Mary Ellen Harris, Ph.D.
Chief Human Resources Officer
Areas of Specialization
Mary Ellen is Kreischer Miller’s Chief Human Resources Officer. Mary Ellen has over 30 years of professional experience providing strategic human resources leadership to a variety of businesses, including professional services organizations, software development, clinical laboratory, retail, and legal services organizations. She is regarded as an expert in the areas of leadership, talent acquisition, employee relations, talent development, talent retention, change management, and company culture enhancement. Mary Ellen subscribes to the Servant Leader philosophy; she actively engages in mentoring, coaching and encouraging others. The development of others has been the driving theme and focus throughout her career.
Mary Ellen is an advocate for communication access for the deaf and hard of hearing community and is a leader on the firm’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council as well as its women’s network, RISE (Retaining, Investing in, Supporting, and Empowering the Women of Kreischer Miller).
Background
Mary Ellen joined Kreischer Miller in 1999. Prior to working for Kreischer Miller, Mary Ellen was the Vice President of Human Resources at a mid-sized software development company headquartered in Fort Washington, PA, where her responsibilities included talent acquisition, talent development, and talent retention as well as providing executive leadership for the organization. Throughout her career, she also held several human resources leadership positions for both regional privately-held businesses and national publicly-traded organizations. Mary Ellen has served as a member of the Board of Directors and is an active member of the Deaf Hearing Communication Center in Swarthmore, PA. She is also an adjunct professor for Eastern University teaching courses in the MBA and Leadership Degree programs.
Professional and Business Affiliations
- Philadelphia Society of People and Strategy (PSPS) – Member
- The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – Member
- Greater Valley Forge Human Resources Association (GVFHRA) – Member
- Deaf Hearing Communication Center (DHCC) – Member
- The Power of Professional Women Network (POWER) – Member and Speaker
- National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) – Member and Speaker
Education, Certifications, and Awards
- Ph.D. – Leadership, Eastern University, Saint Davids, PA; Dissertation: Organization and Leadership Strategies for Addressing Workplace Bullying: Best Practices as Perceived by Human Resources Leaders
- MED – Instructional Design / Organizational Development, Pennsylvania State University, Great Valley, PA; Thesis: What Can We as Instructional Designers Do to Enhance the Education of Deaf Learners?
- B.S. – Human Resources / Business Management, York College of Pennsylvania, York, PA
- Certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR)
- Society for Human Resources Management – Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)
- Certified Compensation Management Specialist (CEBS)
- Named to the Philadelphia Titan 100 for 2022, 2023, & 2024; inducted into the Titan 100 Hall of Fame in 2024