BOARD OF DIRECTORS

board openings

The following Officer and/or Director positions are currently open on the BNHRC Board for 2024:

If you are ready to apply for a Board position, please complete the Board Member Application by November 5th, 2023. If you would like more information before applying, please review the Board of Directors FAQ or contact president@bnhrc.org.

board position descriptions

In general, candidates for BNHRC Officer & Director positions must be professional members of BNHRC in good standing at the time of nomination, or appointment, and for the duration of the term of office (January 1 - December 31). Each Officer and Director position has a list of additional expectations and requirements.

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MEET THE 2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

chapter PRESIDENT

BETH HAUCK

Beth has been a professional with an expertise in HR for seven years. Beth is currently an Analyst in Continuing Education Programming at Heartland Community College. This position utilizes many Human Resource skills, including recruitment, retention, communication, and teamwork through collaborating with a team and instructors on course offerings. Beth also uses her Human Resource skills to consult at her church on anything related to job descriptions, interviewing, and other HR related topics. She was previously in Human Resources at Marcfirst for four and a half years. Prior to that role, Beth was at Toys “R” Us for seven years and spent her last year and a half there as at the HR Department Supervisor. Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in University Studies: Psychology from ISU in 2009. She is currently serving on the Board for the Wesley Foundation at ISU, a campus ministry that she attended while in college. She has been a member of SHRM and BNHRC since 2018.

 See list of past Chapter Presidents at the bottom of this page.

PRESIDENT-ELECT

TAYLOR INGRAM

Taylor is currently an HR Business Partner at COUNTRY Financial and Illinois Farm Bureau. Taylor has worked at COUNTRY and IFB for over 10 years in a variety of HR functions including Talent Development, Employee Relations, Talent Acquisition (including College Recruiting), and HR Project Management. Taylor earned a Bachelor's degree in Communication with a Business minor in 2013 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She obtained her SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification in 2018. Taylor began involvement with BNHRC while still in school as an Employment intern at COUNTRY Financial and has been a BNHRC member since 2014. She joined the BNHRC Board of Directors in 2016 and previously served in Communications, Marketing, Membership, Social Media, and Technology positions.

PAST-PRESIDENT AND SHRM FOUNDATION

BRANDY O'GRADY

Brandy is a Human Resources Specialist for Salas O’Brien where she specializes in Compensation and Benefits and Human Resources project management for a fast-growing firm. She graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2006 with a degree in Business Administration and Hispanic Studies. She received her Master’s in Business Administration from Illinois State University in 2021. She previously worked at Illinois State University in Human Resources and Campus Recreation and served as Human Resources Administrator for an employee-owned landscaping company in Idaho. She has been a BNHRC member since 2018 and a board member since 2020.

TREASURER AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

SAM LEWIS

Sam and his wife Terri are the owners of Pridestaff, a staffing and recruiting agency located in Bloomington-Normal. He is also an HR consultant for small businesses. In his career Sam has been an HR manager, a factory manager, a GM, and the VP of Engineering with responsibility for eight manufacturing plants across the U.S. He has been in leadership and management roles for over 30 years. Sam is a Certified Staffing Professional (CSP) through the American Staffing Association. He is very active in the community. He serves on the board of directors for the Work Force Investment Act for the state of Illinois. He is a curriculum advisor for Heartland Community College. He is also a board member for Marcfirst. Sam began serving on the BNHRC Board in 2012 as a Membership Co-chair.

SECRETARy

TAMI FOLEY

Tami is the Executive Director of Mid Central Community Action, Inc. She has over 16 years of experience in Human Resources and Organizational Compliance. Leaving corporate America to join the non-profit sector in 2015, she has since earned her SHRM-CP (Society of Human Resources Management Certified Professional) and CNED (Certified Non-Profit Executive Director). She has worked with all departments at MCCA to ensure MCCA is compliant with all grant regulations. Tami encourages and assists leadership and staff towards their professional development goals. She is on the WIOA Board, a member of the League of Women Voters, Healthy Eating Active Lifestyles, and the Invest Health teams, has served on Heartland Head Start’s Policy Council, and is a member of MCCA’s Board Executive Committee. Prior to becoming Executive Director, she served as staff representative on MCCA’s Board Bylaws and Membership Committee and Board Housing Committee.

Membership

KATIE RIFE

Katie is a consultant in the Employee Benefits Practice at Cottingham & Butler working in Central Illinois. She talks to and supports HR professionals daily. As a business owner herself, Katie has a great deal of business expertise and values strong relationships. Katie attended Illinois State University and graduated with degrees in Political Science, Psychology & Business. She has been a Central IL resident her entire life, and actively participates in BN Sunrise rotary. She is also an Ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce and spends a great deal of her free time volunteering in the community. Katie also loves to play golf and travel.

Beth phillips

Beth is a Personnel Specialist for Event Management, Dining, and Hospitality at Illinois State University, having started in that role in the Spring of 2020. The main focus in her position is student hiring and recruitment for the department, but also assisting in various other areas regarding employment. Beth is an Illinois State University alum and received her master’s degree in Management and Leadership from Purdue University in 2020. She earned her SHRM-CP in 2022. Beth is a lifelong resident of Bloomington-Normal and spent over 20 years in management and supervisory roles in the restaurant industry prior to coming to ISU. She is new to BNHRC and looks forward to serving on the board and assisting in the growth of the group.

certification

KERRY KELLER

Kerry is a Talent Management Analyst at State Farm supporting succession planning and talent for the organization. Kerry began working at State Farm in 2012 with prior experience at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center in Human Resources. Kerry is an Illinois State University alum, having received both her Master of Business Administration and Bachelor’s degrees from ISU. She earned the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in 2009 and the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification in 2015. Kerry has been a member of BNHRC since 2008 and began serving on the BNHRC Board in 2012. She has held several roles on the Board, including Membership, Secretary, President-Elect, President, Past-President and Social Media.

COMMUNICATION

ERIN DEKNECHT

Erin is a Talent Management Manager - LDA at State Farm, focusing on leading and working on the team responsible for performance enablement at an enterprise level. Prior to joining State Farm, Erin gained HR experiences at COUNTRY Financial and 1st Farm Credit Services, now Compeer Financial. Erin has a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Consumer Economics from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree in I/O Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She holds the PHR and SHRM-CP designations. She has been a BNHRC member since 2013 and served in numerous leadership roles on the board, including President.

technology

VACANT Position - Contact president@bnhrc.org if interested

diversity

MONICA WILKS

Monica is the Human Resources Coordinator at McLean County School District Unit 5. She has been a member of the Bloomington/Normal community for over 20 years and a member of the HR community for over 10 years. She began her membership with SHRM in 2008 and joined BNHRC in 2014. Prior to Unit 5, Monica was the HR Director for YWCA, HR Manager at Four Seasons Association, an Onboarding Specialist for Accenture Inc. and the Director of Talent Acquisition for Baker Hughes Inc. She is a graduate of Illinois State University with a Master of Science in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. In 2016 she was named as a Distinguished Alumni of Illinois State University and the Department of Politics & Government. She received her Senior Certified Professional designation from SHRM in August 2019.

GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND STUDENT CHAPTER LIAISON

ANDREA "ANDEE" RADLIFF

Andee is currently the Assistant Director for Employer Engagement in Career Services at Illinois State University (ISU). Throughout her career, she has worked in the Human Resources field in different capacities including recruitment, training, employee relations, employee development, and marketing since 2001; and has previously worked as a Talent Management Director, Benefits Officer, and Employment Consultant at ISU. Andee has degrees in Psychology, Sociology, and Women’s & Gender Studies all from Illinois State University. Andee has been a member of BNHRC since 2008 and has held several positions on the BNHRC Board, including President, Membership Director, Director of Legislative/Governmental Affairs and Secretary.

programming

VIKKI FALLS

Vikki has been part of the Bloomington-Normal community for over 30 years, and currently holds the role of VP of Human Resources at The Baby Fold. Prior to joining The Baby Fold, Vikki spent 13 years as the Managing Director for a local medical services company. In this role, she demonstrated leadership in recruiting, hiring, employee relations, payroll, and benefits, while providing direct oversight for the organizational and financial direction of multiple subsidiaries. Vikki’s background also includes time at State Farm in Underwriting, Agency, and Training/Development. She earned a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Lincoln College in 2021 after a 30-year school break from earning her Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication from University of Illinois in 1990.