Grundmann leaves city hall for SPEA

A Bloomington city official is leaving his position to join the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Daniel Grundmann, City of Bloomington human resources director, will leave his post Nov. 24 and become a faculty lecturer in SPEA.

Adam Wason, communications director for the City of Bloomington, said in an email, a replacement has not been named. Grundmann said teaching at the university level is a passion.

“I’ve enjoyed the experiences as an adjunct faculty member significantly, and I am really excited about the idea of dedicating myself fully to teaching,” Grundmann said.

Grundmann has been the director of human resources for Bloomington since 2001, served as the department’s assistant director from 1998 to 2000 and was hired by the city as director of safety training and communications in 1997.

During his 17 years with the city, Grundmann has made many valuable contributions, Wason said.

“Daniel’s efforts to transition our city government benefits structure to the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns Trust Fund is saving taxpayers literally millions of dollars,” Wason said.

Grundmann said the innovation projects he has worked on with a team have had a
significant positive effect on the city.

“I’ve been here a long time, and I’ve been involved in a whole lot of wonderful things with the city,” he said.

Grundmann was also involved in the revision of the compensation and benefits structure for the city, development of performance appraisal and job evaluation systems, revisions of the employee handbook and policy manual, and negotiations of 14 collective bargaining agreements with three labor unions, Wason said.

“Under his leadership, the department established an organizational development program, an extensive internal training curriculum and implemented a new human resources information system,” Wason said.

Grundmann was one of four members who served on Mayor Mark Kruzan’s budget team and was a member of the city’s strategic planning team and innovation committee, Wason said.

Grundmann has been teaching in SPEA as an adjunct faculty member since 2002.

“I am most looking forward to focusing my mental energy on teaching, on course design, on the students and on the School of Environmental and Public Affairs,”
Grundmann said.

Follow reporter Mary Hauber on Twitter @mary_hauber.