Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business welcomes Mandy Devereux as its executive director of career and employer initiatives. She will lead the Harbert College's vast career and employer relations ecosystem, which includes full-service undergraduate and graduate career support, professional development curricula, internship and mentorship programs, and employer outreach and programming.

In particular, Devereux will lead the Office of Professional and Career Development, which helps undergraduate students discover their strengths, chart a career path, hone their professional skills, and connect with employers.

Devereux most recently served in similar roles at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, and at the University of Oregon Career Center in Eugene, Oregon.

“I am excited about building relationships with top employers and creating a robust employer relations strategy for the Harbert College of Business,” Devereux said. “This work will involve looking at our current top employers, partnering with alumni and donor relations to grow existing relationships, and talking with students about roles and employers they are most interested in.

“My first priority is to learn and listen. The team at Auburn is incredible and they are doing amazing work. I’d like to hear what they are most proud of, what works best, and where are the opportunities for improvement,” she said. “From there, I will work to create a strategy and plan with goals and key indicators for reaching our goals. 

“Long term, I’d like to create and build a model at the Harbert College of Business that inspires our students, attracts top employers, makes our alumni proud, and is considered a best-practices in the career field. I’d like for us to create something so outstanding, other schools look to Auburn for ideas and inspiration.”

Devereux also has an extensive professional background outside of academia, having worked in Missouri as a regional recruiter and in other areas of human resources. Her education includes a masters of business administration/executive leadership from Oregon State University; a bachelor of science in business administration/marketing and management from Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri; and an associate of arts in advertising and public relations from St. Louis Community College-Meramec in Kirkwood, Missouri.

“I grew up just outside of St. Louis, Missouri, where I went to college and started my career at a family-owned grocery store, Dierbergs, in human resources,” she said. “We moved to Oregon in 2007, where I began working in the Career Center at the University of Oregon doing employer relations. Over almost a decade there, I grew into a career professional under some truly exceptional mentors.”

Devereux said she enjoys personal interactions that come with the job. “I have been a career professional for more than 16 years and truly love this work. Connecting with students in their career journey and discovery is incredibly rewarding,” she said. “I also find a lot of joy and satisfaction in partnering with employers to help them find and recruit new talent for their workforce. The best way to achieve these goals is by working with incredible career professionals, faculty, staff and alumni.

“Working in career and professional development is a highly collaborative field, and building relationships across the ecosystem is the best way for us to help our students achieve their career goals.”

Among her personal hobbies: weightlifting.

“My family and I compete in the sport of Olympic Weightlifting. My husband was the 2019 World Champion and our daughter just competed in Youth Nationals,” Devereux said. “I’m much more recreational than the two of them, but I’ve done a few meets myself too.”

The family has two standard poodles, Lucky and Gus, and loves being outside on hikes and enjoying nature, she said, adding that they are excited about the move to Auburn.

“While we were home during COVID and unable to travel to see extended family in the Midwest, I began thinking about where else we might want to live, should we ever leave Oregon,” Devereux said. “I did extensive research and Auburn was one of my top spots.

“I love the college-town atmosphere, the reputation of the university, and Auburn rated high on best places to raise a family, good schools, and a great community. I had the opportunity to meet a few of the career folks at Auburn a few years ago and they were amazing.

“I am truly honored to be joining the Auburn Family,” she said. “War Eagle!”