Patrick Henley: Serving Those Who Serve Others

Patrick Henley’s HR career didn’t start off in the public sector. But it didn’t take long for Henley to figure out that public service was the path for him.

“I pursued a career in public sector HR because I have always been drawn to work that combines people, purpose and service,” says Henley, who has served as the director of human resources and risk management with the Cobb County-Marietta (Ga.) Water Authority since January 2017.

“Early in my career, I realized that HR was about far more than policies, transactions or compliance.”

Henley’s first experience in HR came through a human resources internship with Target in 2004, while he was still working on the bachelor’s degree in psychology that he would go on to earn from Kennesaw State University two years later.

When his internship with the retail corporation ended in July 2004, Henley took on a role as a human resources specialist with OfficeMax.

Henley’s introduction to public sector human resources came the following year. In 2005, he moved on to an HR assistant position at Southern Polytechnic State University.

There, and in his subsequent role as senior HR manager with the City of Marietta, Ga., and his current position with the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority, Henley has seen firsthand the difference that public servants can make.

“At its best, HR helps create the conditions for people to do meaningful work well. And, in the public sector, that work has a direct impact on the communities we serve,” says Henley, who is also an adjunct instructor at Chattahoochee Technical College.

“That connection has always mattered to me. Public sector HR has given me the opportunity to support employees, develop leaders, strengthen organizations and help build workplaces that are both effective and humane.”

Henley joined PSHRA as a member in March 2020 to plug into a network of public sector HR professionals who have dedicated themselves to providing that type of service in their communities.

“I wanted to learn from others, share ideas, stay connected to emerging issues and contribute to a profession that plays such an important role in the success of public organizations.”

Henley hopes to continue elevating public sector HR as both a strategic leadership function and a deeply people-centered profession. He’s especially passionate about leadership development, talent strategy, workplace planning and “creating intentional pathways for people to grow and thrive in public service.”

Henley has gone on to earn an M.B.A. from Troy University, and a doctorate in business administration and management from Florida Institute of Technology.

But he’s never done learning, and he looks forward to sharing knowledge through speaking, teaching and writing, “so that others can benefit from both research and real-world practice,” says Henley, who has also served as a panelist for PSHRA webinars.

“My goal is to keep bringing together strategy, empathy, credibility and action in a way that leaves organizations stronger, employees better supported, leaders better prepared and communities better served,” he says.

“I also have a deep respect for those who choose public service, often in roles that are essential, demanding and not always fully recognized. Being able to serve those who serve others has been one of the greatest privileges of my career, and continues to motivate me every day.”