Centre County Government
Kristen Simkins has a diverse range of work experience in the field of Human Resources. Kristen began their career at Cendant Corporation in 2001 as a Benefit Specialist, where they assisted in the administration of Health and Welfare Benefits for employees. Kristen then moved on to C-COR/Arris Incorporated in 2005, where they served as a Benefits Administrator, responsible for managing Health and Welfare Benefits and the 401(k) Retirement Plan. In 2008, Kristen joined Remcom Inc. as a Human Resources Manager, where they conducted all HR functions, including hiring, policy implementation, benefit administration, conflict resolution, and employee events. Currently, they serve as the Human Resources Director at Centre County Government, a position they have held since 2012.
Kristen Simkins earned a Bachelor's degree in Management and Marketing from Canisius University, where they studied from 1996 to 2000. In addition to their formal education, Kristen obtained certifications in Performance Management and Having Difficult Conversations from LinkedIn in March 2023 and February 2023 respectively.
Centre County Government
A fourth-class county created by an act of the State Legislature in 1800 and located in the exact geographic center of the state, Centre County’s key industries include tourism, retail, agriculture, electronics, chromatography, information technology, printing, and publishing, wood manufacturing, and education. The fifth largest PA County in geographic size, the county’s land area covers 1,110 square miles and is comprised of 35 municipalities. A three-member Board of County Commissioners performs and oversees all the County’s legislative and executive functions. With a 2022 total budget of $107.8M, the County provides administrative, criminal justice, human services, judiciary, property and tax, and public safety/emergency services to residents. The County currently employs 525 full-time employees and 42 part-time/seasonal employees.