NiSource Inc. of Merrillville, parent of NIPSCO, named Melanie Berman senior vice president and chief human resources officer and Carlos Ayala vice president and chief diversity, equity & inclusion officer.

Berman will lead the company’s human resources operations. She will be responsible for NiSource's HR business partnering, employee relations, talent management, organization development, labor relations, compensation and benefits.

“Melanie is a three-time chief human resources officer with experience in chemical, pharmaceutical and insurance industries,” said Violet Sistovaris, executive vice president and chief experience officer for NiSource. “Her well-rounded background in all HR disciplines will help her drive NiSource to success by ensuring competitive talent, enabling high performance, shaping our safety culture and delivering a rewarding employee experience.”

Berman, who has more than 15 years of HR experience, most recently led HR at The Michaels Companies where she was executive vice president, chief human resources officer.  

Berman holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the State University of New York and a master's degree in industrial organizational psychology from Baruch College. She will be based at NiSource's Columbus, Ohio location.

Carlos Ayala will partner with stakeholders and sponsors across the organization to enhance and implement an organization-wide diversity, equity and inclusion vision and strategy that aligns with the organization's strategic goals.

NiSource said diversity, equity and inclusion has been an important focus for the company.

“Our commitment to DE&I serves as a framework to ensure every employee has an opportunity to belong and reach their full potential,” said Sistovaris. “The appointment of Carlos (to this) role is an important step in our DE&I journey.”

Ayala joins NiSource from Honeywell where he served as global director, inclusion and diversity.  

Ayala holds bachelor's degrees in political science and history from Davis Elkins College. He will be based at NiSource's Merrillville office.

NiSource is the parent of Northern Indiana Public Service Co., which serves approximately 820,000 natural gas and 470,000 electric customers across Northern Indiana.