Seantea Stewart: Sitting at the Intersection of Strategy, Service and Humanity

Seantea Stewart knew early on that public service checked all the boxes on her professional wish list.

“I came into public sector HR because I was drawn to mission-driven work and the opportunity to make a tangible impact on communities,” says Stewart, who has held the role of human resources manager with the City of Fremont, Calif. since Oct. 2023.

“Early in my career, I realized that local government HR sits at the intersection of strategy, service and humanity. The work matters because the people doing it matter: the police officers, firefighters, maintenance workers, analysts, librarians and public servants who keep cities and counties running every day.”

Stewart’s 15-plus year career in the public sector has given her the opportunity to support municipalities across the state of California, including roles as an HR analyst with the City of West Hollywood and Orange County Superior Court, a senior human resources analyst with Los Angeles County Superior Court, and principal HR analyst with Contra Costa County, Calif.

Throughout that span, she has gained experience in virtually every aspect of human resources: recruitment, labor relations, classifications and compensation, workforce planning and organizational development, for example.

In her current role, Stewart leads recruitment, classification and compensation programs supporting more than 1,000 employees, “while helping shape long-term workforce strategy and organizational infrastructure,” she says.

What keeps her professional cup filled “is knowing that strong HR work directly impacts public trust, employee well-being and the ability of agencies to serve their communities effectively,” says Stewart, who holds a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Capella University.

Stewart joined PSHRA as a member in March 2026, seeking to grow alongside like-minded public sector HR professionals, and to connect with peers “who understand the unique complexities of public sector HR.

Human resources in the public sector “requires a very different lens than private-sector work—balancing service, compliance, labor relations, transparency, political environments and organizational strategy all at once,” adds Stewart, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Arizona State University in 2007.

“PSHRA provided a community of professionals who not only understood those challenges, but were committed to advancing the profession through collaboration, education and innovation,” says Stewart, who has earned a PSHRA-SCP certification, and is also serving on PSHRA’s 2026 Research Committee.

Over the long-term, Stewart seeks to continue her growth as a strategic public sector leader, with an eye on executive HR leadership and broader organizational leadership roles within government.

She also hopes to pay forward some of the mentorship that she’s received from her peers in the profession and within the PSHRA network.

“I hope to continue mentoring and developing future public sector HR professionals,” says Stewart. “Throughout my career, I’ve benefited from leaders who invested in my growth, and I want to do the same for others entering the profession.”