As Director of Human Resources, Equity and Inclusion, Monica McMellon-Ajayi leads the strategic alignment of human resources operations to support all departments’ operations and goals as well as retention, diversity, equity and inclusion within CA.

She is focused on reimagining and deploying policies/procedures that support the evolution of the growing needs of our workforce. Monica takes pride in partnering with department leaders to support efforts that contribute to CA being a standout place to work.

Monica began her human resources career with Lockheed Martin. Her experience with Lockheed propelled her into leadership roles in healthcare, the media industry and non-profit organizations with a focus on diversity before joining CA in 2019. In her time at CA, she has led HR process improvements and established the DE&I Committee. Her work to bring DE&I to the forefront of our organization was instrumental in helping CA win a 2022 Employer Award from the Howard County Commission on Disabilities.

Monica has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Rowan University and a master’s degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, she holds the Senior Certified Professional (SCP) credential through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Monica also gives back to the community by serving as a board member for Howard County SHRM and the Applied Physics Lab (APL) Federal Credit Union. Her favorite place to visit in Columbia is the Downtown Lakefront.