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2024 EIHRA Board

President

Lucas Sperfslage is currently a Human Resources Manager at the City of Marion and has worked in Human Resources for almost five years. Lucas started his Human Resources career at Tata Consultancy Services as a Human Resources Business Partner. He’s received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in Psychology. Lucas has a passion for serving others and is currently preparing for his SHRM certification. Lucas enjoys spending time with his family and friends and on the weekends, you can catch him enjoying the outdoors and always looking for a new adventure.

President-Elect

Emily Bertino Honings serves as a Human Resources Business Partner for Guaranteed Rate Affinity, a joint venture partnership between Anywhere Real Estate Inc. and Guaranteed Rate, one of the United States’ largest mortgage lenders. Emily oversees all functions of HR for the organization’s Western & California divisions. Prior to her HR experience, Emily was a people leader in the fashion industry for 10+ years, working for retailers like Bloomingdale’s and Tory Burch. Emily has an Executive MBA from the University of Hawaii, a Master of Human Resources Management from the University of Southern California, and is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt-certified through Purdue University. Emily was also recently named one of ‘The Top Women Leaders of Iowa for 2023’ by the ‘Women We Admire’ publication. In her spare time, Emily loves baking, hunting for new DIY Pinterest projects to complete around the house, and spending time traveling with her husband.

Past-President

Sarah Brown is currently the Human Resources Director at Kirkwood Community College and has worked in various Human Resources roles for ten years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from University of Iowa and a MBA- HR emphasis from Upper Iowa University. Sarah received her Society of Human Resource Management, Certified Professional in 2018. In 2020, Sarah was a recipient of the Corridor Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award and has a passion for the corridor region. Sarah is married and has three children. She loves spending time with her family, dogs, friends, reading and being active with fitness.

Treasurer 

Barb Schulte is the Sr. Manager, Human Resources with Kinze Manufacturing, Inc. and previously worked in the healthcare industry for 20+ years, starting in the finance department and transitioning into the HR Manager role where she built the HR department.  Her passion in HR is with strategic planning, developing systems and programs, analytics, compliance, and training.  She has been a member of EIHRA since 2013, is SPHR and SHRM-SCP certified and has been on the EIHRA Board of Directors as Treasurer since 2020.  She has lived in the Cedar Rapids area for most of her life and enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.

Secretary

Melinda Pollmeier is the Director of Human Resources at Area Substance Abuse Council in Cedar Rapids. The majority of her 15+ year HR career has been spent working with non-profit social service organizations ranging in size from 100 – 1,000 employees. This, along with experience as outsourced HR and a large insurance company has provided her with a broad knowledge of HR and Benefits, though her favorite work is with employee relations.  Melinda has a BS in Psychology from Iowa State and an MBA from Upper Iowa University, along with the PHR and SHRM-CP designations.  Originally from SE Iowa, Melinda and her husband have lived in multiple locations in Iowa and Illinois and moved to Cedar Rapids in 2017.  She likes to use her PTO to take cruises and go camping. In her other free time, she enjoys reading mysteries, buying too craft supplies projects that will likely never be finished, and attempting to train their four-legged puppy roommate. Melinda is looking forward to contributing to the EIHRA group and meeting other area professionals.

2022 EIHRA Committee Chairs

Certification Chair

Dawn Hall is the Director of Training & Staff Development at Area Substance Abuse Council and has worked with non-profit social service agencies for the past 10 years; as an HR department of one, operations manager, compliance officer and Executive Director. Earlier in her career, she worked for a local utility, arts & education non-profits as well as an accounting firm. This myriad of experience has given her a deep appreciation for the complexities of human resources and the importance of robust staff training programs. Dawn has a BA degree from Clarke College in Dubuque and earned the SHRM-CP certification in 2016. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, dogs, grandchildren, as well as reading and completing DIY projects around the house and yard.

Membership Chair

PR/Networking Chair

Sue Wilber is currently an HR Specialist at the United States Probation Office.  Upon graduation from Wartburg College, she began her career as a federal bank examiner with FDIC.  She quickly learned that people rather than numbers was her passion and has been in human resources ever since, both in private and public sector.  She received her MBA from the University of Dubuque, and is always on the lookout for opportunities to learn and grow.  She has been an EIHRA board member for 10 years, serving in a variety of roles.  Sue lives in Center Point and stays busy with 3 active kids.

Student Liaison Chair

Amber White is currently the Director of Human Resources at Stamats Communications, Inc. At Stamats, she is an HR department of one and wears many hats in her day-to-day role. She received her bachelor’s degree from Purdue University and realized her passion was in the HR side of management. She started her career at GoDaddy.com and progressed through many roles there before leaving in 2019 and finding Stamats. “It has been the best thing finding Stamats, I am able to dive into the company strategy and still be on the first line of helping employees with questions.” She has been a member of EIHRA for 2 years and looking forward to the Student Liaison Chair.

Outside of the Stamats walls, Amber lives in Cedar Rapids with her two very active children. She enjoys cheering her children on with their activities, trying new recipes, gardening and is looking forward to adding urban chickens to her backyard this Spring.

Workforce Readiness Chair

Melissa Silver is Director of Student Services at DeltaV Code School, a program within the non-profit NewBoCo in Cedar Rapids. She loves being a bridge and a connector — whether it’s connecting community members to DeltaV or DeltaV students to local companies! She has worked in human services and education for over 20 years and served marginalized communities in the area of workforce readiness for most of that time. She loves raising her son, Jonah, who breathes math and soccer.

Communications/Newsletter Chair

Lauren Noble

Programs

Jill Lange is an Account Executive in the Employee Benefits Consulting Practice at Cottingham & Butler and has been with the organization for 3 years. Currently, Jill leads her experienced team on providing solutions for employers in the areas of cost-containment strategies, communication approaches, wellness solutions, creating HR efficiencies, compliance needs, alternate funding methods, and much more. Jill’s top priorities include new business development and overseeing the relationships with existing clients in helping to build strategic employee benefits programs. Jill enjoys the fast paced environment of Human Resources and the sturdy foundation it provides for the entirety of the business. Jill is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and currently pursuing her Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation. This is Jill’s third year serving the board, and looking forward to her role in the Programs Chair in 2022.

Diversity Chair

Anthony Arrington was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is a University of Iowa graduate with a BA in Communications Studies, and a Certified Diversity Executive. He has held leadership, training, or consulting roles in multiple organizations throughout his career. He has a decade of combined recruiting experience leading call centers recruiting on college campuses, managing boutique staffing firms, and recruiting for large organizations and now owns Top Tank Staffing Solutions. As an advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, and engagement, Anthony has worked with organizations to motivate a change in culture through crucial conversations and learning. He helps leaders transform their thinking, understand the value of EDI&E, and embrace their role as intentional drivers of this mindset throughout the fabric of their organization. He is a sought-after presenter, and co-host of “Diversity Straight Up”, a podcast that premiered in 2019. He is very involved in his community, serving on multiple non-profit boards and committees. He enjoys collaborating on initiatives that advance EDI&E for under-served populations.

Legislative

Nicole Eales is currently the Records Clerk at the Marion Police Department. Her specialties lie in compliance and risk management. Nicole has worked in Human Resources related fields for 15 years along with 10 years in a leadership role. She has a passion for group collaboration, strategic management, and empowerment. Nicole holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master in Management-Communication Management from the University of Dubuque. Nicole received her Society of Human Resource Management, Certified Professional in 2023. Nicole serves on the board for Marion Cares, a local non-profit which meets basic needs such as food and shelter for Marion residents. Nicole also serves as the Vice President for Professional Women’s Network. Nicole is enthusiastic about giving back to the community and empowering fellow women. In her free time, Nicole enjoys spending time with her family, learning, cooking, and decorating her home.