Lela D. Dennis, MAOM, is a senior human resources executive, organizational development consultant, and leadership strategist with more than 25 years of experience across higher education, healthcare, financial services, telecommunications, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations. She is recognized for helping leaders translate business and mission priorities into practical people strategies, stronger organizational structures, more capable leadership teams, and workplace cultures where employees can thrive.

As Founder and Senior HR People, Culture, and Leadership Development Strategist Consultant of L&D Consulting, a practice she established in 2003, Lela has delivered more than 100 consulting engagements focused on HR transformation, organizational development, leadership development, team effectiveness, performance management, workforce planning, and inclusive talent practices. She advises executives and organizational leaders through periods of growth, restructuring, and change, and designs executive retreats, leadership workshops, coaching engagements, policies, frameworks, and workflows that support sustainable implementation.

In her current consulting work, Lela serves as consultant of record and strategic HR advisor to Connect Community Access and its affiliated for-profit and nonprofit organizations, including Adult Work Experiences, All Hours Adult Care, California Room & Board Coalition, and Legacy Foundation Corporation. She partners with executive leadership to build scalable organizational structures, clarify reporting relationships and role requirements, strengthen HR infrastructure and governance, align HR technology, and advance performance-management and succession-planning practices. She also facilitates Everything DiSC® leadership-development activities and provides executive coaching on organizational alignment, leadership effectiveness, workforce strategy, talent risk, and business growth.

Lela also leads strategic project management for the Workforce Pathways Summit 2026, an initiative designed to expand employment pathways and skill-development opportunities for Adult Work Experiences program participants. In this role, she directs project governance, timelines, deliverables, program development, partner engagement, communications, and event readiness while coordinating a cross-functional planning team.

Previously, Lela served as Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Human Resources Officer for the University of California, Merced, where she directed HR strategy and services supporting more than 4,700 employees and led a team of HR professionals across talent acquisition, employee and labor relations, organizational development, classification and compensation, wellness, benefits, and workforce transformation. At the University of California, Riverside, she served as Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer and Director of Employee and Organizational Development, directing major HR functions, managing a $2.5 million budget and 10 direct reports, guiding the university's workforce response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and leading learning and organizational-development strategies for more than 3,500 staff.

Her earlier leadership roles include Vice President of Organizational Development and Learning at MUFG Union Bank, where she redesigned enterprise curriculum and increased program participation by 40 percent, as well as organizational development and training positions with PIH Health, Union Bank, and ADP. She has also served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Phoenix, teaching Business and Information Technology courses and connecting academic concepts with real-world HR and leadership practice.

Lela is a respected speaker, trainer, facilitator, and coach known for dynamic storytelling, pragmatic guidance, and a people-centered approach to leadership growth. Her work draws on behavioral science, adult-learning principles, change-management discipline, and proven assessment tools to strengthen emotional intelligence, agility, accountability, and collaboration.

Her consulting and community-service ethos is rooted in advocacy, authenticity, and impact—equipping leaders and communities to thrive.