Amy West joined her first local Society for Human Resource Management Chapter, Golden Triangle Human Resource Association (GTHRA), in 2002 after completing her Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management at Utah State University. She had obtained her Professional in Human Resources certification (PHR) and had begun working as a Human Resource Officer at Cadence Bank in Starkville, MS. Her volunteer career with SHRM started in 2006. She first served as the Vice President of Programming, then President-Elect, and lastly President of Golden Triangle Human Resource Association in Columbus, MS. Her volunteer service at the state level led her to hold the Secretary/Treasurer role on the Mississippi SHRM State Council and to receive the Spirit of HR Award at the MSSHRM State Conference and Exposition in 2010.
Amy’s family relocated to West Tennessee in the spring of 2010. It was through networking with the local SHRM chapter (WTSHRM) that she applied for and obtained the position as Director of HR and Affirmative Action at Jackson State Community College in Jackson, TN. Amy wasted no time in joining the West TN SHRM Chapter (WTSHRM) and volunteering in leadership roles. Since joining the chapter in 2010, she has served as VP of Membership, VP of Programming, President Elect, President (4 years), and now Past-President. Amy was instrumental in starting WTSHRM’s semi-annual conference that not only serves to educate it members; but has provided the chapter funding to offer scholarships, internships, certification support, etc. It was under Amy’s leadership that WTSHRM obtained the highest-ranking Excel Chapter award from SHRM. Amy is currently completing the second year of a two-year term as Director of the Tennessee SHRM State Council.
In her current role as Director of Human Resources at Jackson State Community College, she leads the college’s HR, Title IX, Title VI, training, equity and diversity functions. Prior to her current role, she served as Vice President of HR at Cadence Bank in Starkville, MS where she focused on recruitment, benefits, and employee relations. Amy credits much of her professional success to SHRM. It has allowed her to be an active member, to serve in various volunteer roles, and to build a network of HR professionals across the United States.
In addition to her SHRM volunteer work, Amy serves as the current chair of the Salvation Army Advisory Board, chair of the WestStar Alumni Advisory Board, and is Past-President of the UTM Alumni Council.