Ten exceptional PayrollOrg members were honored for their leadership and dedicated service to the organization during the 2026 Virtual Congress that took place on July 9. The details of each recipient’s service, both locally and nationally, are listed accordingly:

Jay Crider, CPP, is the Director of Payroll at Realtor.com in Mesa, Ariz. Jay joined PayrollOrg in May 2024 and earned his Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification in 2018.

He previously served on the Strategic Payroll Leadership Task Force (SPLTF) K–12 Educational Organizations Subcommittee. He is a member of the National Speakers Bureau and the SPLTF Best Practices Subcommittee.

C.J. Easterling, CPP, is Director of Payroll, Benefits, and Employee Services at Community Loans of America, Inc. in Duluth, Ga. A PayrollOrg member since 2001, she said the recognition was both an honor and a surprise.

“This award means so much to me. I’ve been in payroll for more than 50 years and to be recognized on a national level feels amazing,” Easterling said. “I was so surprised when I was notified, that I actually cried tears of joy.”

She began her volunteer service with the Hotline Committee, known these days as the Ask an Expert Committee, and never looked back. She still serves on the Ask an Expert Committee, as well as the CHAMPS Committee and the PayrollOrg Education Grant Committee.

“I have enjoyed volunteering with all these committees,” Easterling said. “Every year, I volunteer to help out with [Payroll] Congress registration, and it is so wonderful to meet new payroll people and see others who I have come to know and respect in our chosen field.”

She is an active member of the Greater Atlanta Payroll Association where she has held numerous leadership roles.

Jeffrey Ellis is the Senior Payroll Manager, Americas, at Wise Inc. He previously served on the Child Support, Electronic Payments, Federal Issues, Garnishments, and Payroll Cards Subcommittees of the Government Relations Task Force (GRTF).

Paul Grisdale, CPP, the Senior Director of Payroll Services at the University of Virginia, began his payroll career in 1994 and has been volunteering with PayrollOrg since 2012.

“I was surprised to receive this award because I truly felt I was doing what any payroll professional would do: helping when asked and supporting the profession however I can,” he said. “That said, it is an incredible honor and one I deeply appreciate.

“What I enjoy most about volunteering is the opportunity to collaborate with other dedicated payroll professionals and help advance our field. It’s rewarding to share knowledge and learn from others. I have been volunteering since 2020, and it remains a meaningful part of my professional journey.”

For many years, Grisdale was a member of the SPLTF and the SPLTF Government/Public Sector Best Practices Subcommittee. He is currently a member of the SPLTF Educational Institutions Subcommittee.

He was also a member of the Denver Chapter Payroll Association.

Kenneth Klimik, CPP, is the Senior Payroll Manager at Fox Corporation in New York City. He is a member of the Ask an Expert Committee and the SPLTF Best Practices Subcommittee. He is also an active member of the North Jersey Chapter, where he most recently served as the chapter’s vice president.

Klimik, who has more than 25 years of payroll experience, was humbled to receive the Meritorious Service Award with his peers and shared his gratitude.

“It is truly an honor to be selected for this award,” he said. “I echo so many on this platform who have said: you can make a difference.

“My favorite committee is the Best Practices Subcommittee as, every month, I'm astonished on how knowledgeable the members are. They are also a valuable resource to reach out to when I'm not sure on how other companies handle a complex situation. I continue to learn with this committee no matter how many years I’m in payroll.”

In a personal LinkedIn post, he shared his thoughts about the award and thanked those who impacted his payroll career, which included former Payroll Man of the Year Michael Schoelles, CPP, who introduced him to the North Jersey Chapter, and current North Jersey Chapter President Ryan Yannetta, CPP.

“As I move forward with hopefully the final chapter of my payroll career at Fox Corporation, I feel very blessed and thankful,” said Klimik.

Sheri Lewis, CPP, who is the Payroll Manager at NACCO Natural Resources, said she was pleasantly surprised.

“Most volunteers give their time and expertise because they are passionate about supporting the payroll profession and helping others, not because they expect recognition,” she said. “Being acknowledged by PayrollOrg is both humbling and rewarding, and I am grateful to be recognized alongside so many dedicated professionals who contribute to our industry.”

Lewis became a PayrollOrg member in 2015 and began volunteering with the Ask an Expert Committee the following year. This fostered her love for volunteering, and, in 2018, she volunteered with the Health Care and Shared Services Subcommittees of the SPLTF.

Volunteering is one of the things she is most passionate about when it comes to her payroll career. What she enjoys most about volunteering is the opportunity to learn something new from her peers.

“Even though we all work in payroll, every organization faces unique challenges and experiences,” Lewis said. “Committee discussions provide a valuable forum to share knowledge, gain new perspectives, and learn practical solutions that can be applied in our own workplaces.”

She is also a member of the Dallas Chapter of PayrollOrg and a former member of the Alamo Area Chapter of Payroll Professionals.

Michelle Luczycki, CPA, CPP, the Payroll Director for Nana Management Services, based in Anchorage, Alaska, says volunteering is one of the most rewarding aspects of her professional life.

“It gives me the opportunity to collaborate with some of the brightest minds in payroll—professionals who understand both the challenges and the importance of the work we do every day,” she said.

Luczycki earned her CPP certification in 2013 and joined PayrollOrg in 2016.

She has co-chaired the SPLTF, as well as been a member of the Global Payroll and Hospitality Industry Subcommittees of the SPLTF. She currently serves on the Chapter Recognition Committee, the Certification Item Development Task Force, and the SPLTF’s Shared Services Subcommittee.

“Each committee brings together talented professionals with different experiences and perspectives, and I've learned something valuable from both,” Luczycki said. “What I enjoy most isn't the committee itself—it's the opportunity to collaborate with people who are passionate about the payroll profession and committed to making it better.”

She is also an active member of the Northern Lights Alaska Chapter and has served in multiple leadership positions.

Chris Pretorius, Director—SME Tax, Payroll, Compensation, Equity at Vialto Partners, loves the idea of volunteering. In fact, he became a PayrollOrg member in August 2023, and it didn’t take him long to jump feet first into volunteering.

“The committees offer a great platform to share ideas, learn from different perspectives, and contribute to work that benefits the broader community,” Pretorius said.

He is passionate about payroll education and has volunteered with the Educational Institutions Subcommittee of the SPLTF since 2023. In 2025, he joined the PayrollOrg Education Grant Committee.

“The Educational Institutions Subcommittee has been especially rewarding. Its members are payroll professionals working in higher education institutions, so everyone brings practical, hands-on experience from running payroll operations in that environment,” he said.

Pretorius said being recognized by PayrollOrg and his peers with the Meritorious Service Award is a real honor, and that receiving recognition reinforces the value of staying engaged beyond the day-to-day.

Tricia Richardson, CPP, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the Senior Financial Analyst for Think Company in Dover, Pa. She earned her CPP certification in 2011 and joined PayrollOrg in December 2014. Her volunteer service includes the Board of Contributing Writers, Federal Issues and State and Local Topics of the GRTF, and the National Speakers Bureau.

“There are so many benefits to volunteering on committees. You learn so much, and you build some strong payroll allies, she said. “Honestly, sometimes it is nice to be around payrollers and share information (and stories). In our roles, we are often working alone and, truly, not a lot of folks understand the intricacies of payroll.”

Locally, Richardson is an active member of the Susquehanna Valley Chapter where she has held multiple leadership roles.

“Volunteering gives you that recognition and validation,” she said.

Ruth Werry, CPP, PHR, SHRM-CP, was the Payroll Systems Director at Bon Secours Mercy Health and retired in January 2025. She earned her CPP in 2003 and became a PayrollOrg member in 2016.

She currently serves on the Ask an Expert Committee, GRTF’s Child Support and Garnishments Subcommittees, and the SPLTF’s Best Practices Subcommittee.

“I am honored to be a Meritorious Service Award recipient. During my career in payroll, it was important to me to ensure all paychecks were accurate,” she said.

Werry was introduced to PayrollOrg by a colleague from her job, who knew she wanted to earn her CPP. It was that meeting that fueled her eagerness to pay it forward.

“That experience inspired me to give back and help others learn,” she said. “I wanted to support not only the people I worked with, but also other payroll professionals who had questions and a desire to grow. Giving back has been a joy for me, and I’ve been volunteering for many years.”

Bryan Kirk is the Senior Writer and Editor of Membership Publications for PayrollOrg.