New HR director settling in

By LYNDON ZAITZ of the Keizertimes
After more than 16 years in the position, Machell DePina is retiring as the city of Keizer’s human resources director.

Her successor, Keizerite Garrett Klever, was hired this fall and is currently on the job.

Klever graduated from the University of Pacific in Stockton, California, where he received a degree in international relations.  

He then earned a master’s degree in public administration from Penn State. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. 

After spending time in Michigan, Klever relocated to Oregon when he started to work for the state’s Drinking Water Program. 

“I realized I didn’t enjoy so much the technical pieces,” he said. “I really wanted a human element in my career.”

Klever got an informational interview and a job shadow day with one of the city’s human resources generalists. 

“I thought, this is  really what I’ve been looking for,” he said. 

“I could see that they had an impact on the lives of the people that they were supporting in their organization,” Klever  said.

 That is when he got his first job in human resources.

Klever worked at the state Department of Forestry, where he worked for almost seven years, and the Department of Education.

He finished his state employment with a stint at  the state Department of Administrative Services.

What Klever likes best about the human resources field is the satisfaction and enjoyment. 

“There are policies and employment policies and you can find ways to do really good things for employees and solve problems,” said Klever. 

Sometimes those are sticky problems, he acknowledged. 

“Maybe it’s a tough family situation, or maybe it’s even helping somebody in their career—promote or accomplish their career goals,” he added. 

As for Keizer, Klever said that “Everybody has been incredibly welcoming, willing to talk about anything.”

“One of the reasons I  pursued this opportunity is it has always been something I’ve looked at. Service is a core value of mine,” he said. 

“I try to be clear in my core values when it comes to HR and it’s humility, curiosity, integrity, transparency. That’s what I want to try and continue to do here, hopefully for the next 15 years,” he said.

Klever and his wife, Tila, have lived in Keizer for more than 15 years. They enjoy board games and are members of the Salem-Keizer board game community.