Consultation

Kathleen is currently the President of The HeaRt Group, a human resource consulting firm, with expertise in organizational development, talent acquisition and management, employee engagement, performance leadership, compensation and benefits. She is the former Assistant Vice Chancellor of Human Resources at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas. Prior to that, she was Corporate Vice President of Human Resources at Edgewater Technology in Fayetteville, AR for five years, helping with the acquisition of 44 companies to form Staffmark Inc., later becoming Edgewater. Prior to this position she held various executive human resources positions at Acxiom Corporation, Express Human Resources and M.M. Cohn. In her last position, she was responsible for the human resource function in the UAMS Medical Center, which has over 6500 employees, as well as campus responsibility for the operation functions that includes compensation, HR analytics, recruitment, organizational development, employee relations, affirmative action, immigration, compliance, benefits, employee services, and performance management for 11,000 employees. The HeaRt Group’s focus is to work with small to mid-sized business owners and executives to develop Human Resource practices best aligned with their business objectives and strategic plans. The HeaRt Group provides common sense human resource advice by solving Human Resource challenges, handling Human Resource issues and partnering with clients to enhance their organization. Ms. McComber has over 40 years’ experience in the human resource profession and has done extensive work in the areas of compensation, benefits, employee relations, performance leadership, diversity and organizational development 30 of those at the senior level. She is a member of the Central Arkansas Human Resource Association (CAHRA) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) for many years. She has served on the CAHRA board of directors twice serving as Chair. She has also served on the SHRM Board of Directors for seven years and held the top volunteer position as Chair in 1998. She served four years on the Human Resource Certification Board and six years on the SHRM Foundation Board serving as chair in 2006. She holds a B.S. in Education from the University of Arkansas and a M.A. in Management from Webster University. She is on the faculty of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in the College of Public Health and Webster University teaching leadership and human resource classes at the graduate level.

Mike Aitken has worked at SHRM since 2003 and currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. Prior to joining SHRM, he served for 14 years as associate director for Governmental and External Relations at the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR). Previously, Aitken worked on state public policy issues at Bonner & Associates, a public affairs firm in Washington, DC. Currently, he is based in Alexandria, VA.

 

Kenneth Matos, Ph.D., is Senior Director of Research at Families and Work Institute and serves as a member of the senior leadership team. He conducts research on a wide range of workforce and workplace issues, including diversity, mentoring, work-life fit, and workplace effectiveness. His responsibilities include identifying emerging employment issues and trends, conducting analyses, writing reports and speaking on the findings from the Families and Work Institute’s ongoing nationally representative studies—the National Study of Employers and the National Study of the Changing Workforce. He also co-directs When Work Works, a project on workplace flexibility and effectiveness, in collaboration with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). When Work Works sponsors the Sloan Awards for Effective and Flexible Workplaces, which recognizes employers for providing workplaces that are beneficial to both employers and employees.

Nooshin Nathan is the Chief Human Resources Officer at JM Eagle, where she manages a global HR staff for a $2.2 billion dollar manufacturer of plastic pipes. She is responsible for all aspects of human resources including talent acquisition and development, organization development, employee relations as well as compensation and benefits. Ms. Nathan chairs the retirement committee, co-manages twenty-two indirect reports at plants throughout the United States, Mexico and China. In 2011 Ms. Nathan was recognized and awarded as an employee that demonstrates exemplary leadership.  Ms. Nathan received her undergraduate Psychology degree from California State University Northridge and her Masters in Psychology degree from Pepperdine University.  She spent three years working as a Psychotherapist before joining Assessment Solutions in New York City where she delivered a broad array of assessment services used for performance improvement and talent acquisition processes in the telecommunication, financial, information technology and healthcare sectors. 

Ms. Nathan volunteered over fifteen hundred hours of community service through the Help Group and Jewish Vocational Services. As a board member of the Personnel Practices Committee of this organization she provides guidance and direction on HR best practices.  She has received commendations from the State of California and City of Los Angeles for her volunteer work in mentoring other human resource professionals and now served as the keynote speaker for this organization.   Ms. Nathan holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation and is a member of HARRT at UCLA, a network of senior executives responsible for the design and execution of human resources strategy and policy in their organizations. 

In 2014 Ms. Nathan received the Day One Retirement Innovator Award from Prudential Financial for the improvements implemented on their company retirement plans.

Dave Lagerstrom has been President and CEO of TURCK Inc. for over 7 years, and has spearheaded the company’s strategy to create a culture that values the well-being of its employees. Under his leadership, these efforts have succeeded in flat-lining health care costs, reducing turnover to <2%, compared to the industry average of 11% to 14%, and very high engagement, with 93% of employees saying they make their best effort every day. Dave has spent his entire career in high tech manufacturing, including five years as a division manager at SICK AG and seven years in various roles at Rockwell Automation. He is a graduate of Iowa State University.

Craig Porter is the President/Owner of PlastiCert, Inc. Lewiston, MN. PlastiCert is full service provider of mold design, plastic injection molding, decoration, and assembly services.

Craig has a BSEET (Electronic Engineering Technology) from Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, MN and Certificate in Finance from Concordia University in St. Paul, MN.

Craig’s experiences include senior management/plant operations, business unit management, sales management and quality management. He has past engineering responsibilities in quality, manufacturing and reliability engineering on both existing products and product development teams. He has held positions in sales management and account management within the Electronic Manufacturing Services industry. Craig has been associated with a diverse array of company structures ranging in size from start-up and early stage medical device/high technology companies to multi-facility international corporations. He also has done consulting for early stage companies on design for manufacturability, early prototype development and manufacturing preparation for medical devices and electronic equipment. Product markets/industries that Craig has experienced include a concentration in medical devices, including electronic, mechanical and biological; additional experiences include computer equipment & peripherals, industrial controls, aerospace, automotive, telecommunications, test equipment, consumer, construction and agricultural electronics.

Craig is a member of the Industry Advisory Board for the Winona State University Composites Engineering Program. Craig also sits on the Executive Board for the Winona Area Composites Consortium, an industry group associated with the plastics and composites companies throughout SE MN and SW WI. In 2010 Craig was named to the Winona Workforce Investment Board, a statewide program out of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development initiated by the Governor and coordinated regionally out of the SE Minnesota Workforce Center. He was the meeting moderator and a Steering Committee member for the Winona Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club. Craig was named to the Winona City Planning Commission in 2002 and is still actively serving as its Past-Chairman. He is a past Board Director and Executive Board Member for the Winona Area Chamber of Commerce, is still active on a number of their Committees and events, including the Business and Education Committee. He has presented the Chamber of Commerce “CEO in the Classroom” program to numerous local 8^th through 12th grade classes. He is the past President and still a board member for the Lewiston Area Chamber of Commerce. Craig is on the Advisory Board for the Project Lead the Way STEM Program at Lewiston Area High School and a frequent judge at the Winona Regional Science Fair as well as the MN State Science Fair. He is on the Winona Swim Club Executive board as their Past-President and a member of the Winona YMCA Aquatic Steering Committee. Craig volunteers as a swimming official/referee for the Winona YMCA Winfins and the USA/MN Swimming Winona Water Wizards swim clubs. He holds a National Certification level for officiating USA Swimming regional and national events over National and Olympic Team swimmers. He is certified to officiate swimming and diving for the Minnesota State High School League and the NCAA. The Minnesota State High School League selected him as Head Deck Referee for the 2012 and Starter for the 2014 Minnesota High School Boys Class AA Swimming & Diving Championships. He was selected to officiate at the 2013 & 2014 NCAA Division II Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Swimming & Diving Championships and been on deck for the 2012 Big 10 Conference Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships as well as the 2012 NCAA Div I Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships. Craig works for the Winona City Park & Rec Dept. on summer evenings teaching Springboard Diving. He also enjoys riding his road bicycle logging numerous 20 to 50 mile rides each season. A PADI certified scuba diver since college; he enjoys swimming and has participated in two Trinona Triathlons in Winona.

Craig is originally from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. After visiting SE MN repeatedly for business, Craig was recruited and relocated in Winona 20 years ago. He has four children ranging from 33 to 18 (the two oldest also have Electrical Engineering degrees) and has a grandson and a granddaughter.

Stephen Tucker is the Director of Industry Partnerships with Partners for a Competitive Workforce in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Tucker leads Industry Partnerships in Construction and Advanced Manufacturing engaging key stakeholders including employers, educators, community based organizations and the workforce investment system to address the skills gap of the local labor pool and to provide businesses with a qualified workforce. His main objectives are aligning education with industry, developing industry career pathways and utilizing industry intelligence to develop talent supply chains. 

Mr. Tucker is leading a multi generation design project to uncover ways to increase the number of women participating in advanced manufacturing careers while simultaneously engaging their children in STEM activities. He is also a member of the national Dream It Do It manufacturing marketing campaign and serves on numerous regional and local boards and committees.  

Mr. Tucker has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Wilberforce University. He is a 2008 graduate of the Urban League’s African American Leadership Development Program, the 2009 recipient of the State of Ohio Martin Luther King Jr. Award for Economic Opportunity, a 2010 YMCA Black & Latino Achiever, and a graduate of National Urban League’s Emerging Leaders Program. Mr. Tucker is a Certified Global Career Development Facilitator Instructor and a Murano Fellow as graduate of Aspen Institute’s Sector Skills Academy.

John A. Rubino, SHRM-SCP, CCP, CBP, GRP, WLCP, is founder and president of Rubino Consulting Services, a global human resources consulting company based in Pound Ridge, New York. His areas of expertise cover all areas of Human Resources program design. An internationally acclaimed speaker for SHRM and WorldatWork, John is the author of numerous human resources articles, and is frequently quoted in professional publications. He holds BA and MBA degrees, as well as a lifetime Achievement Award from WorldatWork. John works with a wide variety of organizations and his consulting practice takes him all around the world; in fact, he has visited one hundred and nine countries!

John A. Rubino, SHRM-SCP, CCP, CBP, GRP, WLCP, is founder and president of Rubino Consulting Services, a global human resources consulting company based in Pound Ridge, New York. His areas of expertise cover all areas of Human Resources program design. An internationally acclaimed speaker for SHRM and WorldatWork, John is the author of numerous human resources articles, and is frequently quoted in professional publications. He holds BA and MBA degrees, as well as a lifetime Achievement Award from WorldatWork. John works with a wide variety of organizations and his consulting practice takes him all around the world; in fact, he has visited one hundred and nine countries!

Stacey Carroll is the President of HR Experts On-Call. HR Experts On-call provide strategic HR consulting services to business owners and HR professionals. Prior to establishing HR Experts On-Call, Ms. Carroll served as the Director of Professional Services & Education for PayScale. As Director of Professional Services, Stacey created and managed the compensation consulting business for PayScale, a venture-backed SaaS provider of compensation resources to HR and business leaders.  Prior to her  work at PayScale, Stacey spent over 12 years in various positions within Human Resources for Trendwest Resorts, Nordstrom, and Western Washington University. Stacey’s specialty areas in HR include: compensation, benefits, training & development, and strategic human capital management.  She earned her BA and MBA from Western Washington University. Stacey has been certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and as a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP). In addition to her regular full time responsibilities, Stacey has taught HRM classes for Western Washington University, Seattle Research Partners, and Tacoma Community College. She also speaks at many local, regional and national conferences.

Follow Stacey on Twitter @HRStacey.

Jay has more than 30 years of experience as a tax attorney specializing in employee benefits.  Prior to joining World, Jay was a Sr. VP and Senior ERISA Attorney with Lockton was previously the national practice leader for the legal and research team at WT.W

Jay served as a Peace Corps volunteer and business consultant from 1979 to 1982. 

He has an LL.M.  in taxation from New York University School of Law, J.D. with distinction from the University of Arizona College of Law and a BSBA from Washington University in St. Louis.  Jay is the former Chair of the American Benefits Council, an adjunct professor of employee benefits in the LL.M. program at Washington University School of Law.

 

 

 

 

Linda Robertson is a Certified Financial Planner™ with Financial Finesse, the leading provider of unbiased financial education for employers nationwide. With over 20 years of experience, Linda has facilitated thousands of financial education workshops to employees on a variety of topics ranging from basic money management and retirement planning to advanced estate planning, in addition to providing financial coaching to numerous employees one on one over the phone and in person at their worksites. Linda writes a nationally syndicated weekly blog on workplace financial education. As a full-time educator, Linda has acquired a good feel for what does and doesn't work in the way of making a lasting impact on employees with financial education.

Joyce E. Taber is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Labor and Employment Practice and is a member of the firm's Complex Employment Litigation team. Ms. Taber's practice focuses on defending corporate clients in employment litigation and wage and hour matters, including classwide allegations, in federal and state courts. Ms. Taber also represents clients before the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state/local fair employment agencies. Her practice includes litigation and client counseling under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, and other federal and state employment laws.

Additionally, Ms. Taber counsels employers on independent contractor classification issues, including defending independent contractor classifications before state agencies and advising clients on compliance issues associated with independent contractors reclassified as employees. Her practice also includes conducting board-level independent investigations regarding alleged code of conduct violations, workplace harassment claims, and whistleblower allegations.

 

Jeremy Eskenazi, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CMC is Managing Principal of Riviera Advisors, Inc., a global Human Resources management consulting and training firm that helps organizations improve, enhance and optimize their internal talent acquisition and recruiting capabilities.

Prior to founding Riviera Advisors in 2001, Jeremy spent almost 20 years leading talent acquisition and recruiting teams at Universal Studios, Amazon.com, and Idealab. A regular SHRM speaker and a member of the SHRM Talent Acquisition Special Expertise Panel, Jeremy is also proud professional member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and the Institute of Management Consultants-USA.

Jeremy is the author of the books, “RecruitCONSULT! Leadership – The Corporate Talent Acquisition Leader’s Field Book”, and “The High-Performance Talent Acquisition Advantage”.

 

Mr. Wilkinson is the Managing Director of Leadership Strategies, Inc. - a leadership training and strategy consulting firm specializing in group facilitation. He is considered a national leader in the facilitation industry. • Author of The Secrets of Facilitation and The Secrets to Masterful Meetings. • Board member of the International Institute for Facilitation. • Founder of the FindaFacilitator database. • One of the first five Certified Master Facilitators in North America. • Named Facilitator of the Year in 2003 by the Southeast Association of Facilitators. Active in both the private and public sectors, he has provided leadership training and strategy development assistance to such diverse organizations as The Coca-Cola Company, Unisys, Sears, EPA, CDC, KPMG Peat Marwick, and the American Cancer Society. Mr. Wilkinson is a much sought after facilitator, trainer and speaker, both in the U.S. and around the globe. He has completed international assignments in Bangkok, Brisbane, Glasgow, Hamburg, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Milan, Singapore, Sydney and Wellington. Past participants have commented that his dynamic presentation style, combined with his unique insights, make for an intense, power-packed session. Prior to Leadership Strategies, Mr. Wilkinson spent six years with ADP and eight years in the information technology practice of Ernst & Young's Manage¬ment Consulting Group. He is a High Honors graduate from Dartmouth and resides with his wife and two children in Atlanta.