{"id":515715,"date":"2026-05-04T16:46:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T20:46:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/?p=515715"},"modified":"2026-05-04T16:53:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T20:53:10","slug":"poole-pack-profile-meet-doug-rowe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/poole-pack-profile-meet-doug-rowe\/","title":{"rendered":"Poole Pack Profile: Meet Doug Rowe"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

To call Doug Rowe a people person is a big understatement. In his case, the people include about 575 Poole College employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the human resources consultant in Poole\u2019s Office of Business Services, Rowe is the one-stop-shopping destination for faculty, staff and student workers on issues related to joining or leaving Poole \u2014 and everything between those points. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He calls his duties managing the employee lifecycle: posting jobs, recruiting, onboarding, benefits, informing employees about campus openings, offboarding. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

\u201cI meet everyone where they want to be met. I’m always trying to think of ways to make employees’ work lives easier and better.”<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have an open-door policy, and everyone knows that,\u201d he says. \u201cI meet everyone where they want to be met. I\u2019m always trying to think of ways to make employees\u2019 work lives easier and better\u2026.so people can reach the greatest versions of themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best part of his job? \u201cI love the people here. They\u2019re great people, and no day is ever the same,\u201d Rowe says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People at Poole love him back.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rowe is the 2025 recipient of Poole\u2019s Award for Excellence. That was followed by his selection for an NC State university-wide Award for Excellence, as one of 12 recipients across campus recognized last June. The university award is the highest honor granted to non-faculty employees.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The former colleague who nominated Rowe for the university award noted that he started his position when many Poole employees considered the college\u2019s human resources office to be, as she put it, a \u201cblack hole,\u201d generally unresponsive and unreliable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Portrait<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Rowe\u2019s four years at Poole, he has filled the hole with the light of transparency, communication and caring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s where we\u2019ve flipped it, getting people acclimated slowly to a different level of HR. I think we\u2019re trending in the right direction now,\u201d Rowe says, \u201cand meeting the needs of the college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His Poole position also meets his own needs \u2014 especially more time for his personal life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rowe\u2019s previous managerial jobs in retail and the food industry didn\u2019t give him that option. Not when he worked weekends and holidays and, in one position, frequently toiled until late at night and then returned at 3:30 a.m. to unload delivery trucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, he and his wife, Heidi, moved to North Carolina from Florida, where he grew up, for her new job at Duke University Hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That led the former high school football player \u2014 who initially considered working as a scout or administrator for a football organization \u2014 to examine his own career and pursue a more HR-focused track. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He started in Poole\u2019s HR office as a temp worker in 2021 before he was hired full time and later promoted to his current position. At first, he was Poole\u2019s only HR professional. Now he works with an assistant director of employee development and success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rowe compares a university campus to a city. \u201cIt\u2019s moving and alive and changing. It\u2019s never dull. It gives you a lot of fortitude to learn and grow,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s probably the best you can hope for in a job, and not everyone gets that. It\u2019s exciting to have that opportunity and make the most of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has used that opportunity to build strong connections with his colleagues, who share the goal of helping students succeed at Poole and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve met a lot of really cool and interesting people. I\u2019ve formed relationships with them, and I really like that,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re so dang nice and different from each other. It\u2019s never the same conversation\u2026They\u2019re all hard workers, and it\u2019s very inspiring to see we all believe in the same mission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

\u201cThey\u2019re all hard workers, and it\u2019s very inspiring to see we all believe in the same mission.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Rowe and his wife shared the same mission of meeting a future partner when they met on the dating app Match about 10 years ago. \u201cWe were a 100% perfect match. We married within a year, and there was no looking back,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At home, he and his wife are greatly outnumbered by their pets \u2014 three dogs and four cats. \u201cWhen I go home, I\u2019m a quiet man who reads books (science fiction and horror) and spends family time with my loving wife,\u201d Rowe says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The couple has traveled widely, including to Portugal, Spain and a three-week vacation last summer in Japan. This year? Ireland and Scotland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a heavily inked left arm, Rowe has a tradition of getting a tattoo wherever he travels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with his Poole job, some of his tattoos bring out the people person in him. In honor of his wife, whom he nicknamed Bear, he has a bruin tattoo. The animal\u2019s eyes are hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n \n \"One\n <\/button>\n \n \"One\n <\/button>\n \n \"One\n <\/button>\n \n \"One\n <\/button>\n \n \"One\n <\/button>\n \n \"One\n <\/button>\n \n \"One\n <\/button>\n \n \"One\n <\/button>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n
\n

More from Poole Business: Spring 2026<\/h2>\n

At Poole College, we create impact by preparing students for meaningful careers, generating knowledge that informs practice, and engaging with organizations and communities in ways that make a difference.<\/p>\n \n

\n \n \n
\n
\n "graphic\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n \n

From Classroom to Boardroom: Jenkins MBA Students Help Shape a Company\u2019s AI Future<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

What started as a class assignment became a real-world strategy when Jenkins MBA students built an AI roadmap now guiding a digital marketing agency\u2019s next move.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n\n \n

\n
\n "Poole\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n \n

Poole Pack Makes Its Mark on Day of Giving<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

From near and far, our Poole College community came together to raise $3.8 million through more than 1,000 gifts, driving the college’s biggest Day of Giving yet.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n\n \n

\n
\n "Rodney\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n \n

Redefining Accounting Careers<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

Jenkins MAC alumni are breaking stereotypes, turning accounting expertise into careers that drive innovation, leadership and social impact.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n \n See all in current issue<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n

To call Doug Rowe a people person is a big understatement. In his case, the people include about 575 Poole College employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the human resources consultant in Poole\u2019s Office of Business Services, Rowe is the one-stop-shopping destination for faculty, staff and student workers on issues related to joining or leaving Poole \u2014 and everything between those points. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He calls his duties managing the employee lifecycle: posting jobs, recruiting, onboarding, benefits, informing employees about campus openings, offboarding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have an open-door policy, and everyone knows that,\u201d he says. \u201cI meet everyone where they want to be met. I\u2019m always trying to think of ways to make employees\u2019 work lives easier and better\u2026.so people can reach the greatest versions of themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best part of his job? \u201cI love the people here. They\u2019re great people, and no day is ever the same,\u201d Rowe says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People at Poole love him back.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rowe is the 2025 recipient of Poole\u2019s Award for Excellence. That was followed by his selection for an NC State university-wide Award for Excellence, as one of 12 recipients across campus recognized last June. The university award is the highest honor granted to non-faculty employees.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The former colleague who nominated Rowe for the university award noted that he started his position when many Poole employees considered the college\u2019s human resources office to be, as she put it, a \u201cblack hole,\u201d generally unresponsive and unreliable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Portrait<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Rowe\u2019s four years at Poole, he has filled the hole with the light of transparency, communication and caring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s where we\u2019ve flipped it, getting people acclimated slowly to a different level of HR. I think we\u2019re trending in the right direction now,\u201d Rowe says, \u201cand meeting the needs of the college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His Poole position also meets his own needs \u2014 especially more time for his personal life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rowe\u2019s previous managerial jobs in retail and the food industry didn\u2019t give him that option. Not when he worked weekends and holidays and, in one position, frequently toiled until late at night and then returned at 3:30 a.m. to unload delivery trucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, he and his wife, Heidi, moved to North Carolina from Florida, where he grew up, for her new job at Duke University Hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That led the former high school football player \u2014 who initially considered working as a scout or administrator for a football organization \u2014 to examine his own career and pursue a more HR-focused track. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He started in Poole\u2019s HR office as a temp worker in 2021 before he was hired full time and later promoted to his current position. At first, he was Poole\u2019s only HR professional. Now he works with an assistant director of employee development and success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rowe compares a university campus to a city. \u201cIt\u2019s moving and alive and changing. It\u2019s never dull. It gives you a lot of fortitude to learn and grow,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s probably the best you can hope for in a job, and not everyone gets that. It\u2019s exciting to have that opportunity and make the most of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has used that opportunity to build strong connections with his colleagues, who share the goal of helping students succeed at Poole and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve met a lot of really cool and interesting people. I\u2019ve formed relationships with them, and I really like that,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re so dang nice and different from each other. It\u2019s never the same conversation\u2026They\u2019re all hard workers, and it\u2019s very inspiring to see we all believe in the same mission.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Rowe and his wife shared the same mission of meeting a future partner when they met on the dating app Match about 10 years ago. \u201cWe were a 100% perfect match. We married within a year, and there was no looking back,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At home, he and his wife are greatly outnumbered by their pets \u2014 three dogs and four cats. \u201cWhen I go home, I\u2019m a quiet man who reads books (science fiction and horror) and spends family time with my loving wife,\u201d Rowe says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The couple has traveled widely, including to Portugal, Spain and a three-week vacation last summer in Japan. This year? Ireland and Scotland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a heavily inked left arm, Rowe has a tradition of getting a tattoo wherever he travels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with his Poole job, some of his tattoos bring out the people person in him. In honor of his wife, whom he nicknamed Bear, he has a bruin tattoo. The animal\u2019s eyes are hearts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The college’s human resources consultant strives to meet employees where they want to be met.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52483,"featured_media":515724,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"views\/single-immersive.blade.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"Jess Clarke","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/side-by-side-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"backgroundColor\":\"custombg_two\",\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"displayCategoryID\":7,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"The college's human resources consultant strives to meet employees where they want to be met.\",\"titleColor\":\"custombg_one\",\"mediaID\":515724,\"caption\":\"\",\"image\":\"{\\\"alt\\\":\\\"Doug Rowe headshot\\\",\\\"id\\\":515875,\\\"caption\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"url\\\":\\\"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2026\/05\/Doug-Rowe-2-684x1024.jpg\\\"}\",\"focalPoint\":{\"x\":0.56,\"y\":0.27}}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26,7],"tags":[],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[84],"class_list":["post-515715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newswire","category-organizational-excellence"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":7,"name":"Organizational Excellence","slug":"organizational-excellence","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":7,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":41,"filter":"raw"},"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/52483"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=515715"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515715\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":515877,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/515715\/revisions\/515877"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/515724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=515715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=515715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=515715"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=515715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}