The current officers of the Charlotte I/O Networking Group are listed below. If you have any comments or suggestions for any of them, please submit a note on the contact page.
Eric HeggestadPresident
As president, Eric Heggestad provides overarching guidance and coordination regarding the group's events and organization. Since 2005, he has served as associate professor of psychology and organizational science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he also directs the university's master's degree program in industrial/organizational psychology and directs consulting projects through the university's Organizational Science Consulting and Research unit.
Eric's primary areas of expertise include the topics of personality assessment and selection, and his teaching has included undergraduate and graduate courses on personnel psychology, psychological measurement, and personality psychology.
Prior to his current position at UNC Charlotte, Eric served as assistant professor of psychology at Colorado State University, research scientist at Human Resources Research Organization, and personnel research scientist at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from St. Olaf College and his Ph.D. in personality psychology from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Janet RhotonVice President and Event Coordinator
As vice president and event coordinator, Janet Rhoton oversees various aspects of the group's periodic meetings. She currently serves as senior vice president, learning and leadership development executive, at Bank of America, where she has worked since 2001.
In her current capacity, Janet serves on Bank of America's Enterprise Learning and Talent Management team, in which she is accountable for learning strategy development and career development program implementation.
Previously, Janet served at JLG Industries Inc. as dean of the JLG Corporate University and director of organizational development, and as a consultant for Personnel Research Associates Inc. (now Valtera) and Assessment and Development services. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Penn State University and her master's and Ph.D. in industrial/organizational psychology from Colorado State University.
Linda Shanock
Membership and Communications Chair
As membership and communications chair, Linda Shanock manages the group's internal and external communications efforts. She has served as assistant professor of psychology and organizational science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte since 2007.
Linda's research and teaching focuses primarily on supportive organizations and organizational support theory, including relationships between perceptions of organizational support and occupational stress, safety, supervisor support, and coworker support. She has taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses on topics including organizational psychology and research methods.
Prior to joining the UNC Charlotte faculty, Linda served as assistant professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Virginia Tech, a master's degree in human behavior and organizational psychology from Kean University, and her Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Delaware.
Erika PetersonTreasurer and Fundraising Chair
As treasurer and fundraising chair, Erika Peterson manages the group's finances. Since 2006, she has served at Lowe's Companies Inc., where she is currently a talent management consultant on the Selection and Assessment team.
In her role at Lowe's, she is responsible for managing and enhancing the selection processes for store management training programs, which impact approximately 30,000 employees annually. Erika also holds a lead role in Lowe’s director and district manager assessment centers, where she assesses participants for leadership roles and provides feedback and coaching.