Linda C. Martin, SPHR, MBA, currently serves as Administrative Director for the Center for Organizational Excellence with Bon Secours Virginia Health System. The Bon Secours Virginia Center for Organizational Excellence serves health system employees in Richmond and Hampton Roads, Va., by helping to strengthen the capabilities of individuals and departments through personal and professional development.

In her current role that she has held since 2010, Ms. Martin oversees organization development and training. She has led employee engagement and related cultural transformation work since 2005. As a result, the health system has achieved record employee engagement numbers in recent years as measured annually by the Gallup Organization. Since joining Bon Secours in 1997, she has held a variety of management roles with the Human Resources department.

With years of leadership experience in Human Resources, including employee relations, recruitment, and training and development, Ms. Martin is certified by the Society for Human Resource Management as a Senior Professional in Human Resources. She is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Lora Geiger is the Vice President of Human Resources for Coughlan Companies, Inc. . Prior to joining Coughlan Companies, Lora gained extensive experience in senior HR business partner organizational development, and leadership roles having worked in the software development and manufacturing industries, as well as consulting and account management experience in the medical equipment and insurance/financial service industries. During Lora’s leadership as Director of Human Resources for Turck Inc., an internationally recognized industrial automation company, they received local and national recognition for their holistic approach to culture, well-being and leadership development and related positive organizational and individual outcomes. Lora earned her doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University. She earned her B.S. degree in Human Resource Management from Winona State University and her Master’s in Human Resource Development from the University of St. Thomas. She has the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation from the Human Resources Certification Institute and is an ICF (International Coaching Federation) accredited coach. Turck employer honors during Lora’s tenure as Director of HR include:

• Work-Life Seal of Distinction, WorldatWork Alliance for Work-Life Progress
• Workplace Well-being Award, Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)
• HR Excellence Award – Management Resource Association, Employer’s Association
• The Alfred P. Sloan Award for Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility for being in the top 20% nationally for engagement in the use of flexibility in work as an effective workplace strategy to increase business and employee success
• Platinum Level Wellness by Design Awards from Hennepin County for finding unique and innovative ways to promote well-being at work, 2011, 2012 and 2013
• Outstanding eWorkplace Employer Award from the State of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute for the advancement of Telework, for demonstrating corporate social responsibility, and contributing to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion and improved quality of life
• The Star Tribune, leading newspaper in MN, published its list of “Top Workplaces” and TURCK made the list consecutively based on employee survey feedback

Lora has been asked to speak at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) National Conferences on driving business results through strategic HR initiatives; the Work and Family Research Network’s international conference on leading towards well-being through organizational climate, leadership and individual factors that relate to thriving at work; Minneapolis Business Journal’s Innovations in Healthcare Forum on positive organizational and individual outcomes of well-being at work; Twin Cities Human Resource Association (TCHRA) and hrConnection on best practices in talent management; and at SHRM’s National Work-Life Conference and Work and Family Institute on creating organizational effectiveness and work-life fit. Lora has also been asked to speak on the role employers play in fostering workflex and well-being for business results by TCHRA, and HR Professionals of MN, Chicago’s SHRM Chapter, Twin Cities Commuter Services, Center for Law and Social Policy and New America Foundation in Washington D.C.; SHRM at the Democratic National Conference in Charlotte, NC and the International Association for Worksite Health Promotion – Executive Summit, in Las Vegas, NV. 

Susan Avello is Social Marketing Consultant and Principal of Social Buzz Concepts, specializing in Corporate Social Media Marketing Solutions, Training and Development. She shares her knowledge of Work-Life Balance, Social Media in the Workplace, and the latest in Technology over at HR Virtual Cafe blog, SHRM WeKnowNext and is a part of the social press team for SHRM annual conference and IHRIM Technology Conference. She is social media chair for Illinois SHRM State conference and  the recipient of 2011’s Most Influential Women in Business award by Chicago’s Daily Herald Business Ledger, the National Association of Women Business Owners and Women’s Innovation Network. Follow her on Twitter @susanavello.

Kathy Kacher, President of Career/Life Alliance Services, (CLAS) and Cofounder of The SMART Workplace, is a workforce transformation expert with a focus on workplace mobility, change management and leadership engagement. She is also a faculty member with World at Work.