Colette M. Farnes is a highly experienced Human Resources executive with 27 years of service in Orange County’s public sector. From 2021 until her retirement in 2025, she served as the Orange County Chief Human Resources Officer reporting to the County Executive Officer.  She was responsible for leading a team of 225 employees who provide critical HR and employee benefits support for more than 19,000 Orange County employees. Over her last three years in this role, Colette’s leadership helped Orange County usher in a modern approach to HR with initiatives aimed at transforming how the County attracts, retains, and develops a mission-focused workforce. Her collaborative approach to leadership was instrumental in driving strategic planning, shaping policies, and managing resources, all while ensuring operations functioned efficiently and complied with ever changing regulations. She brings this same dedication to prioritizing customer service, fostering a supportive environment that prioritizes partnership, responsiveness, problem-solving, and innovation.

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Before stepping into her executive CHRO role, Colette spent over 14 years in senior HR leadership positions within Orange County, where she played a crucial role in shaping organizational success. Colette led teams specializing in employee relations, labor negotiations, classification and compensation and provided comprehensive HR administration across various departments, including Social Services, Public Works, and Community Resources including OC Parks and OC Libraries. Colette excels in employee and labor relations, having successfully driven complex negotiations with multiple labor organizations through successive rounds of bargaining. Her leadership in the development and implementation of countywide compensation strategies, modernization of HR governance documents, enhancement of staff development, performance management and evaluation processes, and guidance of HR responses during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscore her capacity for handling high-stakes, multifaceted HR challenges.

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Prior to specializing in HR, Colette began her county career in social work. She spent over a decade as a Senior Social Worker and Senior Social Work Supervisor, where she provided case management and support to children who were victims of abuse and neglect, led teams investigating child abuse cases and worked with other county and community agencies to support at-risk children and families.  This experience in leadership, collaborating internally, with the Superior Courts, and across public and community agencies, and working in a high-pressure, high-stakes environment laid the foundation for her transition into HR.

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Colette holds a Master of Arts in Psychology from Chapman University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Fullerton.  She is also a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has earned several advanced executive leadership certifications. In 2023, the Orange County Business Journal recognized her leadership during challenging times by naming her as a Distinguished Leader in HR. Known for her strategic thinking, negotiation skills, and ability to foster collaboration across departments, Colette is dedicated to driving excellence in HR management while maintaining a focus on customer service and operational efficiency.