SHU Appoints Director of Employee Benefits

Earline Newton has more than 20 years experience in health, welfare and retirement industry

Sacred Heart University has appointed Earline Newton as the new director of employee benefits in its human resources department. Her main responsibility is to work with faculty and staff to create benefit plans for them and their families.

“Earline has vast experience working in human resources, specifically with employee benefits, so I know she is going to be a great asset to our team,” said Julia Nofri, associate vice president of human resources. “There are many employees who rely on our department for assistance with their benefits. I am confident that Earline will be a helpful resource.”

Newton earned her bachelor’s degree in business management and industrial relations from the University of Bridgeport. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the health, welfare and retirement industry. Prior to coming to SHU, she worked as benefits and payroll manager at Industrial Color, where she helped lower medical costs and positively impact the bottom line while increasing engagement with health management programs.

In a question-and-answer interview, Newton discussed her experience and her plans to help faculty members navigate and understand their benefits.

Your role is important when it comes to ensuring employees have the essential benefits to support themselves and their families. What do you enjoy about this work?

What I enjoy most is working with people. As time goes on, I will meet and interact with each employee who has benefits. It is fulfilling in that I get to educate employees on what their benefits are all about and let them know that SHU goes above and beyond to make sure we provide them with great benefits. All too often, benefits can be complicated for employees to understand; they like to know the benefits are there for them to use, but sometimes they do not quite understand them. I like to make sure employees know I am here for them and that I can help them understand, navigate and know what to expect when using their benefits.

Do you have any specific goals when it comes to assisting University employees?

Yes, with health care costs continuing to rise over the years, my goal is to help ensure that University employees continue to have great, reliable benefit plans at an affordable cost.

How will your previous role as the benefits and payroll manager at Industrial Color aid you in this new role?

My previous role with Industrial Color called on every aspect of my expertise. I was not afraid to roll up my sleeves and dive in to get the job done. My focus encompassed benefits, payroll and the human resources information system, though I worked in some other areas of human resources as well. My experience means I can step into my role at SHU with ease and well prepared.

What is it about SHU and its community that made you take this position?

One thing that made me choose this role at SHU is that everyone I met was very nice, and it felt very genuine. The community also felt very easy-going and comfortable, kind of like being at home.