“All of my chosen careers are very intersecting - from military police to correctional officer to lawyer
…. everything I’ve done is either helping people or something to do with the law or policy.”

 

HR Strategic Partner Tarron Anderson has held a wide variety of jobs over the course of his career, but
perhaps none of his job descriptions sound quite as dramatic as his very first one.

“My first assignment was guarding nuclear weapons,” he laughed.

Anderson knows it’s an unusually intense job for an 18-year-old – but that’s what he signed up for. When
he joined the military right out of high school, he initially considered the Navy before deciding it wasn’t
quite the right fit. He ended up in the Air Force, specifically in Security Forces.

Security Forces is essentially a law enforcement and security unit, tasked with everything from Air Force
base police work to guarding flight lines, aircraft and weapons. Anderson started his military career in
Minot, ND, did a tour in South Korea and was also stationed at Charleston Air Force Base.

After leaving the Air Force, Anderson was unsure where to go next. He worked as a corrections officer
and then started attending college courses at night. Soon after, he made his way to Oregon and started
working at OSU in 2008 as an office specialist. He finished his BA while at OSU and went on to earn both
an MBA and a Juris Doctor degree from Willamette University.

Unsure if he wanted to proceed with taking the bar exam and becoming a practicing lawyer, Anderson
started exploring other options. When he heard about a new job at OSU – equity associate with the
Equal Opportunity and Access office – he knew that he’d found what he was looking for.

The EOA office oversees compliance with civil rights and affirmative action laws, as well as handles
sexual misconduct, stalking and discrimination cases. They also investigate reports of bullying,
harassment and retaliation. Anderson’s role with EOA pulled together his legal education and his military
law enforcement background.

“When I worked with EOA, I worked closely with the police,” he said. Anderson explained that some of
the cases he handled were joint efforts between EOA and the Department of Public Safety. The EOA
provides information to law enforcement when appropriate and helps victims navigate the legal
reporting process.

After five years with EOA, he moved to working in HR as a strategic partner and also served as a senior
employee labor relations officer. He recently transitioned to working as an HR strategic partner for the
Divisions of Finance and Administration and Extension and Engagement.

Anderson said that joining the Air Force at age 18 gave him the structure and mindset he needed to
succeed later in life. While there were similarities to a typical college student’s experience, there were
also a lot of extra responsibilities and expectations that shaped how he approaches work today.

“I didn't get to choose to go to work,” he said. “I learned to be disciplined. I learned responsibility
because I had a job. But at the same time, you live in dorms and everybody is around you is young.”

Anderson said that when he’s resolving conflicts between supervisors and their employees in his HR
work, he often starts by challenging supervisors to examine their leadership and reflect on the
expectations they have put in the place for employees. In his mind, leadership roles come with
accountability and responsibility for outcomes.

“If you don't set expectations and follow up and coach, you can't be upset because the problem starts
with you. As leader you have to have that ownership,” he said.