With 31 years of experience in human resources and state service, Lois Hayes is not a newcomer to the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, where she officially came on board as Human Resources Administrator of the Public Safety Human Resources Center on February 27 of this year. In addition to her corrections responsibilities, she also oversees Human Resources for the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles, the Rhode Island National Guard, and the Rhode Island Emergency Management Association.
From 1989 to 1994, she served as Supervising Employee Relations Officer at the RIDOC. During her earlier tenure with the RIDOC, she was responsible for pre-disciplinary hearings and made recommendations for disciplinary actions, sanctions and settlements. She also served as Hearing Officer for department-level grievances and represented the Department at state-level grievance hearings. More recently, she has worked for the Office of Health and Human Services as Human Resources Coordinator, Labor Relations Administration. A resident of North Kingstown, Hayes has also worked for MHRH, now known as the Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals (BHDDH) as Chief Employee Relations Officer. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Providence College.
In his email announcement of Hayes' appointment, Corrections Director Ashbel T. Wall II wrote, "I know Lois to be a highly professional public servant with a wealth of knowledge and experience in human resource issues, a great work ethic, and an individual with excellent judgment." Among her goals for her current stint in corrections, she would like to "make a difference and bring about better labor/management relationships."