2020 Board Information

President
Lauren Pearce, PHR, SHRM-CP
Director of Human Resources
12th Man Foundation

I joined BV-SHRM in 2013 and have worked in HR for over ten years. This year, I have the pleasure of serving as President alongside my amazing Board. Together with our membership, I look forward to the impact we will make in 2020.

I am passionate about BV-SHRM, because it enhances my effectiveness in the HR field through valuable resources, relationships, opportunities, and training. My HRD degree from Texas A&M, PHR, and SHRM-CP provide a strong foundation, but my most valuable resource has been access to the cumulative experience of our membership. Thanks to our organization, I’ve established a network in the Brazos Valley and beyond to consult on the ever-changing challenges in our field. 

I have been a member of BV-SHRM since 2017, originally joining as a way to get to know other HR professionals in the area and to stay up to date on HR issues. Last year, I served on the board as the Sponsor Chair and am very excited to serve as President-Elect for 2020.

I graduated from Texas A&M with BBA in Management and have worked in the HR profession for the past 7 years. I currently work for K2Share, LLC,and am living the life of an HR department of one. In 2019, I earned my SHRM-SCP and have been very fortunate to be a part of BV-SHRM to have access to the resourses and support of amazing members.

I have been a member of BV-SHRM since 2001. I joined this group to connect with other HR Professionals and to gain valuable information about current and changing HR topics.

Currently I am the Treasurer of BV-SHRM.I am responsible for all monies of the chapter. I must maintain and keep accurate financial records and report monthly directly to the-SHRM board. I record all income and expenses and ensure we are operating within in our said budget.

I hold a Dental Hygiene degree from The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and a Management degree from Texas A&M University. I earned my PHR certification in 2009 and my SHRM-CP certification in 2015.  I have worked in finance and HR for over 18 years and enjoy serving our Chapter.

SecretaryStacy Overby, SPHR SHRM-SCP
Director of Human Resources
Texas A&M Transportation Institute.

I have been a member of BV-SHRM since 2008.  Since joining, I have volunteered as the Director of College Relations, Workforce Development, President-Elect, President for two years, Past President and most recently as the Secretary.  I was also the Director of Workforce Development for Texas SHRM for three years.  I volunteered twice to teach the Workforce Development section of our PHR/SPHR prep course.

I received my bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education from Texas A&M University in 1985 and my Master’s in General Administration from Central Michigan University in 1998.  I retired from the US Army after 22 years on active duty retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.

I have worked in Human Resources for the past 11 years as the Professional Development Coordinator for Texas A&M Forest Service, Senior HR Manager for Ply Gem Building Products and most recently I was selected to be the Director of Human Resources for Texas A&M Transportation Institute. 

Vice President Programs
Retha Youell, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Risk and Workforce Compliance Manager
City of College Station

I joined BVSHRM in 2008 to increase my knowledge of the Human Resource profession and to expand my professional network.        

​My undergraduate and graduate work in the fields of industrial psychology and journalism, Protocol School of Washington training on corporate etiquette and international protocol, and literally hundreds of conferences, seminars, webinars and other learning opportunities provided by SHRM and BVSHRM have contributed to my success. 

Certification
Melissa Green

Melissa Green is the Vice President of Spherion Staffing, over the Bryan/College Station, Conroe and Brenham offices. Prior to joining Spherion in 2009 she spent 16 years in the recruiting and staffing industry here in the Brazos Valley. She has a passion for recruiting and staffing, and working with clients to find just the "right" individual for the job. Melissa is an active member in the community. She is a past president of BV-SHRM and was awarded the Brazos Valley SHRM's Building Value with HR Excellence Award in 2012.   

Katherine Kleemann is the Owner of the Spherion Staffing franchise locations in Bryan, Brenham and Conroe, TX along with her husband, Justin.  The Kleemanns just celebrated their tenth year in business and were recently awarded the 2018 Spherion Owner of the Year Award.

Katherine is very active in the Brazos Valley. She currently sits on the board of Scotty’s House and is the Managing Director of the Invest Brazos Valley group for the Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation.  She has previously served on the Executive Board of the Junior League of Bryan-College Station and is a Past-President of the Brazos Valley Society of Human Resource Management (BV-SHRM).  In 2017 Katherine was honored to be recognized as a Community Impact Award winner by the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce. 

Katherine received her bachelor’s degree in Communications from The University of Texas at Austin, but is proud to call Aggieland her home. 

I joined BV-SHRM in 2014 to connect with HR professionals in the Bryan-College Station area and to learn about labor trends in the local area.

As College Relations Chair, I hope to foster relations between BV-SHRM and Texas A&M as well as Blinn College.

Since graduating with a Ph.D. from Texas A&M in 2003, I have held various positions within higher education, both in Texas and the Netherlands.  I am very excited to be a part of BV-SHRM.  I feel that there are so many great resources available through SHRM for today’s and tomorrow’s HR professionals.

I joined BV-SHRM in 2018. I joined BV-SHRM to broaden my knowledge and to stay informed on various human resources innovations and trends.

​Additionally I enjoy networking and developing connections with others in the HR field.

I have a background with training and onboarding, specifically focused on skill development and coaching.  I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel & Restaurant Management from the University of Houston and also completed an Executive Master’s in Business Administration from Texas Southern University.

I joined BV-SHRM in 2016 to expand my HR network in the Brazos Valley and keep connected with my profession while staying at home with my two young children. I appreciate the many opportunities made available by BV-SHRM, such as being able to give back to my community through the Together We Grow program and working towards my HRCI certification alongside other professionals in the BV-SHRM certification study group.

Prior to joining BV-SHRM, I was an HR Business Partner in the oil and gas industry for 13 years, working in the downstream, upstream and midstream sectors, both locally and internationally. During my tenure, I gained experience in labor relations and held specialty roles in Policy and Organization Effectiveness Consulting. I received a BBA in Management and an MS in Human Resource Management from Texas A&M University.

I look forward to serving as Director of Government Affairs and adding further value to this organization.

I Joined SHRM in 1994-95 in order to provide professional support to my new position as the HR Manager and Safety Director at Schult Homes in Navasota. I have stayed with SHRM through multiple positions and actively participated as the organization grew.

Presently serve as the Chapter Foundation Chair to Ensure the chapter maintains its Chapter Champion Status. I provide updates on Foundation programs that would be of interest to the chapter. Additionally, I help with our certification programs as a facilitator for labor relations and employee relations.

I have Three Masters degrees, two of which are related to HR – an MS in Management Science from Salve Regina University - 1985 and a Masters of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College - 1991. I taught upper level Leadership and Management courses from 1991-1994 as an associate professor at Texas A&M followed by a 25-year career in HR-related positions (Manager to VP). I am a Professional Management Consultant in IMC -USA and have held SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications since 1998 and the beginning of the SHRM certifications. I’m a Past SHRM Chapter President, Past SHRM District Director and Past SHRM Foundation Director for the State of Texas.  I am an experienced DiSC Assessment provider and certified as a Spiritual Director through the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.

I became part of BV-SHRM early in my career since most of the companies I have worked for I have been the HR department.  BV-SHRM has allowed me to stay in the loop on HR related issues and laws, and to network with HR professionals. 

My employer has been 100 percent supportive of my committed to BV-SHRM and national SHRM. They have seen the value it has added to our company since my main role has been  to developed the human resources side of the company in recruiting, on-boarding, benefit and compensation, and employee relation and retention. I served on the board as the Workforce Readiness and the main focus is to provide HR support to our community. We have most recently have been able to partnered with BV-Food Bank in their "Together We Grow" program, Ringer Library resume reviews, and Project Unity Professional Cloth Drive. I received my Bachelor's degree in Business Administration with focus on HR Management from Sam Houston State University and I am a recent graduate of Leadership Brazos. 

I joined BV-SHRM as a means to learn more about and stay up-to-date on HR issues. 

My current title on the Board is Past President & Business Seminar Chair. 

The greatest trainings and education that have contributed to my success have been the relationships and guidance received from seasoned HR professionals through organizations such as BV-SHRM. My Bachelor’s in HR and MBA were great foundations for a career path, but the real world experience and touch added by these relationships have made me a more effective and successful professional.

Recertification
Michelle Merrit, PHR, SHRM-CP
Vice President – Human Resources and Operations
University Title Company

I joined BVSHRM in 2012 for professional development and networking with fellow HR professionals in our community. 

Maintaining our certification provider status with HRCI and SHRM so that we can provide events for our members to earn the recertification credits that are required to maintain their credentials. Submitting events to HRCI and SHRM for recertification credit approval. Creating attendance receipts for approved events containing recertification codes.

I attended the HR certification study group organized by BVSHRM and earned my PHR certification in May 2013 and my SHRM-CP in January 2015.  I also attend the HR Southwest Conference annually in Ft. Worth with other chapter members which is a great resource for HR professionals.

​Sponsor Coordinator
Robin Hartley

I joined BV-SHRM to get more involved with the local HR community and to ensure that I stay up to date on the current issues in the field. 

I am the Sponsor Chair for 2020. I am very excited to be getting more involved with BV-SHRM, the members and all our generous sponsors and speakers.

I have an Associate of Science and am currently working towards  a Bachelors degree. In January 2019 I earned my SHRM-CP.

Website and Hospitality Chair
Janice Quast, PHR, SHRM-CP
Director of Human Resources
The Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University

I joined BV-SHRM in 2011 after starting as Human Resources Manager within my organization.  I wanted to learn and network.

This is my second year in leadership with BV-SHRM and I am the Website Chair. I update the events, registration, and anything that is needed on our BV-SHRM.org website. I am responsible for selecting the menu and communicating the number of RSVP’s for the monthly luncheon. As the Website and Hospitality Chair, I am the contact between the luncheon venue and the board.

Trainings that have contributed to my sucess include a prep course to obtain both my PHR and SHRM-CP certifications; attending BV-SHRM luncheons, HR Southwest Conference, and National SHRM conference; being a local and national chapter member; participating in World At Work compensation trainings; and serving as a volunteer for various organizations over the years in our community.