Julie H. Shedd has been named Human Resources Division director at AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company (AMERICAN). Leann Barr, current HR director, will retire in January 2014.

“With her vast experience in designing, implementing and managing corporate benefit plans, Julie will serve us well in her new role,” said Barr. “She and I will continue to work together to ensure a smooth transition for our employees.”

Shedd joined AMERICAN in 2001 as a benefits and payroll specialist. Two years later, she began working in the Finance Division as a corporate benefits design specialist, a position she held until her recent promotion.

Shedd is a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) and is certified as a Group Benefits Associate (GBA). She is a longtime member of the Birmingham Society of Human Resource Management (BSHRM). Shedd holds bachelor’s degrees in human resources management and marketing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Founded in 1905 in Birmingham, Ala., AMERICAN is a manufacturer of ductile iron pipe, spiral-welded steel pipe, fire hydrants and valves for the waterworks industry and electric-resistance-welded steel pipe for the oil and natural gas industries. AMERICAN’s diversified product line also includes static castings and fire pumps.