Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM. With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally.

As a global leader on the future of employment, culture and leadership, Mr. Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work, workers and the workplace. Recognized as one of the “300 Most Influential Executives in Corporate America” for 2024 by Savoy Magazine and one of the “Most Influential People Shaping Public Policy” in our nation’s capital by Washingtonian Magazine, Mr. Taylor is frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues and authors the weekly USA Today column, "Ask HR."

Mr. Taylor's career spans more than 20 years as a lawyer, human resources executive and CEO in both the not-for-profit and for-profit spaces. He has held senior and chief executive roles at IAC/InteractiveCorp, Viacom's Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, the McGuireWoods law firm and Compass Group USA. Most recently, Mr. Taylor was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

He is the author of the national bestseller, RESET: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval, which immediately upon its release in September 2021, was in the top three of The Wall Street Journal’s list of best-selling hardcover business books.

Mr. Taylor is a member of the United Way Worldwide Board of Trustees and serves on the corporate boards of XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO), Flores & Associates, and Guild Education. He previously served on the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board and as chairman of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities during the Trump Administration.

The Women Business Collaborative (WBC) named Mr. Taylor as one of its 2023 Trailblazers in Gender Equity and Diversity for his work to achieve equal position, pay and power for all women in business. In 2020, he received the Distinguished Executive of the Year Award from the Academy of Management, and he was named 2021 ALA Professional Society CEO of the Year by CEO Update.

He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and is licensed to practice law in Florida, Illinois and Washington, D.C.

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.

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM. With nearly 340,000 members in 180 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 362 million workers and their families globally.

As a global leader on the future of employment, culture and leadership, Mr. Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work, workers and the workplace. Recognized as one of the “300 Most Influential Executives in Corporate America” for 2024 by Savoy Magazine and one of the “Most Influential People Shaping Public Policy” in our nation’s capital by Washingtonian Magazine, Mr. Taylor is frequently asked to testify before Congress on critical workforce issues and authors the weekly USA Today column, "Ask HR."

Mr. Taylor's career spans more than 20 years as a lawyer, human resources executive and CEO in both the not-for-profit and for-profit spaces. He has held senior and chief executive roles at IAC/InteractiveCorp, Viacom's Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, the McGuireWoods law firm and Compass Group USA. Most recently, Mr. Taylor was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

He is the author of the national bestseller, RESET: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval, which immediately upon its release in September 2021, was in the top three of The Wall Street Journal’s list of best-selling hardcover business books.

Mr. Taylor is a member of the United Way Worldwide Board of Trustees and serves on the corporate boards of XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO), Flores & Associates, and Guild Education. He previously served on the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board and as chairman of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities during the Trump Administration.

The Women Business Collaborative (WBC) named Mr. Taylor as one of its 2023 Trailblazers in Gender Equity and Diversity for his work to achieve equal position, pay and power for all women in business. In 2020, he received the Distinguished Executive of the Year Award from the Academy of Management, and he was named 2021 ALA Professional Society CEO of the Year by CEO Update.

He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and is licensed to practice law in Florida, Illinois and Washington, D.C.

Mary Cheddie, SHRM-SCP is Divisional Director, Membership Community. 

Cheddie has more than 35 years of domestic and international experience in all aspects of human resources and training. She has extensive experience with strategic planning, M&As, and in starting and turning around businesses.

Prior to joining SHRM, she served as senior vice president of human resources for Interval Leisure Group, Inc. and its affiliated companies. The company was publicly traded on NASDAQ and the leading provider of vacation services with a global consumer membership base of nearly 2 million member families, more than 2,500 member resorts in over 75 countries worldwide, and has oversight for about 14,000 employees. 

Cheddie also served as senior vice president, people with PRC, as well as vice president, human resources, strategic planning, office services, and facilities for The Orvis Company, Inc. in Manchester, VT.

She earned her MBA from Upper Iowa University, a bachelor’s degree from Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, New Jersey, and is certified as a SHRM-Senior Certified Professional.

Cheddie received the HR Award of Excellence, Hospitality in 2016 from South Florida Business & Wealth. Business Leader Magazine named Cheddie one of the 2011 Women Extraordinaire and in 2012 the National Diversity Council awarded her the Glass Ceiling Award.

She serves on the Board of Trustees for Upper Iowa University, Chairs the Human Capital Committee and is a member of the Governance and Advancement Committees, Chaired the Keiser Career College’s Advisory Board, was a member of the Board of Directors for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) from 2003-2008 and chaired SHRM’s governance and compensation committees. Cheddie has more than 35 years of SHRM volunteer leadership experience at the national, regional, state, and local levels.  She also served on the Waldorf College Alumni Board from 2004 through 2008 and was the President of the Dallas HR Association in 2000 (one of the largest affiliated SHRM chapters). She resides in South FL.

James Abeyta Stevens, a native New Mexican, is originally from Las Vegas, NM and now resides in Albuquerque, NM. He holds a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling, Professional Counseling, from New Mexico Highlands University, which led him to his professional therapeutic career in 2012. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of New Mexico and a bachelor’s degree in organizational psychology from the College of Santa Fe. On top of that, he is also a licensed mental health therapist in the state of New Mexico.

In 2021, James retired from his position as Director of Human Resources after a career in the Native American tribal gaming industry that extended over two decades. During this period, his leadership led the organization to earn more than a dozen top honors from the Albuquerque Journal and other companies in categories such as Top Workplaces and Best Places to Work in New Mexico for a large company.

As a therapist, he currently assists those with gambling addictions, bereavement, substance abuse, domestic violence, and career counseling. James recently took over the role of Chief Human Resources Officer for his agency, handling all HR functions for the organization in addition to his role as a therapist.  You can take the person out of Human Resources, but you can never take the Human Resources out of the person. In fact, “Fun” is James’ middle name as he is a corporate culture champion.

James is an instructor in the Substance Abuse Certificate and the Human Services Degree program at Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) in Albuquerque, the largest community college in the state of New Mexico.

James currently serves as the State Council Director for the SHRM New Mexico State Council, the first male in this position in SHRM NM’s history. He also serves on the Membership Advisory Council (MAC), representing ten (10) states in the Southwest Central Region for SHRM, a position he was elected to by his fellow State Council Directors. He will serve a two-year term in a position considered to be the highest level of Volunteer Leadership that SHRM National offers.  James is a driving force to bettering Human Resources support in and around the state of New Mexico, tribal nations, the Southwest Central Region of SHRM, and the country.

Heather "HD" Deyrieux, MSM, SHRM-SCP, obtained her Masters in Management, with a Concentration in Human Resources, and her Bachelor's Degree in General Business from the University of Central Florida. As the Manager, Workforce Planning for Sarasota County Government, Heather supports over 2,200 employees and 1,100 volunteers. She previously served in the private sector as Director of Talent at Dental Care Alliance, Director of Strategic Development at the International Business Innovation Association (InBIA), and Director of Strategic Planning & Development with the Great Job Spot Network. HD currently serves as the Southeast Membership Advisory Council for SHRM and previously  served as the Immediate Past President, President, President-Elect, Conference Director, Secretary, Treasurer, Emcee and other volunteer roles since 2008 for the HR Florida State Council. 

Desireé Navarro is a seasoned human resources executive and dedicated community advocate, whose remarkable journey is defined by her unwavering commitment to leadership, both in the corporate world and within various volunteer organizations. With a diverse range of experiences, Desireé has emerged as an influential force in the field of human resource management, change management, and employee development.

Desireé is the Chief Human Resource Officer for Shodair Children’s Hospital, a non-profit hospital in Montana specializing in psychiatric care for children and adolescents along with a nationally recognized genetics program providing care for all ages. Desireé has a Master of Business Administration from The University of Liverpool, a Bachelor’s from the University of Montana Western, and is both SHRM-SCP and SPHR certified.  Desiree’ was recently recognized as the 2023 Montana Human Resource Leader of the Year.  She currently serves as the Membership Advisory Council Representative for SHRM representing the Pacific West Region.

Louis R. Lessig, Esquire, SHRM-SCP, SPHR is a Partner at the law firm of Brown & Connery, LLP in Westmont, NJ in their labor and employment group.  He regularly counsels clients, conducts training sessions and represents clients in federal and state court as well as before administrative agencies. Also known as The Employment Law Translator®, Mr. Lessig speaks across the country and regularly writes articles that appear in publications nationwide including XpertHR.  In 2018 he won the Delaware Valley HR Consultant of the Year Award. He is a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and a Past President of the Philadelphia chapter.  Mr. Lessig is an active volunteer for The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) as the Northeast Membership Advisory Council (MAC) Representative.