In-person Pass

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.

Catherine Wragg is Chief People Offer for TriNet and a member of the company’s executive leadership team. In this role, she leads a global team responsible for talent, learning and development, HR operations and compliance, compensation and analytics, workforce planning and internal HR support to the business. Having joined TriNet in 2017, Catherine previously served as the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Giorgio Armani Corporation. Prior to that, she spent almost two decades at Tower Group International, where she served as the senior vice president of HR in addition to other leadership roles. Catherine studied English at Northern Arizona University

Kris Erickson currently serves as co-founder and executive consultant for Workforce Science Associates. In this role, she empowers organizations to discover the unique drivers and motivational aspects that drive performance in their workforce and use these to accelerate a high-performance culture.

Kris has over 25 years of consulting experience with Fortune 500 companies. In this capacity, Erickson worked at both the strategic and tactical levels to develop and deploy comprehensive workforce solutions.

Kris Erickson currently serves as co-founder and executive consultant for Workforce Science Associates. In this role, she empowers organizations to discover the unique drivers and motivational aspects that drive performance in their workforce and use these to accelerate a high-performance culture.

Kris has over 25 years of consulting experience with Fortune 500 companies. In this capacity, Erickson worked at both the strategic and tactical levels to develop and deploy comprehensive workforce solutions.

Joanna Colosimo, M.A., is the Vice President of Workforce Equity and Compliance Strategy at DCI Consulting Group, where she leads a division that consults on OFCCP compliance, pay equity, audit strategies, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She also assists clients with defining their diversity, compliance, and pay equity programs. Joanna presents at conferences on pay equity, diversity, and OFCCP topics and writes for multiple publications. Joanna earned a M.A. degree in I/O Psychology from Radford University and a Bachelor of Business Administration and Psychology from Roanoke College. She holds a SHRM-SCP certification and serves on the Board of WMILG.

Discover the extraordinary journey of Dethra U. Giles, the visionary force behind ExecuPrep, pioneering leadership development and organizational transformation. Rooted in education, performance optimization, and HR, Dethra empowers individuals, teams, and organizations to surpass their expectations. With degrees in English, Spanish, Business and Conflict Management, she blends communication and cultural understanding seamlessly. As a respected faculty member and TEDx speaker, her influence resonates globally, shaping inclusive cultures in corporate giants like LVMH and the EPA. Dethra's compassion fuels her advocacy for social justice, while her writings and media presence inspire resilience and growth. With her, the future promises boundless opportunity and transformation.

John Fay is an attorney and technologist with a deep applied knowledge of business immigration, I-9 compliance and E-Verify rules and procedures.  During his twenty-plus year career, John has advised corporations, educational institutions, and individuals on a variety of U.S. immigration and I-9 issues.  At the same time, he has also been uniquely involved in information technology, having designed several immigration and I-9 management software applications.

As Director of Product Strategy at Equifax, John provides strategic leadership and direction in the development and support of Form I-9, E-Verify, and immigration case management software solutions.

Lisa Cooper, Co-Founder of Workplace Healing and the Human Recovery Platform™ helps corporate leaders recognize how empathy can help them engage an employee experiencing a life disruption and lead a high-performing team. By striking a delicate balance of thought and humanity, leaders enhance team performance, corporate culture and fiscal well-being.  

 A former marketing professional, Lisa earned a reputation in the advertising industry for driving creative solutions as she led marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 companies and small businesses. She built upon her corporate success by launching a consulting practice and sharing her expertise in teaching graduate-level marketing classes.   

Peter A. Rasmussen, MD, is Chief Clinical Officer for The Clinic by Cleveland Clinic and Professor of Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. As former Medical Director of Digital Health at Cleveland Clinic, Rasmussen oversaw digital health strategy and the implementation of platforms across the enterprise including the flagship virtual care service “Express Care Online." As former Director of the Cerebrovascular Center, he founded Cleveland Clinic’s telestroke program and the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, one of the first such units in the U.S. A Past-President of the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery, Rasmussen is internationally recognized as an expert in both digital health and cerebrovascular surgery.