Leadership & Navigation

For over 25 years, Candace has been a strategic business partner and human resources leader, helping organizations and professionals maximize their potential while driving business results. She is experienced in innovative and transformational change with expertise in talent management, organizational development, compensation, talent acquisition, employee engagement, project management, and HR system design and implementation.

By implementing structure and managing transformational change through incremental and digestible steps, Candace has led the transition of the National Aquarium’s HR department from a tactical internal service function to one that is a true strategic partner Examples of her accomplishments include the implementation of a fully functional human resource information system; strategic workforce planning based on talent assessment; nine-box succession planning; goals-based performance assessment; a competitive compensation program with data-driven decision making around merit and incentive awards, promotions and equity; and a best-in-class benefits program that includes a virtual wellness program and a financially stable self-funded medical and prescription plan.

In 2015, Candace was honored with the Chief HR Officer of the Year award by HRO Today magazine, a recognition celebrating the chief human resource officers that help drive workforce initiatives through innovation, with measurable excellence in employee engagement and retention to prove it. Candace believes in “investing in our future” and is heavily involved in a number of efforts around working with young people from underserved and poorly represented communities.

She is leading a groundbreaking fundraising effort to grow the College Success Scholars Program at University of Maryland, College Park; leading the Carver Foundation Board to launch a mentoring program for first-generation college-bound students; launching a mentoring program to enhance the Cornell University experience for women of color; and is involved in the YouthWorks program in Baltimore City.

Candace is a graduate of Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and a Greater Baltimore Committee Leadership alum, is Myers Briggs Qualified and is Six Sigma trained.

The Houston Chronicle calls Robin Ryan “America’s top career expert.” Robin has offered advice on “Oprah,” “Dr Phil,” "CNN,"  "NBC Nightly News" and more than 1,500 other TV & radio shows. This popular speaker and bestselling author motivates people to enhance their skills, land new jobs, improve their professional lives and succeed in today’s workplace.
 
Robin’s high-energy speaking style, coupled with her informative and engaging message, has had her in front of over 1,200 audiences. She’s been a keynote speaker at numerous national and regional conferences, and is often in front of employee groups, association members, or seen on college campuses talking to alumni and students.
 
Robin Ryan is the best-selling author of seven books including:
Over 40 & You’re Hired!
60 Seconds & You’re Hired!
Winning Resumes
Winning Cover Letters
What to Do with the Rest of Your Life
Soaring on Your Strengths
What to Do with the Rest of Your Life
 
A licensed vocational counselor, Robin Ryan holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Education from Suffolk University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Boston College. She is the former Director of Counseling Services at the University of Washington.

Skip Weisman, The Workplace Communication Expert, works with small business owners and non-profit organization leaders, plus their employees, providing practical tools to transform workplace communication that create more positive, productive and profitable organizations.

Skip, a former professional baseball executive, served as CEO of 5 baseball franchises over a 20-year career beginning at age 26. Skip’s hard learned lessons form the foundation for the engaging, inspiring, and practical presentations leaders can apply to their work environments.

Since 2012 over 20,000 international business professionals have experienced Skip’s interactive, inspiring, and practical keynote addresses, breakout session seminars, and webinars on his signature topics of The 7 Deadliest Workplace Communication Sins, 5 Steps to Creating the I.D.E.A.L. Work Environment, The 3 Stories Leaders Must Consistently Communicate to Inspire & Motivate, and Mastering the 3 Levels of Communication Influence. 

For the last 10 years Kristen has consulted with hundreds of organizations in various industries helping them create more positive and productive workplaces. Her specialties have been talent management, leadership, employee development, organizational wellness, team effectiveness and performance management.

She recently launched her own company focused on Corporate & Life Coaching. In her consulting with companies she developed a personal passion for supporting individuals in becoming more aware of their strengths, blind spots, values and purpose as well as professional/personal goals. She thoroughly enjoys partnering with people in a coaching relationship and watching the powerful shifts that happen. Her personal mission is to help people do their best work, live a life that is more aligned with their purpose and reach their full potential.

Kristen is a graduate of McMaster University, having attained her Honors Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Psychology. She is currently enrolled in the Co-Active Coach Training Program through CTI to become a Certified Coach.

On a personal note, Kristen is a big believer in kindness and intentional living. She’s passionate about humanizing the workplace and creating environments where people thrive.

Kim has over 16 years of experience in Organizational Development and has held roles at various companies, including, T-Mobile, Nordstrom and Wells Fargo. Before assuming her Manager of Organizational Development and Compliance role at Ste Michelle, Kim's most recent role was Learning and Organizational Effectiveness Consultant at Seattle Children’s Hospital. She has her MBA in Organizational Leadership from Marylhurst University. For fun, Kim enjoys spending time with her husband and three pugs as well as teaching a variety of group fitness classes.

Marjorie Brody is one of the most sought-after speakers and executive coaches in America. Marjorie provides a hardcore reality check for all working professionals, helping them communicate like leaders.

With enough degrees, honors, awards, certifications, and rave reviews to fill a bookcase, Marjorie has become the go-to “sage” for organizations and leaders looking for what it truly takes to succeed in a highly competitive business world.

She is certified by the International Coach Federation as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC). As an internationally recognized speaker, Marjorie also earned the designation of CSP – Certified Speaking Professional, designated by the National Speakers Association (NSA). She was also inducted into NSA’s Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE) Speaker Hall of Fame.

Marjorie has been described as experienced, wise, irreverent, remarkably insightful, honest, and classy. She delves into the vital characteristics, behaviors and strategies that lead to career success. Her message is real, relatable and actionable.

Through repeat business and referrals, Marjorie has built up an impressive client roster of Fortune 100 and 500 companies.

Marjorie’s content-rich presentations and keynotes all delve into the vital characteristics, behaviors and strategies that lead to personal and professional-growth and are centered around accountability … yours and others.

Heather began her career in the Agency world and quickly sold herself to a Start-Up Client in Silicon Valley as their Corporate Recruiter. Two years later she was recruited away by Cisco’s Talent organization who hired Heather to satisfy a frustrated VP of Information Technology. This new role was funded by the Cisco IT executive team, and during her tenure, she not only reported to the IT executive team, but became a participating member of Sr. Staff. During her tenure, Heather developed a passion and a knack for tying the organizations overall business strategy to their hiring needs..  She was asked to move to Research Triangle Park, NC to continue to execute her hiring strategy and help grow what would become their second largest facility outside of the Silicon Valley . In 2001 after the birth of her first child she left Cisco to raise her son, yet during this time Heather, received her PHR and consulted with a small federal contractor.  That role eventually resulted in Heather becoming their VP of Operations and HR. In 2012 she returned to her passion, High Tech hiring, and was selected as Dimension Data’s America’s region Sales and Pre-Sales Talent Partner. In 2015 she was the only Talent Partner asked to participate as a founding member of a new Global Cloud Talent team. With the empowerment of leadership, the team was trusted to engage clients consultatively. She’s been asked to speak on the strategies Dimension Data implemented to create a consultative approach, what benefits it provides and how it can be implemented into your organization to develop a deeper sense of ownership in the hiring process. She’s a single mom with two boys, 13 and soon to be 15, and a runner who walks faster than she runs.   

Dr. Lepora is a well sought-after keynote speaker on People and Process topics worldwide. She is the CEO and Executive Coach of Nextgen People, a cutting- edge firm that specializes in Executive Coaching and Talent Management Next Practices in a global and multi-generational environment.

Dr. Lepora has partnered with many global business leaders and organizations to help them be more effective in their transformational efforts. She is especially passionate about elevating leader performance and seeing individual and organizational potential realized. She also has a special focus on Intentional Culture and the Globalization of work.

Dr. Lepora has worked and led teams as an internal executive leader and consultant in Fortune 500 companies to achieve positive transformational change in people and processes. Some companies, with which Dr. Lepora Flournoy has partnered include Delta Airlines, ManpowerGroup, Randstad, Capital Blue Cross, Deloitte, and Coca- Cola.

Dr. Flournoy is dedicated to innovative people practices and creative ways to help leaders better perform. She is the author of Journey to Authentic Joy and is currently working on a second book.  Aside from writing, she also enjoys hiking, traveling and photography.

While you can find her on most social media vehicles, feel free to follow Dr. Lepora on Twitter @drlepora and connect with her on linkedin/in/drlepora

www.nextgenpeople.com

Sharlyn Lauby is an author, writer, speaker and consultant. She has been named a Top HR Digital Influencer and is best-known for her work on HR Bartender, a friendly place to talk about workplace issues. HR Bartender has been recognized as one of the Top 5 Blogs read by HR professionals by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and best business blog by the Stevie Awards.

Publications such as Reuters, The New York Times, ABC News, The Wall Street Journal, and Mashable have sought out her expertise on topics related to human resources and the workplace. Sharlyn is the author of “Essential Meeting Blueprints for Managers,” and ”Manager Onboarding: 5 Steps for Setting New Leaders Up for Success,” which are available in the SHRM Store.

Her personal goal in life is to find the best cheeseburger on the planet.