Simon Marti is the Head of the Office of Science, Technology and Higher Education at the Embassy of Switzerland in the United States of America. In this capacity, he and his team are focusing on strengthening the bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the fields of science, technology and education; they cover the respective policies, and showcase the Swiss higher education, research and innovation landscapes.

Until summer 2016, Mr. Marti worked with the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) in Switzerland, as a Project Manager in Education Management and Research. Previously, he conducted postdoctoral research at Columbia University in New York (Fellowship by the Swiss National Science Foundation) and worked for the European Parliament and for the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration, among others. He is a political scientist and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Basel and a Master’s degree from the University of Bern. Before entering academia, he has started out on a vocational and professional education and training pathway.

Pamela Mack is an owner of the employment screening company, Occuscreen, LLC.  Occuscreen has been helping employers nationwide make informed hiring decisions with FCRA-compliant background checks, verifications, and drug testing services since 1991. Pam has served on the Portland Human Resource Management Association Board of Directors for more than nine years and was president in 2015. She also volunteers with the Dave’s Killer Bread Second Chance Foundation.

Heidi Mason represents public and private organizations in employment and labor law matters at Innova Legal Advisors PC.  Prior to becoming an attorney, Ms. Mason worked as a human resources professional for mid-sized and large corporations. She has hands-on experience in recruitment and selection, compensation and benefits, employee and labor relations, occupational safety, leaves of absence, payroll, and ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and collective bargaining agreements. Ms. Mason earned her bachelor's degrees in human resource management and general management from Portland State University and her J.D., cum laude, from Lewis and Clark College, Northwestern School of Law. She serves as a Workforce Readiness Co-Director for the Portland Human Resource Management Association and oversees the organization’s Second Chance activities and outreach efforts.