leaders from across Utah to build and lead a high-performing statewide leadership team.
• Provided governance oversight, succession planning, leadership development, and strategic direction for one of SHRM's most recognized state councils.

President & Board Trustee (President, 2024-2026; Vice President, 2018-2024) at Lake Park Business Association (2018 – 2026)

Led governance and strategic oversight for an association representing one of Utah's premier master-planned corporate business parks. Partnered with business owners, developers, healthcare leaders, and government officials to advance long-term organizational objectives.

Legislative Advocate at Workplace Violence Protective Order Law (2023 – 2023)

Collaborated with legislators, employers, and HR professionals to advance workplace-safety legislation supporting Utah employers and employees.

Speaker & Facilitator

• Designed and delivered professional-development programs on employee relations, leadership accountability, employee engagement, workplace culture, organizational effectiveness, performance management, and workforce development for statewide and local professional audiences.
• Co-Presenter with Jathan Janove | Presented on leadership accountability, workplace trust, employee engagement, and creating cultures of responsibility and dignity through effective leader-employee communication.

Master of Science in Human Resources Management – Utah State University

Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication/Public Relations – University of Utah

40-hour executive leadership program in Leading in an Era of Complexity – University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business, Strayer Executive Education

Master Remote Work Leader Program – Utah State University Extension