2021 EIHRA Board
President
Heather Golden is currently the Human Resource Director at Lynch Dallas, P.C., a law firm in Cedar Rapids. Heather is a human resource professional with over 13 years of experience in payroll, human resources analysis/consulting and benefits compliance. She also has 6 years of successful corporate legal assistant experience working in Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Golden holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology/Criminology from Northern Illinois University and a graduate level Lawyer’s Assistant certificate from Roosevelt University. In 2016, Ms. Golden received her Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional designation and is entering her 3rd year on the Eastern Iowa Human Resources Association board.
President-Elect
Kate Pine has been a member of EIHRA for the past 4 years. She served as the Workforce Readiness Chair in 2018 and 2019 and as the Programming chair in 2020. Kate brings a wealth of information from her position at Iowa Workforce Development where she has had a variety of positions for the past 10 years and is currently the Iowa City Cedar Rapids Workforce Region Business Marketing Specialist. Kate graduated from Central College with a degree in Philosophy and then served as a US Navy Hospital Corpsman. Upon her return to Iowa, Kate earned a Micro-Computer Specialist Diploma from Indian Hills Community College and a Masters of Science in Adult Learning from Drake University. Kate also completed Drake’s Don V Adams Leadership academy and earned the coveted “pen” award for completing the Dale Carnegie Course. In her free time, Kate volunteers at the Monarch Zone Project and is a butterfly census taker for ISU’s Reiman Gardens program.
Past-President
Heidi Hromidko is the Vice President of Human Resources at CCR. Heidi forms strategic alliances with senior leaders to understand and articulate business needs and translate them into people strategies. She is helping accelerate CCR’s growth through transforming leadership, attracting and developing the best talent and building a culture of engagement, agility and innovation.
Having worked the majority of her career in the technology industry, Heidi enjoys a fast-paced environment and truly loves creating workplaces and employee experiences that teams can thrive in and ultimately deliver business results.
Heidi holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business and Human Resource Management from Mt. Mercy University and an MBA from University of Dubuque. She is also a member of Society for Human Resource Management where she is a Certified Professional.
Heidi resides in Swisher and enjoys spending time with her family, reading and learning about her Czech heritage.
Treasurer
Barb Schulte is the Manager, Human Resources with Kinze Manufacturing, Inc. and previously worked in the healthcare industry for 20+ years, starting in the finance department then moving 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. She has lived in the Cedar Rapids area for most of her life and enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.
Secretary
Valerie Burns is currently the Human Resource Manager at Iowa Fluid Power in Cedar Rapids. Valerie worked with software training and implementation while finishing her Human Resource Management degree at Upper Iowa University. Since graduation, she has spent the last fourteen years at IFP, and has served on the EIHRA board for the past three, as the Certification Chair. Val is also active in fitness and bicycling, as well as keeping busy with her high school daughter’s volleyball and church activities. Val is looking forward to the new year with EIHRA and also will be serving on the State SHRM Board as the Foundation Director.
2021 EIHRA Committee Chairs
Certification Chair
Katie Symmonds attained her master’s degree from Louisiana Tech University in Industrial Organizational Psychology. After graduation, she started her Human Resources career with Goodwill Industries of North Louisiana as a Compliance Specialist. After moving back to the Midwest, she started working for MidWestOne Bank. At MidWestOne Bank, Katie enjoys building relationships with business partners to better serve their needs and support the strategic direction and culture of the organization. More recently, Katie acquired her Senior Certified Professional Certification from the Society for Human Resource Management. Outside of work, Katie volunteers her time at the Friends of the Animal Center Foundation and for Girls on the Run as an assistant coach.
Legislation Chair Open
Membership Co-Chairs
Jodi Hoke is currently at Lesaffre Yeast as an HR generalist. She’s responsible for the recruiting, onboarding, training and many other tasks for all 4 business units on the Lesaffre Cedar Rapids campus including Red Star Yeast, Biospringer, Saf Pro Blending Facility and the Lesaffre Pilot lab, for a total of about 225 employees.
She has been in the HR field for about 7 years, specializing in recruiting and onboarding. She’s especially proud of the work she’s done in streamlining onboarding processes to ensure that each employee has the knowledge and training necessary to start their work with the company. She recently obtained both her PHR and SHRM-CP certification and is committed to continued learning and growth within her own HR competencies. She enjoys meeting new applicants and learning something new every day from them.
In her free time she enjoys volunteering with Waypoint’s domestic violence department, running, yoga, spending time with her great Dane puppy, Magic, and fiancé, Sam.
Krista Even joined EIHRA in 2019 and is looking forward to co-chairing the Membership Chair. She has spent 13 years with AEGON Asset Management and Transamerica in various HR roles. She is joining the HR team at Nordstrom in early 2021.Outside of work, Krista enjoys traveling, going to kids activities, margaritas, and re-decorating and organizing her home. Please reach out if you have any questions about becoming an EIHRA member or rejoining EIHRA.
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
Samantha Rogers is the Senior Human Resources Manager at the Skywalk Group and a proud Forty Under 40 award recipient of the class of 2019. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and has successfully partnered with over 150 organizations to align their strategic initiatives with their daily operations and workforce culture. Her specialties include strategic planning, risk management, employee relations, and compliance with federal and state employment law. Currently, Samantha is serving her second year as the Student Liaison Chair on the Eastern Iowa Human Resources Association (EIHRA) board, the Vice President of Membership, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee Lead, and the COVID-19 ad hoc committee member of the Junior League of Cedar Rapids (JLCR), and a four-year “Big Sister” at Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS).
Workforce Readiness Melissa Copeland-Silver
Website Chair Jennifer Stahle
Programs
Jill Kofron 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 second year serving the board, and looking forward to her new role in the Programs Chair in 2021.