Cheryl A. Merritt-Giles, Esq., Managing Director—Human Resources
Cheryl A. Merritt-Giles, Esq. oversees Human Resources for Helen Keller Services for the Blind and Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults. She supervises all HR operations in the Brooklyn, Hempstead, Huntington and Sands Point offices. Ms. Merritt-Giles brings 20+ years’ experience in the international airline industry and healthcare industry.
In both for profit and non-profit organizations, she assumed ascending leadership positions in Human Resources, Operations, and Corporate Compliance.
During the nascent stages of her human resources career with Pan American World Airways, Inc. /Delta Air Lines, Inc., Ms. Merritt-Giles was charged with the oversight of a day to day operation consisting of 2500 employees. As the human resources business partner for Delta, Ms. Merritt-Giles managed all HR activities and programs for employees working in regions encompassing New York City, New Jersey and Boston.
As Director of Human Resources and Network Labor Relations at Generations Plus/N. Manhattan Healthcare Network (largest network in the Health and Hospitals Corporation) she managed the delivery of HR services to managers, directors and executive levels within the network. In this critical role, Ms. Merritt- Giles also managed labor relations partnerships with thirty-three unions.
As Vice President and the Chief Human Resources Officer at Morris Heights Health Center, Ms. Merritt-Giles led and managed all aspects of corporate policies, programs and guidelines governing employee behavior. As a result of her keen oversight, all business units consistently received fair and equitable attention to their diverse HR needs. This passionate leader demonstrated her tireless commitment to organizational excellence by effectively managing its most valuable asset – the people. Ms. Merritt-Giles demonstrated a superior level of competence through her efforts in the following areas- recruitment/selection, training/development, performance management, succession planning, rewards/recognition, benefits, compensation, labor relations and positive employee relations.
As a Compliance professional for Delta Airlines, Inc., and in all of her human resources roles, she continued to utilize her knowledge of law and corporate human resource policies to guide senior management in minimizing risk exposure and ensuring legal compliance of employment practices.
Prior to her appointment at HKSB as the new Managing Director of Human Resources , Ms. Merritt-Giles served as a Certified Mediator with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in the New York City District Office. She presently sits on the Certified Mediator panel at Cornell University ILR and continues to serve as a Mediator and Arbitrator at the Westchester Mediation Center.
Ms. Merritt-Giles graduated from Pace Law School in White Plains, New York. She was awarded her Juris Doctor. She is an attorney licensed in both New York and Connecticut. She holds a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management from Long Island University in Dobbs Ferry, New York, where she earned honors distinction. Ms. Merritt-Giles earned a B.S. in Management from Fisk University in Nashville Tennessee.
