Austin Community College District’s (ACC) vice chancellor of Human Resources, Kelly Torrico, has been named a winner of the Austin Business Journal’s (ABJ) 2026 HR Impact Awards. This prestigious regional award recognizes the top human resources and administrative professionals who drive institutional excellence and foster outstanding workplace cultures across Central Texas.

Torrico was honored during ABJ’s annual combined Best Places to Work + HR Impact Awards luncheon on June 24, 2026.

“We are incredibly proud to see Kelly recognized for her dedication to the Riverbat community,” said Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart. “Her human-centric, forward-looking approach ensures that ACC is not only a life-changing place for our students to learn, but a supportive, world-class environment for our faculty and staff to work.”

Since taking the helm of HR at ACC, Torrico has continuously demonstrated how human resources can serve as both a strategic driver and a steward of ethical leadership.

Among her notable achievements is the modernization of HR as a customer service function — implementing a ticketing system, dedicated field support, and regular communication channels — which has dramatically streamlined support and allowed the department to respond more efficiently and proactively to the evolving needs of employees and leadership alike. Torrico has also created the first formal employee relations structure and led the first remodeling of the College’s compensation and classification process in three decades in support of fairness and consistency for staff employees. Finally, Torrico is recognized for championing the integration and operationalization of College values into the systems, policies, and offerings experienced by employees.

“This is not a reflection of me, but the tireless efforts of the HR team and our partners in leadership.  It’s also thanks to the employees of this College who have supported this work with dedication and commitment in service to the Riverbats of today and years to come. It’s my honor and my goal to continue doing this work with you, not to you,” said Torrico.

At the heart of Kelly’s leadership is a simple but powerful philosophy: organizations thrive when they remain committed to the people who power their mission.

Leave a message of congratulations for Kelly in the comments below. Explore our HR team at austincc.edu/hr.

ACC CFO Named ABJ Finalist 

ACC Finance & Administration Executive Vice Chancellor Neil Vickers was also recently recognized as a Best CFO finalist by the Austin Business Journal.