Opal Howard

Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer

Opal Howard serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer for Adventist HealthCare, where she leads the health system's human resources strategy and initiatives focused on talent, culture, workforce development, compensation and benefits, employee engagement and organizational effectiveness.

Opal joined Adventist HealthCare in 2026, bringing more than 30 years of progressive human resources leadership experience in healthcare. Prior to joining Adventist HealthCare, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer for AdventHealth's East Florida Division, where she led people strategy for more than 12,000 team members and partnered with executive leaders to align workforce initiatives with clinical, operational and financial priorities.

Throughout her career, Opal has led workforce transformation initiatives, organizational integrations and technology implementations across multiple healthcare organizations. Her leadership has focused on creating high-performing cultures, strengthening employee engagement and developing innovative solutions that support team member well-being and organizational success.

Opal earned a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management and a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources from Western Governors University. She is a Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Opal and her husband, Milton, are proud parents of two adult children. Their family has grown to include three grandsons, who bring great joy to their lives. Opal cherishes the time she spends with her family and values the importance of strong relationships, both at home and in the workplace.