Organization (Technical)

Zac is a former college basketball player for Clayton State University, who only played his freshman year due to a tree falling on his car resulting in a spinal cord injury in the summer of 2011. In a moment, Zac went from being a college basketball player to a C6/C7 quadriplegic. This ultimately shifted the trajectory of his life and career. Zac has been a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) since 2017 and has extensive knowledge in assisting people with disabilities enter the workforce. Additionally, Zac has been playing wheelchair rugby since 2012 and had the opportunity to compete in The World Games 2022 for the USA Low Point Team.

Zac began his career as an intern at the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) where he learned how to assist clients in finding employment through the various services available through community providers. While interning at GVRA, Zac also worked for the Shepherd Center part-time as a Peer Liaison, where he assisted inpatients and outpatients adjust to spinal cord injury.

Upon earning his CRC, Zac became a part-time Vocational Specialist at the Shepherd Center, in addition to his Peer Liaison position. In this role, Zac learned the process of returning people to work. Zac transitioned to work for the Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO), the state’s designated protection and advocacy agency for people with disabilities, as an Employment Advocate. At the GAO, he had
robust training in Social Role Valorization and Customized Employment. With this knowledge, he worked to encourage and increase meaningful employment for people with disabilities. He was responsible for monitoring state and private facilities for compliance with federal and state laws, ensuring that people with disabilities had access to competitive-integrated employment.

After the GAO, he worked for Amy Price of the Price Support Network doing customized employment, where he practiced discovery and saw firsthand the beauty of uncovering individuals’ strengths and gifts. Zac earned an Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators credential in Employment Services with an Emphasis on Customized Employment certification in 2021.
Zac now works at Shepherd Center as an ABI-post acute vocational specialist. He has worked across the continuum of brain injury post-acute services: SHARE Military Initiative, the Complex Concussion Clinic, and Shepherd Pathways, returning people to work with the help of an interdisciplinary team.

Of note, from 2019-2022, Zac served on the board of directors for Citizen Advocacy of Atlanta & Dekalb. This experience allowed him to expand his knowledge of Social Role Valorization and dream big for individuals with disabilities. Zac firmly believes that with proper placement and accommodation, we can truly increase employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

Isabelle is Co-founder and COO of retrain.ai, a Responsible AI-powered Talent Intelligence Platform. She has been recognized for her work by Women in AI North America. Prior to retrain.ai, Isabelle was the co-founder & CEO of Tohar, an Israeli placement company that pioneered how to leverage technology to source, screen, and find the best-fit candidates. She holds an LLB from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, an MBA specializing in Taxation from the College of Management in Israel, and a Masters in Risk Management from New York University, where she focused her research on Identifying Risk in DEI & Artificial Intelligence.

Ragan Decker, Ph.D., SHRM-CP, is an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist and Manager of Executive Network and Enterprise Research at SHRM. She designs and conducts strategic research to support SHRM’s mission as it relates to work, workers, and the workplace. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut and Graduate Certificates in Quantitative Research Methods and Occupational Health Psychology. Her work has been published in HR Quarterly, People + Strategy Journal as well as Occupational Health Science, Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, and Annals of Work Exposure and Health. 

Connie Meyer is the Curriculum Development Consultant at Interfaith America, a non-profit organization that inspires, equips, and connects leaders and institutions to unlock the potential of America’s religious diversity.  Connie consults with colleagues across the organization to ensure best-in-class learning across all Interfaith America programs and also directly designs engaging, effective interfaith learning experiences across in-person, online, and hybrid spaces.  Connie’s work is grounded in deep experience across the fields of learning & development, dispute resolution, and intercultural relations.  She has applied her expertise across corporate, academic, and non-profit contexts, including a decade of work as a corporate educator at multiple Fortune 100 organizations. She holds an M.A. in Intercultural Conflict Management and teaches mediation skills at Northwestern University.

Mary V. L. Wright leads one of the SHRM Foundation’s four pillars of work: Skill Building - Preparing People for Today’s and Tomorrow’s Workplaces.  A critical part of that effort is leading the implementation of the US DOL funded HR Registered Apprenticeship Program, the first national HR apprenticeship program. As such, she is responsible for all parts of the program – development, marketing, sales, budget and evaluation.  In addition, she leads the Foundation’s work on the role of credentials in achieving an organization’s diversity, equity and inclusion goals and is an integral part of the team in promoting the inclusion of untapped talent in the workforce.

Ms. Wright has many years of experience connecting the public and private sectors in municipal finance, government affairs, and workforce development as a project leader, facilitator and subject matter expert.

Previously, Ms. Wright was a director at Jobs for the Future (JFF) where she designed and supervised the completion of foundation, government and employer-funded projects on topics including: expanding employability skills, developing apprenticeship and work-based learning strategies, utilizing labor market information to determine educational focus, better hiring and training practices for people with disabilities, improving entry level jobs for the retail sector, determining the correct educational focus for specific geographic areas including the state of Florida and Columbus Ohio, and an in-depth analysis of green infrastructure jobs.

Prior to joining JFF, she served as director at The Conference Board in New York City, driving its work in workforce readiness, business, and education partnerships. She also focused on improving the employment outcomes for people with disabilities through research and convenings. Ms. Wright co-authored or acted as project director on several key Conference Board reports regarding workforce readiness skills, including Are They Really Ready to Work? and The Ill-Prepared Workforce.

She serves on the Board of Directors of the Institute for Work & the Economy and the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation.

Ms. Wright received a Master of Business Administration in public/nonprofit management from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Affairs from Connecticut College.

Kristina is the managing principal of HRComputes, a management consulting firm, providing human capital management digital solution strategy and advisory services including DEI strategy and implementation to build more equitable and inclusive organizations.

Her executive business management experience spans the corporate and not for profit worlds. She is a professor for the Bard MBA in Sustainability. She is the author of Driving Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion published by Taylor & Francis.

She is a diversity, equity, and inclusion thought leader and frequent speaker. She has received numerous awards for her JEDI work.

Fiona brings 25 years of experience conducting research and providing solutions to organizations with specific expertise in employee engagement, employee relations, diversity, and people analytics.  She is a sought after speaker and well known for her ability to translate complex data into easy-to-understand insights that promote action and can improve business performance. 

Her women-owned business, Spring International provides custom research and analytics for Fortune 500 companies across the United States and internationally. She is the author of numerous articles on people analytics, change management and engagement. Fiona’s Ph.D. is in Human Resource Management from the University of Bristol and was an Honorary Research Fellow for the University of Wolverhampton (U.K.).  In the USA, she has been an adjunct professor at Villanova & Temple University and is involved with leading HR think tank organizations such as the Wharton Research Advisory Group, University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Society for People and Strategy HCA Group.  She currently sits on the Diversity Committee for NAWBO and the Board of POWER, a women’s leadership development association. She is also is a mum of two teenagers!

Sonia Steinway is a fintech entrepreneur, angel investor, and “recovering attorney.” She is an Executive Director in JPMorgan Chase’s Connected Commerce group. As the former founder/CEO of an auto finance start-up, Sonia is passionate about entrepreneurship and developing communities to support founders. She is one of the co-founders and President of the Board of Village Up, a collaborative initiative to increase diversity in and access to the San Diego innovation economy. She is also on the Board of NuFund Venture Group. Sonia has a BA from UPenn and a JD from Yale Law. She is a member of the California and New York Bars. Sonia has no spare time; she spends all of it working, rock climbing, hiking, diving, reading, crossword puzzling, learning Latin, and testing out new recipes for her partner and son.

Julius Alejandro strives for innovative approaches to solving social issues and has years of experience in grassroots organizing, the nonprofit sector, and startup ecosystems that have crossed intersections from economic development to health disparities that affect communities of color. He received his master’s in organizational leadership from National University and a bachelor’s in sociology from San Diego State University, as well as professional certificates from Accessory and Notre Dame University on entrepreneurship and business strategy. He co-founded Village Up to use data-driven research to inform best practice and create systemic change for the San Diego innovation economy.

James L. "Jim" Banks serves as SHRM's General Counsel, managing SHRM's legal functions, overseeing the work of outside counsel, and serving as key lawyer and legal advisor on major business transactions.  

Previously, Banks served as City Attorney to the City of Alexandria, Va., representing and advising the mayor, city council, city manager and city departments on a variety of legal matters. He was previously a partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP and McGuireWoods LLP, where he focused on employment litigation.  

Banks began his legal career in Richmond, Va., and he practiced law in the private and public sectors, including serving as both prosecutor and judge. He has a broad background in legal ethics and spent over 10 years in the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary system, ultimately serving as Chair of the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board. He was an instructor for the Virginia State Bar Professionalism Course and has taught frequently on topics of ethics and professionalism.  He is also an adjunct professor at Virginia Tech in the Master of Public Administration program. 

Banks is a veteran of the U.S. Army and Virginia Army National Guard and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia, a master's degree in Public Policy from Walden University and a bachelor's degree from Gettysburg College.  

This speaker is a member of the SHRM Speakers Bureau.

Chelsea C. Williams is an Entrepreneur, Workplace Educator, and Professional Speaker, dedicated to building empowered, high-performing leaders.

As the Founder & CEO of Reimagine Talent Co., a national talent and workforce development firm, Chelsea’s team powers customized, actionable learning solutions that build human potential, drive marketplace outcomes, and benefit communities.

Reimagine Talent partners with employers, educational institutions, and nonprofits to enhance employee engagement, development, and retention, with a focus on creating synergy across multi-generational workplaces.

A Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur, Tory Burch Fellowship Alumna, and JP Morgan Chase Entrepreneurial Woman of Impact, Chelsea is a trusted thought leader on talent development, inclusive leadership, and the future of work. She regularly contributes to CNBC, Fast Company, Forbes, and more.

With a decade of experience in global human resources on Wall Street and a B.A. in Economics from Spelman College, Chelsea is passionate about cultivating connected workplaces that drive lasting impact.

When she’s not leading Reimagine Talent, Chelsea enjoys traveling, training for races, and spending quality time with her family.

Judith Scimone is MetLife’s Chief Talent Officer and HR Lead for the US Business & Global Functions.

Judith joined MetLife in 2020 to oversee the company’s global talent development efforts. In this role, she is responsible for advancing MetLife’s talent agenda while cultivating an energizing and inclusive workplace. She leads an integrated talent organization which includes talent acquisition, performance development, organization effectiveness, succession and leadership development. Additionally, Judith leads human resources for MetLife’s US Business and global functions.

A seasoned human resources executive, Judith’s experience spans multiple industries, geographies and functional areas. She has held HR leadership roles in leading financial services, technology and healthcare organizations including JPMorgan Chase, Motorola, Johnson & Johnson and Google. She brings deep expertise in HR business partnering, talent management, organization development and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Judith began her career as a Mechanical Engineer at General Electric. A global leader, Judith has lived in the United States (home), Latin America and Asia Pacific.
Judith holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Yale School of Management.