Interpersonal (Behavioral)

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.

Louis R. Lessig, Esquire, SHRM-SCP, SPHR is a Partner at the law firm of Brown & Connery, LLP in Westmont, NJ in their labor and employment group.  He regularly counsels clients, conducts training sessions and represents clients in federal and state court as well as before administrative agencies. Also known as The Employment Law Translator®, Mr. Lessig speaks across the country and regularly writes articles that appear in publications nationwide including XpertHR.  In 2018 he won the Delaware Valley HR Consultant of the Year Award. He is a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and a Past President of the Philadelphia chapter.  Mr. Lessig is an active volunteer for The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) as the Northeast Membership Advisory Council (MAC) Representative.

Bob Kelleher is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and consultant on employee engagement, leadership, and workforce trends. Bob is the author of the bestselling book, LOUDER THAN WORDS: 10 Practical Employee Engagement Steps That Drive Results, CREATIVESHIP, A Novel for Evolving Leaders, EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT for Dummies, and I-Engage, Your Personal Engagement Roadmap.   

Bob can be seen or heard on national media (most recently on CNBC, CBS, NBC News, Business Week, Forbes, and Fortune, and has presented to many of the world’s top companies

Bob is also the founder of The Employee Engagement Group, a global survey, products, assessment, consulting firm.  

With nearly 20 years of experience, Rachel Druckenmiller is a keynote speaker, TEDx speaker, and leadership trainer on a mission to unleash purpose, passion, and potential in people and organizations. By leveraging the power of curiosity, Rachel helps people elevate their clarity, confidence, and courage, so they live and lead with greater intention, influence, and impact at work and in the world. Recognized by Smart Meetings as a 2023 Best of the Stage Speaker, Forbes as a Next1000 Honoree, and Workforce Magazine as a 40 Under 40 Game Changer, Rachel is a trailblazer and thought leader in her field.

Jennifer Currence is a Senior Partner of HR Soul consultancy firm in Tampa, Florida, where she delivers results through strategic HR solutions, customized training, and coaching programs for organizational and HR leaders. She is the creator of The SOTO Approach to Leadership and the content architect for the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) international People Manager Qualification (PMQ).

Jennifer is regularly published and featured in industry magazines, webinars, and podcasts, and is the author of three HR books on behavioral business competencies.

Jennifer was named one of the top 100 Influential HR professionals in Leadership and Development in 2023 and Tampa Bay’s HR Consultant of the Year in 2017.  She is a faculty member for SHRM and a former management professor at the University of Tampa.

Bob is currently the Chief Diversity and Talent Officer at ADP. In this role, Bob is accountable for the Diversity, Corporate Social Responsibility and Talent strategy. Bob is passionate about ensuring that our workforce is reflective of the communities in which we live and the clients we serve. Additionally, he is an advocate for parity in leadership levels for all ADP population segments.

Prior to his role expansion, Bob was the Chief Talent Officer. He joined ADP in 2016 as the Head of Human Resources/Division Vice President for Small Business Solutions & HR Outsourcing business units. Bob’s corporate career spans over 20 years with several top tier companies. Prior to ADP, Bob was the Senior Vice President/Head of Human Resources at Harland Clarke; Vice President, Talent Management at First Data; HR Executive at USAA; Director, Human Resources at Limited Brands (Bath& Body Works, Express); Director, Player Services at Harrah’s Casino; Senior Group Manager, HR at Frito Lay, and Executive Senior Partner at The Lucas Group. He has led multiple HR Centers of Excellence (Diversity & Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Employee Relations and HR Business Partners) throughout his career.

Prior to his corporate career, Bob served as a field artillery officer in the US Army for 9 years. He commanded an artillery unit in Germany and is a Desert Storm veteran.

Bob is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and earned a MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas.
Bob sits on the board of directors for the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund, is a member of the Diversity HR50, coaches little league football, is a lifetime member of the VFW, The American Legion, and the National Black MBA Association.

Joseph (“Joe”) Beachboard is a nationally recognized employment lawyer who also closely tracks the most important developments at the U.S. Supreme Court impacting the business community. He has more than 30 years of experience representing management in a wide variety of employment and labor matters in perhaps the most challenging state in the nation for employers – California.  Mr. Beachboard speaks regularly before human resource and employer groups on cutting edge employment law topics.  He is a member of SHRM and has been an annual presenter at both the SHRM Annual Conference and the Employment Law and Compliance Conference for two decades.  Mr. Beachboard is frequently quoted in such leading publications as HR Magazine, National Law Journal, Los Angeles Times, NY Times, HR Executive and Workforce, and has been published in dozens of legal and business journals. Throughout his career in Los Angeles, Mr. Beachboard has represented dozens of studios and entertainment properties.  He cites his most interesting project as working with the cast and crew of the television show The Office, from its pilot through the final season.

Dr. Michael Baran is the CEO of Iris Inclusion, a global diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) firm. Dr. Baran draws on his own social science research to inform his DEI speaking engagements, writings, consulting, leadership development, and eLearning. After teaching at Harvard University, he has been supporting DEI in organizations for 20 years. His work has been covered in the New York Times, BBC, Forbes, CNN, NPR, and more.

His recent book, Subtle Acts of Exclusion, was named by Forbes as one of “The 11 Books To Read To Be A More Inclusive Leader” and has won several awards.

Dr. Natalie Baumgartner is an engagement and culture thought leader and evangelist. She has spent her career translating engagement and culture research into SaaS based software, helping organizations to achieve high performance.

Dr. Baumgartner holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Strength-Based Psychology. She serves on several boards, including that of the Consulting Psychology division of the APA, and has long advised senior leaders on issues related to culture and engagement. Dr. Baumgartner is a popular speaker and regularly engages audiences on topics related to the employee experience – including a TEDx talk on the importance of culture fit.

Dawn Kelley is a certified HR Professional with 25+ years of experience, she is highly skilled in human resources management, employee relations, leadership development, coaching/ supervision, and agency operations.  Dawn has a reputation for being a strong, empathetic leader.  She has volunteered for the Society for Human Resources Management including creating test questions for the SHRM-CP exam, serving as a judge in the college games and spent several years serving on the Executive Board for Central Valley Human Resources Management Association, the local SHRM affiliate chapter.  She is the Human Resources Manager for City of Modesto.  

In 2021, Dawn spoke at SHRM 2021 in Las Vegas bringing forward a thoughtful intro to transgender in the workplace, “Coming of Gender”. Reviews of this session included, “Dawn was an engaging speaker! Very passionate about the subject. Dawn was funny too! Loved that she was transparent enough to share her story with the group! Great presentation!”

Most recently she provided sidebar insights on transgenderism in Chapter 11 Diversity and Inclusion for the SHRM Complete Study Guide authored by Sandra M. Reed and was a speaker on PCTY Talks podcast- https://pctytalks.podbean.com/e/championing-gender-equity-with-dawn-kelley/ with Shari Simpson.

In September 2018, Dawn was a featured TEDx speaker in the Central Valley presenting on Parental Resiliency. She was a guest on two (2) episodes the Therapists Uncut Podcast in 2020 and most recently took part in the My HR Journey Podcast (2021) with Steve Watson.

With a determination to meet people where they are, to help people be heard and to celebrate their accomplishments, she uses her power of persuasion to teach leaders that every voice matters.  Seeing that light bulb go off, that realization in their eyes…means the world.

“We are the voice of those unable to speak, the confidant to lighten the load and the professional to hold people accountable when their bias and judgement get in the way of respect in our workplaces.”