SHRM PDCs

Carol Fishman Cohen works closely with employers to create reentry internship programs for returning professionals. Her TEDx talk “The 40-Year-Old Intern” makes the case for why reentry internships are the most effective way to engage with the high caliber pool of talent returning from career break, and what this means for other non-traditional career transitioner populations. A graduate of Harvard Business School and mother of four, Carol’s return to work at Bain Capital after 11 years out of the full-time workforce is documented in a Harvard Business School case study. She speaks globally about career reentry strategy and is frequently quoted on the topic in the national press.

Milton J. Perkins, PhD ABD, MSHRM, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPC, is the chief accountability and human resources officer for Vanguard Integrity Professionals, a leader in cybersecurity software and solutions. Previously, he was the Senior Director of Workforce Solutions for Agile•1 (HR consulting practice leader). Other positions Milton has held are the recruitment/staffing practice leader for EDS/ExcellerateHRO, managing director for Kaufman, VonStuben & Associates and the global talent acquisition leader for Hewitt Associates. Milton has a tremendous wealth of practical, research, teaching and consulting experience in human capital strategies, tactics and initiatives. He was also the SHRM’s director, North Central Region, responsible for facilitating strategic planning and providing advice and counsel to the Society’s volunteer members and leaders. He has been teaching SHRM courses for nearly 15 years.

Milton is completing his PhD (2015) research in Organizational Management – Human Resources, focusing on the topic of Environmental Variables Impacting Virtual Employee Engagement. He received his Masters of Science in Human Resources, as well as Bachelors of Science in Management, Computer Information Systems. He holds certifications as a SHRM-SCP, SPHR, and CPC. He has completed human resource leadership studies at the Disney Institute, the Society for Human Resource Management, the Executive Leadership Development Program at Babson College, and the PDI Assessment Center.

As a senior leadership consultant and executive coach for Integrated Leadership Systems, M.J. Clark helps company leaders plan for ownership and management succession and foster more authentic communication in the workplace. She helps executives better manage stress, become more assertive, mentor others and fine-tune leadership and management skills.  ILS is based in Columbus, Ohio and provides services for hundreds of companies all over North America. ILS has consulted with many nationally recognized companies including Honda, Nationwide, Husky Energy, Ohio State University, OhioHealth, Elmer’s Products, Kokosing Construction and Worthington Industries. 

Additionally Ms. Clark has spoken nationally, twice for the National Public Relations Society of America and the National Association of Women. She has had numerous regional engagements and has conducted over 100 workshops for Ohio businesses and organizations

Ms. Clark received her master's degree in organizational communication from The Ohio State University and her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Ohio University.  She is the author of the book Shut Up and Lead: A Communicator’s Guide to Quiet Leadership. 

Rick Tiemann started The Executive Group in 1991 and works with companies in the areas of organizational and business development. His expertise is on developing organizational effectiveness through employee selection and development with a targeted focus on sales and leadership. His experience in mergers and acquisitions including turnarounds and employee integration make him a sought after consultant to organizations preparing for or in the midst of implementing change.

With over 40 years of business experience including having owned three businesses, Rick has worked in both national and international arenas and has held positions of Director of Sales and Marketing, VP of Sales, Asian Business Development Manager, and President of a 75 million dollar company in the fire and security industry.

He brings a unique mix of sales and business expertise along with a deep understanding of personality and performance potential to his practice. Over the past 24 years he has interpreted more than 12,000 16PF assessments.

Rick is also an accomplished Executive and Behavioral Coach and uses his insight into behavior to assist CEO’s, Sales and Operations Managers, and business owners in their professional development.

Rona Borre, CEO of Instant Alliance, stands out as one of the leading female entrepreneurs in Chicagoland. Since its founding in 2001, Instant Alliance has become a nationally recognized woman-owned business enterprise, consistently increasing revenue year over year. As a leader in the Chicago community, Rona sits on the board and holds leadership roles with the Economic Club of Chicago, the Young Presidents Organization and The Chicago Network. As a thought leader in the human capital industry Rona has been featured by CNBC, CBS 2 Chicago, USA Today, CNN, and Crain’s Chicago and has been honored as an Influential Woman in Business by The Business Ledger and the National Association of Women Business Owners. Rona was also acknowledged as the Enterprising Woman of the Year by Enterprising Women Magazine, in addition to the number of accolades awarded to her agency. She received her BS in Business from University of Arizona. Rona is passionate about helping companies achieving their goals by pairing them with the absolute best talent.

Shavonne Singleton is the Public Relations Specialist and has been with Peckham since 2008. Singleton assists with the coordination and management of internal and external communications, and works closely with the Human Resources team to devise strategies and plans on how to engage Peckham's diverse workforce. Singleton has a Master's Degree in Public Relations from Boston University. 

Tim Sackett, SCP, is the CEO of HRUTech.com, a leading technical recruiting firm. Tim has over 20 years of combined executive HR and talent acquisition experience working for Fortune 500 companies. Tim is a highly sought-after international speaker on leadership, HR &TA Tech, talent acquisition, and HR execution. Tim is currently a Senior Faculty member with the Josh Bersin Academy. He is also an Angel investor and advisor and sits on multiple HR Technology corporate boards.

Tim is the author of the newly released book The Talent Fix, Vol. 2. He also writes daily on his blog, the Tim Sackett Project. Tim is married to a hall-of-fame wife, has three sons, and his dog Tucker. In 2023, he was named a Top Global HR & Recruitment Influencer by HR Executive. He has more Twitter (X) followers than his 3 Gen Z sons and is sponsored on stage by diet Mt. Dew.

As CEO of Propel Forward LLC, Carlann Fergusson and her team partner with leaders to gain the insights, capacity and confidence to transform themselves and their organizations. Whether providing coaching, visioning, strategic planning or leadership development, her ultimate goal is to create leaders who love their role and bring passion and energy to their work. Corporations shouldn’t be places where people are counting the days till the weekend or the years till retirement.

Carlann is known for her unique approach of blending coaching and organizational development to create both personal and business results. Her keen insight and her ability to synthesize information from numerous sources results in solutions that stick. She has over 25 years of experience in executive and leadership coaching, strategic planning, organizational development, and leadership development. She is also a master certified coach. 

As a past Senior Director of Global Organizational and Leadership Development as well as a Manufacturing Manager overseeing a team of 740, Carlann uses her line and staff management experience to achieve measurable results. Her past position titles also include Strategic Planning Manager and Change Manager.  Carlann has worked for a diversity of businesses including Intel Corporation, Visteon Automotive, Meijer Corporation, Press Ganey, Florida Power and the United States Government. She and her teams were recipients of two Intel Quality Awards, Press Ganey’s Innovation Award, The Department of Treasury Treasurer’s Award and a finalist for the Visteon Summit Award. Today her client list includes pharmaceutical, fashion & design, financial, healthcare, construction and technology companies.

Carlann teaches the Leadership Certificate Program for Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. She is the author of Shoots and Ladders Workbook; Insights to Accelerate Your Leadership and has been cited in CBS MoneyWatch, International Business Times, Newsday, and The Boston Globe.

She holds a Master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Southern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland.