Michele Brown, the Town of Queen Creek’s human resources director, recently received the Ann Byrnes SPHR Award for Professional Excellence from the Arizona Society for Human Resource Management (AZSHRM). The award honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the human resource profession, serving as a role model and setting standards for others.
Brown received the award for the instrumental role she played in the development of the Queen Creek Police Department (QCPD), and her ongoing commitment to the profession.
“Hiring 70-plus officers, recruits and professional staff to launch a police department was no easy task,” Queen Creek Vice Mayor Jeff Brown said. “Michele spearheaded this effort during a time when hiring officers was particularly challenging, on top of a global pandemic. We received nearly 2,000 applications, allowing us to be fully staffed with the most qualified candidates at launch.”
In addition to recruiting and hiring an entire police department, Brown has provided continual expertise and assistance to the town’s human resources functions for 17 years.
“I am honored to receive this award from AZSHRM,” said Brown. “It has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience to help stand up QCPD partnering with Chief Brice and the entire QCPD command staff. I truly feel blessed to work with so many incredibly talented people at the town.”
As the human resources director, Brown is responsible for overseeing staff, the budget and departmental services. She started with the town in 2005. With more than 30 years in the human resources field, Brown holds a bachelor's degree from State University of New York at Buffalo and a master's degree from Russell Sage College.
The AZSHRM is the State Council for the national Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Representing eight local chapters, AZSHRM is the trusted resource to engage, educate and advocate for HR professionals.
