Dawn Mugavero is currently Manager for WorkLife, Relocation and Global Assignments for Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. (TMS).  Dawn has over 15 years of experience in Human Resources and spent the first part of her career at the University of Southern California as the Director of Human Resources in Auxiliary Services.  For the past 6 years she has been with TMS focusing on WorkLife programs through employee engagement and culture change iniatives. In addition, she manages all of the domestic relocations throughout North America as well as all global assignments.

Paul Rupert is President of Washington, DC-based Rupert & Company. He combines forty years’ general management, consulting, coaching, training and research experience with expertise in the development of flexible leadership skills and online systems. He excels in aligning Senior Management commitments with business-beneficial flexibility initiatives. Paul pioneered the development of explicitly business-based approaches and tools for creating the flexible workplace and transforming traditional managers into flexible leaders. In his previous work as Associate Director of New Ways to Work and Flexibility Practice Leader of WFD Consulting, he directed national flexibility advocacy efforts and served a broad and distinguished client list of more than a hundred companies ranging from Aetna and AOL to Wal-Mart and Xerox. He pioneered challenging flexibility initiatives such as Phased and Partial Retirement and high yield approaches to Remote Work. Mr. Rupert speaks widely about organizational flexibility and is quoted regularly in the national media such as the Wall Street Journal, ABC World News, CBS News, NPR, Marketplace and Newsweek. He is a graduate of Stanford University.

Kelly Hughes practices primarily in the areas of labor and employment law. She represents management in the full range of issues related to the employment relationship.

Ms. Hughes handles the following matters:

• Handling discrimination and retaliation charges before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and states' deferral agencies, including both individual discrimination charges and threatened systemic actions. This may involve conducting witness interviews, representing management during mediation, preparing position statements, handling any ensuing investigation, and/or negotiating conciliation agreements with the EEOC and states' deferral agencies
• Handling wage and hour, discrimination, and retaliation complaints before the North Carolina Department of Labor
• Litigating claims arising under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination In Employment Act, and other federal statutes and state laws
• Representing employers, fiduciaries, insurers, and third-party administrators in employee welfare benefit plan litigation in federal and state courts, including defending against plan participants’ and beneficiaries’ claims for benefits under ERISA
• Advising employers on all human resource issues, including hiring new employees and evaluating, disciplining, and terminating existing employees, managing difficult leaves of absence situations, executing reductions in force, and complying with disability accommodation and religious accommodation obligations
• Drafting and negotiating severance agreements, non-solicitation agreements, and non-competition agreements
• Drafting employee handbooks and employment policies
• Conducting management training, including EEO and anti-harassment/anti-discrimination training
• Directing employers on avoidance of employee claims

An experienced speaker, Ms. Hughes has lectured on a range of employment law subjects for organizations including The Employer's Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Diversity Forum, and North Carolina Society for Human Resource Management, among others

Ramona manages the employment section in Human Resources at Amica Mutual Insurance Company in Lincoln, R.I., which focuses on diversity, engagement and employment issues. She works with Amica managers across the country to improve the company’s diversity and engagement footprints, and to ultimately support the corporate mission, which is to create peace of mind and build enduring relationships.

Ramona, who has more than 15 years of HR experience, holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University. She also has earned the insurance industry’s Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) professional designation and the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification.  Additionally, Ramona is a mentor for the Year Up program and holds a board position for Diversity and Inclusion Professionals in Providence, R.I.

Mary Martinéz is the diversity and inclusion (D&I) practice leader for APTMetrics, Inc. As an experienced D&I practitioner, she provides guidance and support for organizations that are committed to maximizing the bottom-line benefits of D&I through assessment, engagement, and measurement. She has more than 20 years of experience as a consultant and as an HR leader in organizations representing multiple industries and in the nonprofit sector where she has implemented a wide range of diversity and talent initiatives. Her capabilities include designing and implementing strategies and processes, creating and delivering training, and implementing organization development interventions. Most recently, Mary led the global diversity consulting practice for Mercer/ORC Networks (formerly part of ORC Worldwide -- where she began her career, and to which she returned in 2008). Immediately prior to this, she was responsible for global performance management and professional development at Alcatel-Lucent where she was instrumental in integrating the merged company’s talent processes.

Deborah Rinner Godwin is Vice President for Tero International. Deborah joined the Tero Team in 2002 and brought expertise on business etiquette and cultural communication issues that arise daily in business situations pertinent to presenting a positive image in our changing times. In addition to a masters in effective teaching from Drake University, Deborah is certified as a Corporate Etiquette and International Protocol consultant from the Protocol School of Washington, D.C. Deborah's role at Tero has evolved to include serving as a lead trainer in presentation skills, negotiation skills, leadership development, corporate etiquette, cross cultural communication and executive presence as well as customizing curriculum for clients from various industry groups. Deborah also serves as an executive coach to many of Tero's clients, and is an experienced keynoter.

Curtis Olson is an Inspector with the Calgary Police Service and currently oversees the Community and Youth Services Section. With over twenty years of policing experience he recognizes the strength of diversity and understands the importance of strategic planning to anticipate emerging demographic trends. One of his responsibilities is managing the Diversity Resource Team in which members are responsible for 9 different community portfolios: Aboriginal, African, Caribbean/ Latin America, Sexual and Gender diversity, Hate/Bias crimes, South East Asian, South Asian, Middle East/Europe and Persons with disabilities.

Recently, he guided the development of an integrated, multi-layered organizational framework to advance diversity that includes service provision, human resource practices, community capacity building and strategic communications, within the context of business planning. Curtis has presented at various conferences about topics that have national to international application. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity Western University, a Professional Management Certificate from the University of Calgary and is an alumnus of the 2012 Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference.

Nationally known as one of "America's Top Experts on Diversity" (Diversity, Inc., 2005), Dr. Jones’ philosophy is to lead with listening to support clients in finding a strategy and solution that works for them.

Dr. Jones has been heralded as a dynamic keynote speaker, transformational facilitator, phenomenal organization effectiveness consultant, and innovative executive. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a master’s in Multicultural Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology. He is the author of Journey to Excellence, a transformational book helping people define and achieve excellence in their lives.

Dr. Jones founded Jones & Associates in 1993 in order to build a firm committed to making a widespread positive impact in the world in the area of diversity, inclusion, and organizational excellence. The company's team of certified Jones & Associates consultants provide diversity, inclusion, organizational change and organizational development services to corporations, educational institutions, government agencies and non-profit organizations.

Shilpa Pherwani is an organizational psychologist by training and the Principal and CEO of IBIS Consulting Group, Inc. She has expertise in the areas of cultural competency, diversity and inclusion, organizational development and e-­learning.  As a consultant and trainer, Shilpa provides guidance to organizations to develop and achieve their D&I business goals.  She provides subject matter expertise in change management, organizational development and diversity to help organizations align D&I with business strategy. Shilpa heads the design and development team at IBIS for diversity e-­learning tools. She has led the team for several highly effective programs for clients such as Aetna, Boeing, Campbell Soup, Grainger, ESPN, Nestle, Microsoft, Sun Life Financial, and Xerox. Shilpa’s work with global organizations has included conducting diversity assessments, diversity and cross-­cultural training, leadership development, and implementation of diversity strategic plans. Shilpa received her Master’s in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Springfield College with a focus on Organizational Development.

Diana Solash joined EY in 1994 and is currently a Director in the organization’s Americas Inclusiveness Office. In this capacity, Diana works closely with senior leaders, EY member firm partners and all EY people so that EY values are reflected across the Americas. She helps member firms leverage the diversity that each person brings to the table — e.g., generations, cultural background, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, abilities, experiences, and education. Diana has worked in several Talent team functions in building her career at EY, including campus recruiting, experienced recruiting and organizational development. She also co-chaired the Northeast Inclusiveness & Diversity Council and served as the Northeast Community Engagement Champion for Ernst & Young LLP.  

Diana has been involved with several community organizations. Currently, she serves as a board member and the immediate past President of the Metro NY Chapter of Ascend, a professional society for Asians in business, as well as a member of the New York Women’s Foundation Corporate Leadership Committee. Previously, she served as a member of Jumpstart’s Advisory Board and she is a past member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Minority Initiatives Committee. Diana also completed the Coro Leadership New York Program in 2009 and currently serves on Coro’s Alumni Advisory Board.  

Diana graduated Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics and Psychology. She lives in downtown Manhattan with her son, Max, and daughter, Mia.