Misty Merrick, Channel Development and
Technology, Manager
Mrs. Merrick holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Networking from Davenport University in Kalamazoo, MI. Upon graduation, in 2005, Mrs. Merrick worked as a teacher’s aide with Arcadia Elementary School in Kalamazoo, MI. Working with children gave Mrs. Merrick true job satisfaction. Her daily duties were comprised of assisting students with reading and mathematics skill building. Mrs. Merrick learned teaching skills, patience, and communications skills that she still relies on today.
After graduating from university, Mrs. Merrick had difficulty finding a position in her field of study. Mrs. Merrick was recommended to MidWest Enterprises for the Blind (MWEB) by a visually impaired colleague, who had worked successfully at MWEB for ten years. Mrs. Merrick was drawn to MWEB as an employer because of its mission – to provide employment opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired. Mrs. Merrick joined MWEB in 2007 as a Production Associate, while the position did not align with her degree, it was a foot in the door.
Since joining MWEB in 2007 as a Production Associate, Mrs. Merrick has been promoted multiple times, and has played a vital role in shaping the Customer Support Department, as well as the Information Technology (IT) Department. With Mrs. Merrick’s range of experience across the company, she has become a relied upon asset to multiple departments.
In Mrs. Merrick’s current role as Channel Development and Technology, Manager, she guides her team in customer outreach, channel development, marketing initiatives, data processing, material requisition, purchase order processing, and inventory data management. Additionally, Mrs. Merrick manages the IT Department. Leveraging her IT background, she continues to maintain data integrity, manages IT projects, manages information security, manages hardware and software deployments, manages technology costs, maintains regulatory compliance, minimizes security risks, and manages MWEB’s technology infrastructure.
Mrs. Merrick has served since 2012 as a National Industries for the Blind (NIB), Advocate for Leadership and Employment. In 2016, Mrs. Merrick won NIB’s prestigious Milton J. Samuelson Career Achievement Award. The award is presented to an individual career achievement at an NIB associated non-profit agency or the private sector.
Mrs. Merrick volunteers with MWEB's CORE (Community Outreach) Team. She enjoys participating in activities supporting community partners and initiatives such as the Kalamazoo Marathon, Kalamazoo Growlers, Kalamazoo’s Family and Children’s Services, Warm Kids Project, etc. While Mrs. Merrick appreciates many aspects of her job, she most enjoys the ability to showcase her creativity through the design of digital marketing projects.
