A certified Human Resources and Labor Relations professional with over 30 years of education, labor and civil rights investigation experience, Joe fills multiple roles at the Culinary Institute of America’s many campuses including service as a Title IX/VAWA compliance officer and Co-Chari of the CIA’s Diversity Council. Before becoming a college administrator, Joe served as a practicing attorney, representing and counseled numerous K-12 public school districts throughout New Jersey in complex legal matters. A graduate of Syracuse University and Brooklyn Law School, Joe also received his Certificate in Human Resources Management and Personnel Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He also is a certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) from HRCI and as a Title IX Coordinator and Investigator by the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA).

Samia M. Kirmani is a principal in the Boston, Massachusetts, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. and co-leader of the firm's Workplace Training group and member of our Corporate Governance and Internal Investigations Practice Group. She is also a member of the firm's Corporate Diversity Counseling Practice Group and the pay equity and sexual harassment resource groups. She concentrates her practice in employment counseling, training, and policy development on behalf of management.

Samia regularly conducts interactive and engaging training programs for boards, executive leadership teams, managers, employees, individuals, in-house counsel, and human resource professionals on various workplace topics, such as discrimination and harassment prevention; diversity, equity, inclusion, and bias; conducting workplace investigations, and the range of workplace law topics.

She provides practical legal advice to clients on various employment law issues, including harassment and discrimination; diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; pay equity; health and leave management; reductions in force; retaliation and whistleblower matters; individual separations; and employee relations issues. Samia also conducts and advises clients with respect to investigations, including those involving leadership, boards, managers, employees, and third parties. She also assists clients with creation, revision, and implementation of workplace policies. She also routinely conducts management and employee trainings on topics in employment law, including sexual harassment prevention, diversity and inclusion, and best management practices. Samia serves as a firm resource on drafting and implementing national arbitration agreements. She defends employers in employment-related administrative proceedings at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. 

Samia is a frequent speaker, commentator, and author for various audiences and publications on workplace law topics, such as harassment, investigations, diversity and inclusion, discrimination, pay equity, arbitration agreements and class action waivers, and related matters.

Prior to joining Jackson Lewis, Samia served as in-house counsel at a technology company, focusing on employment and dispute management.

While attending law school, she was a solicitations editor for the Boston College International and Comparative Law Review.

Jennifer Currence is a Senior Partner of HR Soul consultancy firm in Tampa, Florida, where she delivers results through strategic HR solutions, customized training, and coaching programs for organizational and HR leaders. She is the creator of The SOTO Approach to Leadership and the content architect for the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) international People Manager Qualification (PMQ).

Jennifer is regularly published and featured in industry magazines, webinars, and podcasts, and is the author of three HR books on behavioral business competencies.

Jennifer was named one of the top 100 Influential HR professionals in Leadership and Development in 2023 and Tampa Bay’s HR Consultant of the Year in 2017.  She is a faculty member for SHRM and a former management professor at the University of Tampa.

Jason Putnam serves as Senior Vice President at PandoLogic. Jason brings 17 years of sales leadership experience and 11 years of experience within the Talent Acquisition industry. For the past four and half years, Jason has served as the SVP for BountyJobs and was responsible for acquisition and Partnerships. Jason is adept at designing and implementing the correct sales and marketing engine for any organization by focusing on the people, product and processes.

Gennady Babankov, J.D. is a Manager of SHRM Exchange Visitor (J-1) Program. Babankov oversees two private sector exchange programs for foreign trainees and interns and helps develop, implement, and promote SHRM benefits portfolio for global mobility and immigration members.

Babankov has more than 20 years of experience building and managing global education and training programs for students and professionals. He has experience in teacher training, study abroad, cross-cultural training, and language acquisition, and has directed field operations in Russia, Central Asia, Middle East, and the Caucasus.

Prior to joining SHRM in 2019, Babankov managed several education and training programs sponsored by the federal government, including the Flagship Overseas Language Program (U.S. Department of Defense), Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program (U.S. Department of State), and the Open World Program (Library of Congress).

Babankov earned his J.D. degree from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University, a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University, and a bachelor’s degree from the Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia.

Babankov has lived in the United States since 1994 and currently resides in Fairfax, VA.

Been there – done that!  With 30 years of HR and business experience – Lori has walked in your shoes.  A recovered HR Generalist, she built a consulting company that she sold to Arthur J Gallagher after 7 years and then reinvented her current business – HR Topics -  training, speaking and developing content for HR professionals.  Lori delivers facts, tips, tricks and best practices in a way that appeals to human resource and business leaders: with a sense of humor, a bias toward actions that improve their operations right away, and practical resources and tools to support their progress.  As an annual speaker at the National SHRM conference, she has leveraged her masters in HR, SPHR and SHRM-SCP background to elevate the position of all HR professionals!