Montgomery County Names New Chief Of Human Resources

NORRISTOWN, PA — Montgomery County continues to reshape its leadership across the board, as they've named a new head of county human resources.

Catherine Halen, a longtime professional in the healthcare industry, will take the helm.

The county says they've felt the impacts of recent social and economic trends and they're pushing to revolutionize their HR department.

“Like many employers, we have felt the effects of the Great Resignation that happened during the pandemic," Montgomery County Commissioner Ken Lawrence said. "We feel that Katie has the skill and experience to help lead those efforts to make sure we not only attract, but also engage with our employees, to keep them once they’re here."

Lawrence added the county is considering new ideas like merit pay raises and annual employee plans with targeted goals in order to improve retention and to attract the best employees.

Halen has worked for years with Beebe Healthcare, where she reduced turnover rates and led a new rapid onboarding initiative to increase new hires by 45 percent in 2022.