About the Director
Jane E. Cheeks, PSHRA-SCP | Human Resources Director | City of Houston
A visionary human resources executive whose career has been defined by a steadfast commitment to people, public service, and organizational transformation. With more than 26 years of dedicated service to the City of Houston and leadership experience spanning both public and private sectors, she has earned a distinguished reputation for building high-performing organizations, cultivating strong workplace cultures, and delivering innovative people strategies that create lasting impact.
As Director of Human Resources for the City of Houston for the past 10 years, Jane leads a team of more than 300 HR professionals who provide critical services to over 66,000 employees, retirees, dependents, and survivors. Under her leadership, the department serves as a strategic business partner for the nation's fourth-largest city, advancing initiatives that strengthen talent, enhance the employee experience, and support the delivery of exceptional public service. Known for her ability to unite people around a shared vision, Jane has successfully led large-scale organizational transformations, complex HR consolidations, Self-insured benefits programs, and labor-management initiatives while maintaining oversight of budgets exceeding $550 million. She is a consensus builder grounded in integrity, transparency, and accountability, has helped strengthen employee engagement, improve operational effectiveness, and foster productive partnerships throughout the organization.
Among her most transformative accomplishments is championing the City's HROne digital transformation initiative, which modernized Houston's HR infrastructure through the implementation of SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central and BenefitFocus Benefitplace. This groundbreaking effort streamlined human resources and benefits administration, improved workforce mobility and productivity, and elevated the employee experience across the organization. Read More
Jane also continues to lead the City's Involve & Evolve employee engagement initiative, a multi-phase strategy designed to deepen employee connection, strengthen workplace culture, and create a sustainable framework for continuous organizational improvement. Her passion for employee well-being is equally evident through the establishment of the City's state-of-the-art Wellness Center, which provides employees with comprehensive health, fitness, and wellness resources that support both personal and professional success.
A dedicated advocate for leadership development and succession planning, Jane has helped shape the careers of countless public servants through mentoring, workforce development programs, and strategic talent initiatives such as Grow Your Own Workforce. Each year, City employees benefit from leadership and supervisory training programs that equip them with the tools to grow, lead, and serve effectively. Jane's leadership excellence has been recognized through numerous honors, including being named one of Houston Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business 2026, Houston's Top 30 Influential Women, and receiving the 2023 Safety and Health CEOs Who "Get It" award. She also served as the 2024 President of HR Houston and remains actively engaged in advancing the human resources profession. A proud alumna of Jackson State University, Jane believes that organizational success begins with valuing people. Her philosophy is simple yet powerful: when employees feel connected, supported, and empowered, they perform at their best and organizations thrive. Guided by this belief, she continues to lead the City of Houston's Human Resources Department into a new era of innovation, service, and impact, ensuring the City remains an employer of choice for today's workforce and future generations.
Crystal Bessix, PhD | Chief Transformation Officer
Provides strategic and operational leadership for the Center for Public Leadership and Learning (CPLL), People and Client Services, and Occupational Risk Management. She oversees a team of approximately 200 human resources professionals dedicated to attracting, hiring, developing, retaining, and safeguarding the City's workforce.
A passionate people-first leader, Dr. Bessix is committed to building a high-performing, engaged, and resilient workforce that is prepared to meet the evolving needs of Houston's residents.
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She champions innovative human capital strategies that strengthen the employee experience from recruitment and onboarding through professional development, leadership growth, workplace safety, and employee well-being. Her vision is to create an environment where employees feel valued, supported, empowered, and equipped to do their best work in service to the community.
With more than 20 years of experience in human resources, adult education, learning and development, talent management, organizational development, and workforce transformation, Dr. Bessix has led initiatives across government, higher education, nonprofit organizations, corporations, and small businesses. She is an award-winning branding strategist, sought-after leadership speaker, and respected executive known for combining creativity, innovation, and business acumen to drive meaningful organizational change.
An alumna of the University of Houston, Dr. Bessix earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Management. She also holds a Master of Business Administration from American InterContinental University and a Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership Studies from Our Lady of the Lake University. Dr. Bessix is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and remains dedicated to fostering leadership, service, and lifelong learning in the communities she serves.
Darien Helton | Deputy Director of Employee Relations
Bringing more than 28 years of human resources experience with the City of Houston, Darien Helton leads a team of HR professionals dedicated to fostering a positive, productive, and respectful workplace for the City's workforce.
Helton also oversees employee relations programs and services that support employee engagement, conflict resolution, workplace investigations, policy interpretation, performance management, and compliance with employment laws and regulations.
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A trusted advisor to leaders and employees alike, Helton is committed to creating workplace environments where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed. His people-first approach focuses on building strong employee-employer relationships, promoting accountability and fairness, and helping departments navigate complex workforce challenges while maintaining a culture of respect and inclusion.
He holds both the SHRM-SCP and SPHR certifications, designating him as a Senior Professional in Human Resources. He received both his bachelor’s degree (in Computer Science with a minor in Psychology) and master’s degree (in Political Science) from the University of Houston.
Carla Coleman | Assistant Director of HR Financial & Accounting Management
With more than 20 years of financial management experience across the private, public, and government sectors, Coleman brings expertise in developing policies and procedures that enhance organizational performance, accountability, and productivity.
Before joining the City, Coleman held several positions in different industries such as logistics at Eagle Global Logistics, retail accounting at Randall’s Food Markets, oil and gas at Schlumberger, auditing at Accenture and mineral exploration at Battle Mountain Gold.
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She helped these organizations define their financial strategic direction, prepare new business plans, streamline financial and procedural policies and create and monitor accountability systems.
Coleman joined the City of Houston in 2007 at the Houston Airport System. In 2012, she joined the Human Resources department as a Systems Accountant III. In 2015, she was promoted to Division Manager in charge of budgeting and financial reporting. Since 2018, Coleman has overseen all aspects of HR’s finances, including the development and management of budgets, benefits rates, preparation of financial statements and reporting.
Coleman is a certified public manager and a certified IPMA-HR professional with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Houston.
Eddie Aguilar-Hernández | Assistant Director of Occupational Risk Management
Oversees the City's Workers' Compensation and Occupational Safety programs, drawing on 15 years of insurance industry experience in operational efficiency, strategic management, and business development.
Aguilar-Hernández has extensive experience leading projects and providing consultative risk management guidance to more than 13 political Texas subdivisions. He also has a strong background in quality assurance, statutory compliance, and claim adjudication in multiple lines of insurance for various jurisdictions.
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He is an active member of Risk Management organizations such as the Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA), Public Sector HR Association (PSHRA), and the Risk Management Society (RIMS).
Aguilar-Hernández earned his Bachelor of Business Management degree from the University of Phoenix, and he holds a Texas All-Lines adjuster license with multiple non-resident licenses in other states. He also holds a certificate from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for general industry.
Stephanie Myers, MBA | Assistant Director of HR Benefits (BEWELL)
Leads the strategic development and administration of employee benefits, Wellness initiatives, and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), focusing on innovative benefit solutions that address the evolving needs of City employees.
Within this role, Myers focuses on creating innovative employee benefits packages, by providing leadership to the benefits department through strategic design, analysis with evaluation to our current health and wellness plans.
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Myers also focuses on developing community partnerships, implementing new innovative plan designs, and providing administrative support to address the City's and employee’s health, EAP, and wellness concerns. Myers has over 24 years of administrative experience with 18 of those years being in HR and Benefits Administration. She has worked with various organizations during this time providing leadership and expertise to school districts, higher education, municipalities, and other corporations in human resources total rewards programs.
Myers has a bachelor’s in Business Management from LeTourneau University and an MBA in Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.
Janet McCown | Senior Division Manager of Compensation and HRIM
Leads two essential Human Resources teams—Compensation and Human Resources Information Management (HRIM)—that support the City's workforce through strategic compensation practices, classification systems, and HR technology solutions.
The Compensation team establishes and implements compensation and classification systems that are strategic, effective, legally compliant, and fiscally responsible to attract and retain an experienced and competitive workforce.
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The HRIM team administers and supports HR technologies, systems, processes, and data to effectively manage the life-cycle and performance of City employees in the present and into the future.
Janet has served the City of Houston for three decades, mostly in Human Resources and a few years in Houston Public Works. She has a Bachelor’s of Economics from Austin College and is a Certified Compensation Professional with WorldatWork.
Ninfa Escobar, Ph.D. | Assistant Director and Chief Learning Officer
As Chief Learning Officer for the City of Houston’s Center for Public Leadership & Learning (CPLL), she leads citywide efforts in learning and development, leadership development, organizational development, performance management, and workforce development. Her work focuses on strengthening leadership capability, supporting employee growth, and advancing strategies that improve organizational performance. With more than 15 years of leadership experience, her career began primarily in operations before transitioning into organizational development and human resources.
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This experience has shaped a practical, people-centered approach to HR that connects workforce strategies with the realities of how leaders, teams, and organizations operate. Her experience spans organizational development, talent acquisition, people operations, leadership and employee development, organizational change, performance management, and enterprise learning.
Throughout her career, she has held progressively responsible leadership roles across public and nonprofit organizations, including senior and executive human resources positions. She is passionate about creating environments where employees can grow, feel connected to their work, and understand how their contributions support a larger purpose.
Dr. Escobar earned her Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Our Lady of the Lake University and is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner.
Rennice Smith | Assistant Director of People & Client Services
Provides strategic leadership and oversight of integrated human resources teams supporting every stage of the employee lifecycle, drawing on nearly 40 years of professional HR experience to strengthen workforce services across City departments.
She joined the City of Houston in 1991, following active-duty service in the United States Army. Under her leadership, People and Client Services encompasses six core service areas: PCS Administration, Acquisition Intake, Executive Recruitment, Client Relations Management (CRM), PCS Quality and Compliance, and Public Safety & Emergency Services.
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These teams work collaboratively to deliver comprehensive human resources services and support the workforce needs of City departments.
Rennice holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Leadership, with a minor in Psychology, from the University of Houston. Her extensive experience, commitment to public service, and dedication to human resources leadership support the City’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its workforce and enhance service delivery.
Leslie Denton-Roach | Internal Communications Manager
With 15 years of experience managing the City of Houston's internal communications program, Denton-Roach is an award-winning communications professional.
Denton-Roach oversees a team of communications professionals, who provide city employees and retirees information regarding city news, health and wellness benefits, and other important, need-to-know information. The Communications team helps the Human Resources executive team – and other city departments – recognize employees' exemplary work.
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The team also coordinates the Combined Municipal Campaign, the city’s annual workplace giving program. Denton-Roach has more than 25 years of communications experience and graduated with a BFA from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi.
Alisa M. Franklin-Brocks | Senior Division Manager of Workforce Governance & Compliance Division
Franklin-Brocks joined the City of Houston in March 2007 as an Administrative Specialist overseeing the citywide grievance process. She has also served as a Senior Human Resources Specialist, Staff Analyst and Client Relations Manager. She has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources Management.
