It is with tremendous gratitude that we announce Mary Ellen Mattingly’s plans to retire, effective Monday, May 31 – after more than three decades of dedicated service to Heaven Hill.

Mary Ellen began her career working in the lab, gauging bottling tanks, giving tours and taste testing product. Several years later she joined the Human Resources team, where she rose through the ranks, from Payroll Clerk to Payroll and Benefits Manager.

A Foundation for Human Resources

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Her tenure marked a time of sweeping changes both in the distilled spirits industry and at Heaven Hill, with focus on product development and numerous acquisitions – in which Mary Ellen played a critical role. Among her proudest accomplishments was her work to integrate payroll and benefits, especially through the complex acquisitions of Bernheim Distillery, Deep Eddy Vodka and Black Velvet.

“With her keen mind, her ongoing diligence and photographic memory, Mary Ellen has been instrumental in establishing a part of the Human Resource base to allow the company to expand,” said President Max Shapira. “Not only has she been important to driving the success of the business, but she’s also done it so relentlessly, helping to set standards that others have followed.”

Mary Ellen led efforts to modernize important HR processes, such as payroll, annual open benefits enrollment and time and attendance, that touch every member of the Heaven Hill family.

To put this change in perspective – when Mary Ellen began at Heaven Hill, the organization used a manual time punch system in production, and she had to reserve one of only six company computers each time she ran payroll.

Meanwhile, Mary Ellen continued to hone her skill set to support the growth of the company and develop professionally in HR. She earned her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification, after a 12-week evening preparation course, and she received mentoring support from Debbie Morris, who led HR at the time.

Debbie praised Mary Ellen for her institutional knowledge, kindness and helpfulness throughout her time at Heaven Hill.

“Mary Ellen is a person of high integrity and is the epitome of Heaven Hill’s core values, specifically in her passion, dedication and commitment to excellence,” she said. “She has been an important part of the Heaven Hill family, serving the team in so many ways.”

Distilling Industry Roots

Mary Ellen came to Heaven Hill right out of school and as a referral of long-time Master Distiller Parker Beam. While she didn’t know much about Heaven Hill, she grew up around the distilling industry. Her grandmother retired from Maker’s Mark.

She counts among her fondest Heaven Hill memories the 2012 Employee Appreciation event, held in Bardstown. “It was a fun day for everyone,” she said. “We were involved in the filming of a video, plus we got to eat snacks all day.”

She also enjoyed traveling to Buda, Texas and Lethbridge, Alberta to meet employees. “It was a great experience for me to put faces with names and to form relationships that are long lasting,” she said. “I didn’t make it to Ireland, but it was definitely on that field trip list!”

Producing hand sanitizer during the pandemic was another proud experience for Mary Ellen, as she saw the product being used in the community and was able to share that she worked at the distillery that made it.

HR Legacy

For the HR department, Mary Ellen’s departure is especially bittersweet. The team has planned a special celebration to honor her years of service and recognize the incredible legacy she leaves behind.

While her place on the team – and within the organization – could never truly be filled, the team has worked to assess the background and skill sets they must bring to HR that best align to Mary Ellen’s expanded role.

As she moves into retirement, Director of Total Rewards Bill Grover and Benefits Analyst Megan Bashore will serve as contacts for benefits, and Payroll Manager Rebecca Gross will oversee payroll. The team is also currently hiring a second position in payroll.

Chief Human Resources Officer Emma Hutchens expressed appreciation for Mary Ellen’s numerous contributions and dedicated service to Heaven Hill.

“With over three decades of service to Heaven Hill and our employees, Mary Ellen has contributed to many key initiatives that have supported our organization in becoming an amazing place to work,” she said. “We are grateful for all of the ways she has helped Heaven Hill grow and our employees succeed.”

Chief Operating Officer Allan Latts said he was thankful for Mary Ellen and proud to celebrate her hard work, dedication and positive impact on the company. “She might be leaving her employment at Heaven Hill, but she is not leaving the Heaven Hill family,” he said. “I hope she will not be a stranger, and we will see her annually at our company holiday party.”

Mary Ellen said she feels blessed and grateful to have worked for a company for almost 33 years that provided for her and her family. “I will miss everyone that I have interacted with during my career at Heaven Hill,” she said. “From the first day I walked in the door, it’s always been about the employees, building those relationships and earning the employees’ trust and respect.”

In her retirement, Mary Ellen said she plans to paint and organize her house, spend additional time with her grandchildren and plan for more vacations and relaxation this year.

Please join us in congratulating Mary Ellen and thanking her for all that she has done to support Heaven Hill.