Torrance City Manager Aram Chaparyan is pleased to announce the newest member of the City’s executive staff with the appointment of Dr. Hedieh Khajavi as the new human resources director.
Dr. Khajavi, who currently serves as the City’s human resources manager, was among a competitive group of candidates. She was selected based on her extensive knowledge, clear understanding and track record of advancement in human resources, employee benefits, personnel policies and procedures, labor relations, strategic job training and continued development of employee engagement.
Prior to joining the City of Torrance, Dr. Khajavi was the chief human resources officer for the Inglewood Unified School District, director of human resources for the Baldwin Park Unified School District and has served in the realm of human resources for San Diego and Los Angeles Counties Offices of Education, Unified School Districts and the San Bernardino Employment Services Department.
Dr. Khajavi earned her Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California in 2021. She also has a Master of Science Degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from California State University, San Bernardino. She is accredited with a Project Management Certificate, School Management Negotiators Certification, and POST Certified-Internal Affairs. She is a member of various human resources professional organizations including: California Public Employers Labor Relations Association (CalPERLA), Internal Project Management Association (IPMA), and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Torrance City Manager Chaparyan said, “The City of Torrance is fortunate to have Dr. Khajavi lead our newly restored Human Resources Department. HR plays a key role within our organization of nearly 1,700 full-time and part-time employees. Dr. Khajavi has proven her ability through leadership, employee engagement, education, expertise, and professionalism. This is an exciting opportunity to have her join our outstanding Executive team that leads this amazing organization through our City Council approved Strategic initiatives.”