Jennifer E. Bracken, Director of Human Resources at Gaylord Opryland Resort & Attractions, is an accomplished HR professional with more than 20 years of hospitality experience within Marriott International. In her role, she is responsible for implementing innovative employee engagement and talent development strategies that enable her team to efficiently support five business units with 3,000 employees. She specializes in identifying high performing talent, cultivating comprehensive staff retention initiatives and streamlining HR support to increase operational efficiencies.

Prior to joining Gaylord Opryland, Jennifer served in a variety of HR leadership roles, including: Area Director of Human Resources Operations for Marriott International (Americas Eastern Region), Director of Human Resources at The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, New Orleans Marriott and Minneapolis Marriott City Center and Minneapolis Marriott Southwest. In 2017, Jennifer was recognized by Marriott International as a distinguished Human Resources Excellence Award winner for her leadership in reenergizing and driving Breakthrough Leadership Training at Gaylord Opryland.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwest Missouri State University and a master’s degree in Human Resource Development from Villanova University. She is an active member on the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee and the Middle Tennessee Workforce Development Board. She and her husband Matt, along with their daughters, Harleigh and Gracyn, live in Hendersonville, Tennessee.

As a senior director, Julie leads the development and execution of large-scale employee engagement initiatives and integrated marketing and public relations campaigns for several national clients. Her expertise includes strategic planning, change communications, employee engagement, corporate social responsibility, national and local media relations, and sponsorship and event marketing. During her time at Padilla, her work has garnered the agency numerous national and local awards. Julie graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Based in Richmond, Virginia, Natalie Smith, APR, is senior vice president at Padilla. A leader in Padilla’s RC2 Practice (Reputation, Risk, Change, Culture), Natalie is an expert in navigating the challenges of an ever-changing workforce and workplace. She works with clients who are going through substantial change, helping them to successfully navigate that change and in the process, build a culture that engages employees and drives company performance. Natalie has a bachelor’s degree in communications from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., and a master’s degree in mass communications/media management from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va.

Dr. Katie Stone is EVP of Strategy and Development with Fallon Benefits Group.  She leads the firm and serves as an executive coach.  Katie’s passion is the ongoing development of the person; her mission in the workplace is to give employees wings.  She is admittedly obsessed with learning and sharing this enthusiasm with her team and clients.

Katie earned a Doctorate in Business Administration from Georgia State University, an M.B.A. from the University of South Florida, and a B.S. in Management from the University of Tampa. She holds the SPHR and SHRM-SCP designations and is pursuing her CEBS designation. 

Danielle Compton is a Human Resources Consultant with Fallon Benefits Group advising on HR strategy and leadership practices. She serves a diverse client base with her compassionate spirit and unwavering belief in a better workplace. Danielle’s specialties include talent development and leadership coaching.  Her favorite days are spent learning in a classroom or brainstorming with engaged leaders over coffee.

Danielle earned her M.Ed. in Organizational Development and B.A. in Communication from the University of Georgia. She holds the SPHR and SHRM-CP designations and several personality inventory certifications.

It takes savvy and passion to excel in the recruiting journey.  As a Sourcing Leader who thrives from learning and sharing, Maisha balances creativity and practicality.  Years of recruiting for companies like Google, LinkedIn and GitHub fuel her unique approach to identifying, engaging and assessing talent. 

In 2015, Maisha was recognized as one of the top three sourcers globally. She ranked in the top 10 in the 2018 SourceCon Grandmaster Challenge.

The Los Angeles native holds a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola Marymount University and a Master of Arts from the University of Southern California.

Follow her on Twitter @talentgenie.