Skip to Page Content

November Member Spotlight: Melinda Pollmeier

    November 24, 2025

    ​

    1.  Name and Job Title: Melinda Pollmeier, Director of Human Resources
    2.  Company Name/Industry: ASAC
    3.  How long have you been in the HR field? 20 years
    4. What inspired you to pursue a career in HR? I was a Psychology major at ISU, planning on becoming a therapist. I worked at a social service organization to gain experience during college. It was there I met Marty, the Director of HR, and she changed my entire career path. Marty handled HR alone, even though the company had several hundred employees across the state. Hiring was decentralized, and when a manager in one of the programs went on leave, I offered to help with interviews. Luckily, I had a knack for engaging candidates and building processes. Marty noticed what I was doing and pushed for a formal HR role, which eventually expanded into adding multiple HR positions across our sites. Marty’s mentorship had a profound impact on my career because she gave me experience in all areas of HR, including handbooks, policies, employee relations, and even business continuity planning during the H1N1 outbreak. The foundation of my career came from what she invested in me during those early years!
    5. How has being a member of EIHRA impacted your career? I’ve had the opportunity to serve as the Secretary of the EIHRA Board, and working with a team of dedicated volunteer leaders has been an excellent experience. I’ve also been able to apply what I’ve learned from our presenters within my organization. After Gallagher presented on compensation, we engaged their team for a large compensation project. We also hired an EOS/Traction consultant after their presentation and just completed our first year of EOS/Traction in September.
    6. What’s a hobby/interest you enjoy outside of work? I have too many hobbies to list! My most unique hobby is probably that I collect fountain pens and ink. I also collect various types of paper made in Japan because of how it highlights specific properties of ink in my collection.
    7. If you weren’t in HR, what would be your dream job? I would love to own a little stationery store.  That way I could enjoy all the pens without bankrupting myself!