Kimberly McNeil, SHRM-SCP
Knowledge Advisor
SHRM
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Kim McNeil is a SHRM-SCP certified professional with over a decade of experience.  This experience includes expertise in benefits and compensation, international HR, mergers and acquisitions, employee relations, performance management, talent acquisition, federal contracts, and compliance. She has worked in a variety of industries including nonprofits and high tech.   Kim has a Bachelor of Arts in World Politics from The Catholic University of America. As a passionate lifelong learner, she also holds a few SHRM Specialty credentials: Inclusive Workplace Cultures, California Law/HR, and Talent Acquisitions. As well as, SHRM People Manager Qualification.  She is passionate about building inclusive workplaces that are purpose-driven and civility-minded.

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Dianna Sporcic
Members and Community Director
SHRM
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Dianna Sporcic, SHRM-SCP is Members and Community Director for the Southeast Region, which includes the states of AL, FL, GA, Mississippi, Bahama, BDA, PR, DC, KY, NC, SC, TN, VA, WVA. She works remotely from her home in St. Petersburg, FL.

Dianna spent almost 30 years with Hyatt starting in operations and then moving into HR. Most recently she was Director of HR for Hyatt Vacation Ownership (HVO) who is known for the most luxurious vacation ownership resorts in the world. She was instrumental in the M&A when Interval Leisure Group (ILG) purchased HVO. She remained on as a highly valued and strategic member of the ILG HR team while still supporting HVO. After Marriott purchased ILG, Dianna joined ONICON Measurement Solutions. Dianna has diverse HR experience in hospitality, manufacturing and labor relations. Dianna is a member of our Tampa chapter and holds SHRM-SCP certification.

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Elliott Wilson
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Monique Akanbi, SHRM-CP
Membership Initiatives Director
SHRM
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Monique Akanbi, SHRM-CP, is an HR professional with over 15 years of broad-based experience in the public school and private sector in various roles and disciplines. A Miami, Florida native, Monique earned her degree in Public Administration with a specialization in HR from Barry University. Monique is also a Master Examiner and Mentor with the Florida Sterling Council Board of Examiners, visiting organizations throughout the state across all industries to assess their leadership system and organizational performance through the National Malcolm Baldrige Performance Excellence model. In her volunteer role, Monique has been an active SHRM Chapter leader serving in various roles including Chapter President and District Director with HR Florida. In addition, she serves on various local non-profit boards. As a high energy, creative thinker, team builder, and problem-solver, Monique has a passion for service and assisting others in their purpose, potential, and professional development through meaningful connections.

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Karlin Sloan
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As an entrepreneur and executive, I've got enormous empathy for my readers who are leaders, managers, founders and owners (and those who aspire to be) in organizations large and small. 

I am the founder and CEO of Sloan Group International, a boutique leadership development consulting firm serving fortune 1000 companies on 5 continents. I am also a board member, speaker, a teacher, a parent, and an avid fan of people who make a positive impact on the planet.

If there's one thing that distinguishes me as a writer, it's that I'm on a mission to provide both practical tools and a supportive voice for people with purpose. 

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Karlin Sloan
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As an entrepreneur and executive, I've got enormous empathy for my readers who are leaders, managers, founders and owners (and those who aspire to be) in organizations large and small. 

I am the founder and CEO of Sloan Group International, a boutique leadership development consulting firm serving fortune 1000 companies on 5 continents. I am also a board member, speaker, a teacher, a parent, and an avid fan of people who make a positive impact on the planet.

If there's one thing that distinguishes me as a writer, it's that I'm on a mission to provide both practical tools and a supportive voice for people with purpose. 

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Michael Towers
CEO
Speaking of Your Success
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Michael Towers is the C.E.O of Speaking of Your Success. He is a subject matter expert in the areas of leadership, mental health, and addiction. Michael’s mission is to utilize his knowledge to improve the lives of people that suffer. Michael wants to use his story to help anyone who wants to rewrite theirs. Hurting people hurt people, and Michael has a heart for helping hurting people.

Motivated by the desire to help others overcome their mental health challenges, Michael resolved to learn everything he could about mental illness. Michael earned degrees in substance abuse counseling and psychology and has been a mental health and addictions counselor for 20 years.

For two decades Michael has given talks to psychiatric hospitals, rehabs, jails, and youth detention centers about how to live with mental illness.

In 2020 The Society for Human Resource Management honored Michael with the opportunity of a lifetime and listed him on their speaker’s bureau. To become valuable to SHRM Michael began to research mental health in the workplace. The data is alarming.

  • 9 in 10 employees report that their workplace stress affects their mental health.
  • 60% of employees are not receiving adequate support from supervisors to manage stress.
  • 4 in 5 employees feel emotionally drained from their work.
  • 56% of employees spend time at work looking for a new job.
  • Only 5% of employees strongly agreed that their employer provides a safe environment for employees who live with mental health.

Since most people spend their waking hours at work, Michael believes he can make the biggest impact helping organizations, leaders, human resource professionals, and employees improve mental health conditions in the workplace. Empowering leaders to lead better, has a cascading affect that can be exponentially powerful.

Michael’s topics are engineered to empower leaders to change company culture. Michael teaches leaders how to be transparent, listen attentively and without judgement, and make their people feel like they are understood.

Michael initiates leaders to be authentic, accepting, and understanding. The results are less employee burnout and improved mental health conditions. Employees will be healthier. Healthier people make the people they love, lead, and live near healthier.

Your employees will thrive, which will positively impact the bottom line.

Michael can assist companies delivering keynotes or workshops. Although Michael loves to communicate face to face, he excels speaking virtually. He incorporates state of the art technology, visuals, and educational materials. Michael is second to none at delivering entertaining programs in the virtual space.

Michael’s presentations are informative, engaging, and are designed to identify challenges and give practical ideas and solutions.

Michael lives in Baltimore, Md, is happily married and has 3 German Shepherds. Which by the way, are tremendously beneficial for his mental health!

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Lauri Flanagan
Great River Human Resource Association (GRHRA) Chapter President
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Lauri Flanagan is President at Management Resource Group, Ltd. where she provides support in corporate executive search assignments and business consulting. Due to her strong background in human resources, Lauri provides valuable advice and thoughtful insight throughout the entire search process. As a consulting professional, she helps companies through challenging people solutions, assuring expert navigation to achieve practical results. She also has the ability to guide you through employee promotions, terminations, downsizing and reorganizations. Lauri also manages the MRG Assessment Center, which is designed to provide comprehensive assessment and tests available for selection, promotion and development purposes.

For the past 16 years, Lauri has owned her own business consulting firm providing strategic advice and support in talent management. Previously, Lauri worked as the HR Manager for Woods Equipment Company, which manufactures lawn equipment, and The Furst-McNess Company, an independent agricultural company that provides customized solutions for livestock performance and profitability. 

Lauri holds a B.A. in Psychology from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa and an M.S. in Management from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is an active member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) and the Great River Human Resource Association (GRHRA). At GRHRA, she is serving as President for 2020 and 2021. Lauri previously served as president of Lourdes Catholic School parent organization and was a board member for the Women’s Choice Center for four years. Lauri has been married to her husband, Tim, for 30 years and they have two children, Liz and Benny.

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Sheena Blauvelt
Chapter President, Salt Lake SHRM
USANA Health Sciences
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"Great vision without great people is irrelevant." - Jim Collins
I am a passionate leader in the human resources industry and a strong believer in building the individual to support.

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Tina Beaty
Chief Brand & Marketing Officer
SHRM
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Tina Beaty changes the way people think, feel and believe. Using an integrated communications strategy, based on research and audience insights, she deploys omni-channel campaigns to change behaviors in pursuit of better workplaces for a better world. 

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Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP
President and Chief Executive Officer
SHRM
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J

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.

 

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Richard Fowler
Syndicated Radio Host & Fox News Contributor
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Richard A. Fowler is the nationally syndicated radio host of the The Richard Fowler Show, a Fox News Channel contributor and millennial messaging expert.

Positioned at the intersection of news, politics and the cultural issues facing everyday Americans, Richard’s fresh style and non-traditional spin on populism have taken audiences by storm. He pushes all ages and demographics to ask more of themselves. As a gay man, Fowler understands this fight more than most, having fought for equality his entire adulthood.

From his campaign work uncovering the deplorable school conditions in the Detroit Public School system to his effort training and equipping hundreds of millennials to run for office and take charge of their community, Richard brings a sense of realness to everything he does.

When asked what drives him Richard says, "Talk is cheap. Our country needs real solutions, and they will come from our greatest resource –our people."

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Steve Gilliland, CSP, CPAE
Best-Selling Author and Speaker
Steve Gilliland, Inc.
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Steve is a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame and was recognized in 2015 as one of the top 10 motivational speakers globally from over 9,000 candidates.

In addition to being one of the most sought-after speakers in North America, he has written 11 books and was named Author of the Year by Advantage/Forbes for his book Enjoy The Ride.

Steve built a multimillion-dollar company, which the Pittsburgh Business Times named one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the region. Steve is one of SHRM’s top-rated speakers. This is his 18th consecutive year speaking at the SHRM Conference.

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