Association for Human Resource Management appoints president for 2022

Heather Merrick. Courtesy Express Employment Professionals of Grand Rapids

The local affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management chose the managing director of a professional recruiting firm as its 2022 president.

Specialized Recruiting Group said Wednesday, Jan. 19, its Managing Director Heather Merrick was appointed the 2022 president of the Association for Human Resource Management (AHRM), a local affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), which is a global professional society dedicated to serving human resource professionals.

Merrick will serve as president of the AHRM for one calendar year and resume service as a trustee in 2023.

This is Merrick’s 10th year on the AHRM board, having served in a variety of roles, including public relations, college relations, workforce readiness and most recently as vice president.

She has over 15 years of experience in human resources-related roles, including talent acquisition, organizational and workforce development, employee engagement, HR policy development and HR strategy. She has been an SHRM senior certified professional since 2016.

“I am very excited to continue my service at AHRM in this new role, and I think it is so important to support HR professionals in our local area now, more than ever,” Merrick said.

Merrick joined Express Employment Professionals in 2015 and currently serves as managing director for Specialized Recruiting Group, an Express Employment Professionals company, partnering with clients to provide HR solutions for recruiting and retaining talent, including training, workforce development and recruitment strategies.

In addition to her private sector experience, Merrick served seven years’ active duty in the U.S. Army and is a certified SHRM Foundation inclusion captain for veteran hiring, onboarding and retention initiatives.

She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a double major in HR management and marketing and a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in HR.