SMC Appoints Tre’Shawn Hall-Baker Vice President of Human Resources

SMC Appoints Tre’Shawn Hall-Baker Vice President of Human Resources

Hall-Baker Will Serve as SMC’s Chief Human Resources and Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, Be Responsible for Administration of All Personnel-Related Matters

SANTA MONICA, CA—Santa Monica College (SMC) has announced the appointment of Tre’Shawn Hall-Baker, Ph.D. as its new Vice President of Human Resources. The SMC Board of Trustees unanimously ratified Hall-Baker’s appointment at their meeting held Tuesday night, Aug. 5, 2025. Dr. Hall-Baker was selected after a nationwide search guided by consultation firm PPL, Inc.

Dr. Hall-Baker—who most recently served in the role of Dean of Human Resources at SMC, since 2018—takes on the leadership role formerly held by Sherri Lee-Lewis, who retired in June after 35 years of service. An experienced leader in HR and a product of the community college system, Dr. Hall-Baker brings 26 years of expertise in public education, HR management and processes, professional development, and labor & employee relations to this leadership role.

“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Tre’Shawn Hall-Baker to this crucial leadership role at Santa Monica College!” said SMC Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery. “She brings a wealth of knowledge, skills, abilities, and vision to help guide the College as it strives to maintain its long-standing reputation for excellence, equity, and inclusion. I look forward to her contributions and collaboration in upholding SMC’s life-changing mission.”

As Vice President of Human Resources, Dr. Tre’Shawn Hall-Baker will serve as SMC’s Chief Human Resources and Equal Employment Opportunity Officer; she will be responsible for leadership and administration of all personnel matters including employment, diversity, staff development, benefits, compensation, employee and labor relations, contract administration, and legal and regulatory compliance regarding personnel services. As part of her primary duties and a member of the college’s senior administration, Dr. Hall-Baker will also serve as a negotiator during collective bargaining with the college's exclusive representative groups; as liaison with the SMC Personnel Commission; and she will plan and direct the actions/services of the Human Resources Office to include effective integration of the college management information system with the Los Angeles County Office of Education Human Resources Management System, among others.

Prior to being SMC’s Dean of HR, Hall-Baker served as Director of Human Resources at SMC, Employee Relations Specialist at Los Angeles Community College District, Labor Relations Specialist at California School Employees Association, and as Information Technology Trainer at Los Angeles Unified School District.

Tre’Shawn Hall-Baker holds a Ph.D. in Management (Human Resources Management) from Walden University; an M.A. in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding from California State University, Dominguez Hills; a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies/Labor Studies, also from CSUDH; and an A.A. degree in Liberal Arts from Los Angeles Southwest College.

Among many such community and professional affiliations, Dr. Hall-Baker is current president of the Association of Chief Human Resource Officers/Equal Employment Officers, is chair of the Los Angeles Community College Personnel Commission, is a mentor program graduate of the Association of California Community College Administrators, and a member/committee chair of the Association of California Community College Administrators.

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About Santa Monica College: 

Santa Monica College is a California Community College accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). For 34 consecutive years, SMC has been California’s leading transfer college to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and other University of California campuses. The college also tops in transfers to the University of Southern California and Loyola Marymount University and is the top feeder west of the Mississippi to the Ivy League Columbia University. As the leading job trainer in Los Angeles’s Westside, the college offers robust career education opportunities, with over 110 degrees and certificates in traditional and emerging fields. SMC provides news and cultural enrichment through its NPR radio station KCRW (89.9 FM), the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center, and lifelong learning through distinctive programs such as its Emeritus Program for older adults.