City Names Sole Finalist For HR Director Position

Monday, September 29th, 2025

The City of Dalton has named a sole finalist for its new Human Resources Department director. The Mayor and Council will consider a vote to promote Haliyma Jones, who currently serves as an HR generalist for the City, at their meeting on October 20th. If approved by the Mayor and Council, Jones will succeed HR Director Greg Batts who is retiring from the position after nearly 30 years. 

Caption: A portrait of Haliyma Jones, the sole finalist for the position of Human Resources director 

Haliyma Jones joined the City of Dalton in the summer of 2022. She's holds a master's degree in public administration from Florida International University and a bachelor's in organizational management from Indian River State College. She has also earned certification from the Society of Human Resources Management as a certified professional (SHRM-CP). Before coming to Dalton, she worked in the HR Department for St. Lucie County, Florida for three years, starting as an HR specialist and then earning promotion twice to an HR analyst position. She then worked for two years as an HR coordinator for Signal Centers in Chattanooga. Since coming to Dalton, she has worked closely with Batts to develop the City's compensation and benefit strategy related to recruiting and retention of staff. She has also performed as the acting HR director in Batts' absence. 

Jones was selected as the sole finalist for the position after a competitive selection and interview process with more than a dozen applicants for the position. Greg Batts' last day before retirement will be Friday, October 3rd.