INDIANAPOLIS, IN.- Newfields welcomes Ernest Gause as Vice President of Human Resources and Chief People Officer. In his new role, Gause will lead Newfields’ HR department and serve as a strategic member of the senior leadership team.
At Newfields, Gause will continue his more than 20-year career in human resources, as well as a diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) practitioner. Before coming to Indianapolis, Gause held human resources leadership roles in several different industries, including as Director of Human Resources North America for Luxottica Retail in Mason, Ohio, and Vice President of Human Resources Operations for Source Consulting in Cincinnati, Ohio. Most recently, he held the position of Leader of M&A Services at Hillenbrand Inc., also in Cincinnati. Gause is the founding President for the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR) in Cincinnati, as well as the founder of the Diversity Council and a member of the Multi-Cultural Selection Committee. Gause created Employee Resource Groups (ERG’s) across broad spectrums of employees as a key resource for companies, in addition to creating 6-12 College Credit Plus programs that allowed high school students to receive college credit. Gause has built community-based initiatives that partnered with communities and corporations to generate funding to support students, parents and teachers to drive education.
“I am thrilled to have Ernest join the Newfields team, especially in this vital role for engaging and supporting our staff,” said Jerry Wise, Interim President and CEO at Newfields. “As we continue to invest in our staff at Newfields, we are excited to add an experienced member to our leadership team who has a history of transforming human resources departments. We look forward to working with Ernest, who will be a catalyst for change.”
This position was established following the recommendations of Newfields’ External Expert Assessment Team (ERT), which conducted a thorough review in 2021 of the institution’s culture, leadership and organization, with particular focus on the structure of the HR department. It reflects direct input from Newfields employees about the importance of new leadership to improve HR practices. Gause will be responsible for the strategic implementation and direction of all human resources initiatives, including bringing diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) directly into employee hiring and retention strategies, as well as oversight of Newfields’ employee engagement efforts. This role will be integral to enhancing Newfields’ long-term success by leading all strategic people-related activities.
“I am happy to be a part of Newfields, we all want to be a part of something greater than ourselves,” said Ernest Gause, Vice President of Human Resources and Chief People Officer. “I look forward to the partnerships and supporting the organization and its people. We all rise by lifting and supporting others.”
Gause holds a Bachelor of Business Administration/Management degree and a Bachelor of Management Information System degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, as well as a Master of Management Information System degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and an MBA from Bellevue University. He is also a Six Sigma Black Belt specializing in process engineering and improvement, as well as certified in Leadership Development and Succession Strategist.
