Business (Behavioral)

Dethra U. Giles
Personal Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
CEO
ExecuPrep
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Discover the extraordinary journey of Dethra U. Giles, the visionary force behind ExecuPrep, pioneering leadership development and organizational transformation. Rooted in education, performance optimization, and HR, Dethra empowers individuals, teams, and organizations to surpass their expectations. With degrees in English, Spanish, Business and Conflict Management, she blends communication and cultural understanding seamlessly. As a respected faculty member and TEDx speaker, her influence resonates globally, shaping inclusive cultures in corporate giants like LVMH and the EPA. Dethra's compassion fuels her advocacy for social justice, while her writings and media presence inspire resilience and growth. With her, the future promises boundless opportunity and transformation.

SESSIONS:
Tuesday, June 14, 2022 - 10:30am to 11:30am
Gennady Babankov
Manager, Exchange Visitor Program
SHRM
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Gennady Babankov, J.D. is a Manager of SHRM Exchange Visitor (J-1) Program. Babankov oversees two private sector exchange programs for foreign trainees and interns and helps develop, implement, and promote SHRM benefits portfolio for global mobility and immigration members.

Babankov has more than 20 years of experience building and managing global education and training programs for students and professionals. He has experience in teacher training, study abroad, cross-cultural training, and language acquisition, and has directed field operations in Russia, Central Asia, Middle East, and the Caucasus.

Prior to joining SHRM in 2019, Babankov managed several education and training programs sponsored by the federal government, including the Flagship Overseas Language Program (U.S. Department of Defense), Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program (U.S. Department of State), and the Open World Program (Library of Congress).

Babankov earned his J.D. degree from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University, and a bachelor’s degree from the Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia.

Babankov has lived in the United States since 1994 and currently resides in Fairfax, VA.

SESSIONS:
Lindsay Bongi
Senior Specialist, J-1 Visa/Exchange Visitor Program
SHRM
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Ms. Bongi is the Senior Specialist, Exchange Visitor Program, working with SHRM’s intern and trainee program participants and sponsor organizations.  Ms. Bongi comes to SHRM with years of experience assisting young professionals and host companies in the J-1 intern and trainee visa sponsorship process.  She has been involved with the Exchange Visitor program since 2012 and in her free time, counsels and monitors J-1 high school exchange students and host families as a Local Coordinator.  In addition to her work in international exchange, Ms. Bongi previously has also created a Department of Labor registered culinary apprenticeship program and has experience teaching Talent Management Training and Train the Trainer courses.  Her background is in financial reporting and accounting and she spent the early part of her career working for companies such as JPMorgan and America Online.  Ms. Bongi earned her MS in School Counseling from Long Island University and her BS in Finance from Pennsylvania State University.

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Mary Cheddie, SHRM-SCP
Divisional Director, Membership Community
SHRM
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Mary Cheddie, SHRM-SCP is Divisional Director, Membership Community. 

Cheddie has more than 35 years of domestic and international experience in all aspects of human resources and training. She has extensive experience with strategic planning, M&As, and in starting and turning around businesses.

Prior to joining SHRM, she served as senior vice president of human resources for Interval Leisure Group, Inc. and its affiliated companies. The company was publicly traded on NASDAQ and the leading provider of vacation services with a global consumer membership base of nearly 2 million member families, more than 2,500 member resorts in over 75 countries worldwide, and has oversight for about 14,000 employees. 

Cheddie also served as senior vice president, people with PRC, as well as vice president, human resources, strategic planning, office services, and facilities for The Orvis Company, Inc. in Manchester, VT.

She earned her MBA from Upper Iowa University, a bachelor’s degree from Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, New Jersey, and is certified as a SHRM-Senior Certified Professional.

Cheddie received the HR Award of Excellence, Hospitality in 2016 from South Florida Business & Wealth. Business Leader Magazine named Cheddie one of the 2011 Women Extraordinaire and in 2012 the National Diversity Council awarded her the Glass Ceiling Award.

She serves on the Board of Trustees for Upper Iowa University, Chairs the Human Capital Committee and is a member of the Governance and Advancement Committees, Chaired the Keiser Career College’s Advisory Board, was a member of the Board of Directors for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) from 2003-2008 and chaired SHRM’s governance and compensation committees. Cheddie has more than 35 years of SHRM volunteer leadership experience at the national, regional, state, and local levels.  She also served on the Waldorf College Alumni Board from 2004 through 2008 and was the President of the Dallas HR Association in 2000 (one of the largest affiliated SHRM chapters). She resides in South FL.

SESSIONS:
Gennady Babankov
Manager, Exchange Visitor Program
SHRM
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Gennady Babankov, J.D. is a Manager of SHRM Exchange Visitor (J-1) Program. Babankov oversees two private sector exchange programs for foreign trainees and interns and helps develop, implement, and promote SHRM benefits portfolio for global mobility and immigration members.

Babankov has more than 20 years of experience building and managing global education and training programs for students and professionals. He has experience in teacher training, study abroad, cross-cultural training, and language acquisition, and has directed field operations in Russia, Central Asia, Middle East, and the Caucasus.

Prior to joining SHRM in 2019, Babankov managed several education and training programs sponsored by the federal government, including the Flagship Overseas Language Program (U.S. Department of Defense), Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program (U.S. Department of State), and the Open World Program (Library of Congress).

Babankov earned his J.D. degree from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University, and a bachelor’s degree from the Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia.

Babankov has lived in the United States since 1994 and currently resides in Fairfax, VA.

SESSIONS:
Lindsey Pollack
Author, Keynote Speaker and Multigenerational Work Expert
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Raina Sorgenti
Associate Director, Absence Management Programs
Yale University
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Shauna Murphy Cour
Vice President, Employer Solutions
Ovia Health
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Lenna Turner
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Salary.com
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Lenna serves as Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Salary.com, developing programs designed to increase cultural awareness and acceptance within Salary.com, while also leading company efforts to help clients conduct DE&I audits and execute action plans. As a member of the Salary.com’s CompData Consulting Practice, she also focuses on client engagements involving studies for base pay and total comp, pay equity and building DE&I knowledge offerings.

Lenna has 20 years of compensation management experience. Prior to joining Salary.com she held progressively complex roles in HR as a Compensation Manager/Senior Consultant and Strategic HR Business Partner. She has worked across various industries and companies, including Georgia Pacific, Coca Cola, Sun Trust Banks(Truist) and Bank of America.

A Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Lenna holds a BA in Business Administration from the University of Memphis.

SESSIONS:
David Turetsky
Vice President, Consulting
Salary.com
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David is responsible for consulting with clients on people analytics, total rewards and other HR data governance issues. In this role, he consults with clients focused on improving their usage of data, analytics and HR processes in support of their business. He is passionate about manager empowerment and employee engagement through total rewards management.

He has 30 + years of experience in Human Capital Management (HCM), HR, HRIS, talent management, compensation and big data as an analyst, manager, executive, consultant, and entrepreneur. In his previous roles, David was Chief Product Owner for the ADP DataCloud™ and built a consulting group within ADP's Professional Services Organization.

SESSIONS:
Monday, June 13, 2022 - 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Anton Gunn
CEO
937 Strategy Group
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Anton Gunn is a former senior advisor to President Barack Obama and a leading expert on Socially Conscious Leadership. He was the first African American in history elected to the South Carolina Legislature from his district early in his career. Anton is a graduate of the University of South Carolina (USC) where he played SEC football for the Gamecocks. He also earned a master's degree in Social Work from USC and was a Resident Fellow at Harvard. He is the bestselling author of The Audacity of Leadership and The Presidential Principles, and has been featured in TIME Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, INC Magazine, BBC, NPR, and on Good Morning America.

Anton was named one of the Ten Most Influential Minority Executives in Healthcare by Fierce Healthcare. An international keynote speaker, management consultant, and the CEO of 937 Strategy Group, Anton has worked with renowned organizations like Mercedes-Benz Vans, KPMG, Rock Ventures, Sodexo, WellPath, Verizon Wireless, Aetna, T-Mobile, American Organization of Nurse Leaders, Emory Healthcare, Blue Shield of California, and The Boeing Company. Anton is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), a designation earned by the top echelon of professional speakers and held by fewer than 10% of the members belonging to the International Federation for Professional Speakers. He has spent his life helping leaders build diverse, high-performing teams, and world-class workplace culture.

SESSIONS:
Tuesday, June 14, 2022 - 10:30am to 11:30am
Cindi Cooper
Chief Operating Officer
Gap International
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Cindi Cooper is accountable for the global growth and expansion of Gap International. Working across all facets of the business, she is responsible for ensuring the execution of the company's strategic objectives.

Over the course of her career, Ms. Cooper has been instrumental in both the sales and marketing of Gap International, providing the creative spark behind the ongoing expansion of the company's brand identity.

She co-leads the development of Gap International's leading-edge work in the Leveraging Genius Institute, as well as the delivery of The Leveraging Genius Conference. In addition, she leads the development of Gap International's work in the area of organizational alignment and is instrumental in the delivery of The Alignment Intensive, one of the company's premier programs for senior executives and their teams.

Ms. Cooper works closely with CEOs and executive teams of many Global 1000 companies in delivering breakthroughs in growth and performance. She has over 20 years of experience working with the pharmaceutical, retail, telecommunications, utilities, and financial services industries.

Ms. Cooper received a BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art and completed the Tuck Executive Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Prior to joining Gap International in 1989, Ms. Cooper was the co-founder and president of a corporate graphic design and marketing firm.

 

SESSIONS:
Michael Cox
Chief Human Resources Officer for Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Global Head of Executive Talent for The Boeing Company
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Michael Cox is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Boeing Defense, Space & Security and also serves as the Global Head of Executive Talent for The Boeing Company.

As CHRO he is responsible for the successful execution of human resources initiatives that drive peak business performance across BDS, while creating and sustaining a premier work environment for employees. He also provides direction on employee and organizational policies, strategies and processes throughout BDS.

As Global Head of Executive Talent, Michael is responsible for developing and executing a best-in-class executive talent management practices and strategy which includes attraction, assessment, and acquisition along with talent management practices to ensure Boeing has the necessary executive talent and bench strength to further our position as a global industry leader and career destination for top talent.

Michael is passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive workforce that fosters high-performing teams and the achievement of organization’s business objectives.  His career spans several global companies including Comcast, Walmart, eBay, Bank of America, and First Data in various disciplines in the field of Human Resources Management including HR business partnership, talent optimization and  development, compensation, performance management, analytics, culture and inclusion. His career has taken him across the United States and around the globe, including an expat assignment in Sydney, Australia. 

In addition to his role at Boeing, Michael most recently concluded serving on the Board of Directors for Out & Equal, an organization dedicated to ensuring workplace equality for the LGBTQ community for the past six years in a variety of roles including Board Chair, Governance and Search Committee Chair. He has biked from San Francisco to Los Angles three times and has raised over $100,000 in the fight to end the AIDS epidemic.

 

 

SESSIONS:
Julius Cox
Executive Vice President, People, Shared Services and Supply Chain
PG&E Corporation and Pacific Gas and Electric Company
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Julius Cox is Executive Vice President, People, Shared Services and Supply Chain of Pacific Gas and Electric Company and PG&E Corporation.

Cox started with PG&E in February 2021 and is responsible for ensuring the company has the people, skills, resources and tools to meet its customers' expectations. He leads the Human Resources, Supply Chain and Shared Services teams.

Cox has 20 years of energy industry experience, most recently serving as Chief Human Resources Officer at American Electric Power (AEP) from October 2019 to January 2021. Cox had responsibility for strategically aligning human resources functions and processes in support of AEP's overall business strategy including oversight of employee relations, leadership and organization development, culture and diversity, benefits and compensation, operations, wellness and productivity for AEP's 18,000 employees.

Prior to AEP, Cox was Chief Transformation Officer at Dynegy, a Houston-based power producer that is now part of Vistra Energy, where he and his team championed a culture of performance and process improvements across the company. Prior to that role, Cox served as the Chief Administration Officer and was responsible for human resources, information technology, business services, investor relations, regulatory and governmental affairs and communications. Cox joined Dynegy in 2001 as a human resources director and held progressive leadership roles in human resources.

Before joining Dynegy, Cox was a consultant at Arthur Andersen and worked in human resources roles at Shell Oil and Neiman Marcus.

A native of Houston, Texas, Cox earned a bachelor's degree in business management and a master's degree in human resource management from Texas A&M University. He also completed the Wharton Advanced Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania and previously served as an Independent Director for the Midwest Reliability Organization.

 

SESSIONS:
Tuesday, June 14, 2022 - 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Dr. Tracye Weeks, SHRM-SCP, SPHR
Managing Director, Strategy & Advisory
Nonprofit HR
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Tracye provides value to clients in the areas of thought partnership, HR strategy, leadership coaching and training, and implementing best practices for creating high performing organizations. She often serves as the Interim HR Leader for clients who value her creative solutions for solving organizational challenges. Tracye advises leaders on strategy related to organizational structure, policies, risk assessment and aversion. Additionally, she enjoys managing creative initiatives that fit into “bigger picture” long-term organizational goals. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business, a Master of Arts in Mass Communication and a Doctorate in Human Resource Management.

SESSIONS:
Tina Twyman, SHRM-SCP, CCP
Senior Consultant, Total Rewards
Nonprofit HR
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Tina is a Senior Consultant for the firm’s Total Rewards practice. With over 15 years of human resources experience, Tina has helped organizations in several sectors, including nonprofit, higher education, financial services and technology. Tina is passionate about helping leaders transform talent and optimize teams through total rewards, performance and talent management. A strategic partner, she advises senior leaders and executives on compensation, job/organizational restructuring and organizational development. Tina is versed in evaluating jobs and market pricing, as well as analyzing job descriptions. Through her experiences she has been able to provide capacity building to ensure organizational objectives are achieved.

SESSIONS:
Lisa Brown Alexander
President & CEO
Nonprofit HR
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Lisa set out to build a market where one didn’t exist. She founded Nonprofit HR, the leading talent management firm in the U.S. that works exclusively with the nonprofit sector. Lisa’s goal is to ensure that every Nonprofit HR engagement inspires social sector leaders to strengthen their most important asset: their people. Over the course of her career, Lisa has presented to hundreds of organizations, staff and leadership teams. Today, fueled by the passion of their 100-plus employees and consultants nationwide, Nonprofit HR is helping many of the nation’s most impactful nonprofit organizations get ahead through smart people management strategies.

SESSIONS:
Sophia A. Nelson
President
SAN Enterprises LLC
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Sophia A. Nelson, Esquire, is the 2024 Distinguished Varner Vitality Lecturer and award winner at Oakland University in Michigan. She is a highly regarded award-winning author, journalist, and distinguished international motivational speaker. Renowned for her perceptive columns on CNN Opinion and her weekly appearances on CNN, where she offers expert legal and political analysis, Nelson boasts a background as a former Adjunct Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Big 10 Law Firm Senior Counsel, and Capitol Hill Congressional Committee Counsel. She is widely recognized as a Scholar, Lecturer, and Panel Moderator at prestigious academic institutions such as Harvard's Kennedy School, Bowdoin College, Depauw University, University of Indiana-Bloomington, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the United States. Nelson has been featured on prominent national programs such as Morning Joe, The Today Show, Nightline, and NPR. A trailblazer in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, women's workplace wellness, and Emotional Intelligence (EIQ), she serves as a respected curator and trainer in corporate leadership and human resources development. Collaborating closely with Fortune 100 companies, Nelson has left a significant impact on global diversity and workplace wellness practices, extending her influence as far as Sydney, Australia. With four bestselling non-fiction works to her name, including "Black Woman Redefined," "The Woman Code," "ePluribus One," and her latest 2022 publication, "Be the One You Need: 21 Life Lessons I Learned While Taking Care of Everyone But Me" (Simon & Schuster 2022). Nelson continues to make meaningful contributions to literature and societal well-being through her various media, writing, and speaking platforms. She is the founder of the new "Redefining Freedom" Center located in Virginia, and she is working on her 5th book by the same name, due for publication in 2026.

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