In-person Pass

W. Brad Johnson, PhD
Best Selling Co-Author of Good Guys and Co-Founder of Workplace Allies
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W. Brad Johnson, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and the co-founder of Workplaceallies.com. For 30 years, he served sailors and marines in the U.S. Navy, first as a commissioned officer in the Navy’s Medical Service Corps and later as a tenured full professor at Annapolis in the U.S. Naval Academy’s Department of Leadership, Ethics, and Law. For 20 years, he was also a clinical faculty associate at Johns Hopkins University. Brad is a mentoring expert specializing in developing gender-inclusive mentoring cultures for organizations around the globe. He is the author of numerous publications, including 14 books, in the areas of mentoring, professional ethics, and gender inclusion. Recent books include Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace (2020, October, with David Smith); On Being a Mentor: A Guide for Higher Education Faculty (3rd Ed.) (2025, with Kimberly Griffin); The Elements of Mentoring (3rd Ed.) (2018, with Charles Ridley); and Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women (2016, with David Smith).

SESSIONS:
David G. Smith, PhD
Best Selling Co-Author of Good Guys and Co-Founder of Workplace Allies
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David Smith, Ph.D., is co-author of the book Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace, an associate professor and co-director of the Gender & Work Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. He also serves as a member on the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS). A former Navy pilot, Dave led diverse organizations of women and men, culminating in command of a squadron in combat, and flew more than 3,000 hours over 30 years, including combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a sociologist, his research focuses on gender, work, and family issues, including allyship, inclusive mentorship and sponsorship, gender bias in performance evaluations, and dual-career families. He is the co-author of the book Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women and numerous journal articles and book chapters focused on gender and the workplace.

SESSIONS:
Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 3:15pm to 5:45pm
 
Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 3:15pm to 5:45pm
 
Monday, September 29, 2025 - 10:00am to 11:15am
 
Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Tamla Oates-Forney
Personal Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
CEO
Linkage, a SHRM Company
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Tamla Oates-Forney is an innovative thought leader and speaker, women’s advocate, wellness champion, philanthropist, and investor. Tamla serves as Chief Executive Officer of SHRM Linkage, a leadership development firm empowering organizations to achieve business success by unlocking the full potential of their talent from the backpack to the boardroom.

Tamla previously served as EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for USAA, where as a member of the Executive Council she led USAA’s team of more than 500 HR professionals spanning talent development, talent acquisition, pay and benefits, culture, and employee services for 37,000 teammates. Prior to joining USAA, Tamla served as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at WM (previously Waste Management). She spent the majority of her career (20 years) at General Electric, where she held multiple leadership roles, including HR Leader for GE Africa, Chief Diversity Officer for GE Appliances and Lighting, and Vice President of HR for GE Energy Connections.

Tamla is also a member of the Board of Advisors for her alma mater, UNC Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, and is a sought-after speaker, advisor, and thought leader for several HR-related technology startups.

Tamla is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in business administration. A renowned expert in her field, she has received multiple honors, including being featured in The New York Times, Fast CompanyThe Network Journal’s 25 Influential Black Women in Business, and Savoy’s 2020 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America. She is also a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC), a network of Black CEOs and business leaders who support the development of diverse talent and the promotion of social justice.

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

SESSIONS:
Sunday, September 28, 2025 - 1:00pm to 1:45pm
 
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 - 5:30pm to 7:00pm
Josiah Curtis
Partner
Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP
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Josiah is a Partner in the Boston office of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP where he provides strategic guidance to employers on all facets of the complex US business immigration process. He represents employers in the information technology, energy, insurance, management consulting, and legal industries before the US Department of Labor, US Department of Homeland Security, and US Department of State in addition to providing counsel regarding immigration compliance, program management, and corporate reorganizations. Josiah is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association where he serves on the national Department of Labor Liaison Committee and is a frequent speaker at the local and national levels on business immigration matters.

Josiah is also passionate about giving back to his community and provides pro bono counsel to a number of organizations including Doctors Without Borders and Kids in Need of Defense.

SESSIONS:
Kelli Duehning
Partner
Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP
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As a Partner and head of the San Francisco office and a vital member of BAL’s Government Strategies team, Kelli is at the forefront of immigration government policy, trailblazing with creative tactics to meet even the most urgent contemporary matters.  From complex cases requiring strategic government interaction to broad policy initiatives that involve sensitive political dynamics, Kelli successfully leverages her extensive background in government, her technical expertise and her passion for advocacy to help U.S. businesses access global talent and remain in compliance with the complicated web of employer immigration obligations.  She keeps clients updated on fast-moving legislative and policy changes, drives immigration program management and advises on complex compliance issues in her role as a leader of the firm’s I-9 and e-verify practice.

Kelli joined BAL after a 17-year career with the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of Justice Immigration and Naturalization Service. She managed the Western Law Division of USCIS and was responsible for developing and coordinating all legal strategies in the western United States. She also worked closely with government investigators and federal law enforcement officials and was a close advisor to agency leadership on complex immigration issues.  In addition to her legal duties as a USCIS attorney, Kelli worked as an immigration officer in the overseas refugee program in Nairobi, Kenya; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and various locations in Thailand. She was the acting field office director in Beijing, China and New Delhi, India, as well as an adjudications officer in Bangkok, Thailand.

As USCIS special counsel to Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.), chair of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, she assisted with comprehensive immigration reform during the 2006 legislative session.

Kelli is a prolific advocate for immigration policy. She is a frequent speaker at WERC, SHRM and other venues and is sought after by the media for her immigration expertise. She currently serves as Chair of the Federal Bar Association's Immigration Law Section.

SESSIONS:
John Fay
Director of Product Strategy
Equifax
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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.

SESSIONS:
Jason Finkelman
Immigration Attorney
Finkelman Immigration Law Firm
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Jason Finkelman is an Immigration Attorney working at the forefront of immigration law to assist domestic and foreign businesses, as well as international individuals in a variety of employment-based and family-based immigration matters.  He represents U.S. and international companies, entrepreneurs, investors, business-owners, executives, professionals, skilled workers, students, and families in obtaining employment visas, lawful permanent residence ("green cards") and U.S. citizenship.  Jason works with clients across a number of industries including high-tech, semiconductor, healthcare, higher education, energy, oil/gas, import/export, research, and entertainment to help them meet their immigration goals. Please visit www.finkelmanlaw.com for more information on his services.

SESSIONS:
Kelly Dobbs Bunting
Shareholder
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
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Kelly Bunting, Co-Chair of the Greenberg Traurig, LLP's Labor & Employment Practice's Workplace Compliance & Counseling Group, and member of its Artificial Intelligence Law Group, has considerable experience defending class and collective wage and hour litigation and misclassification claims, having defended employers in Title III ADA access litigation and litigation alleging race, sex, pregnancy, age, disability discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. She is deeply experienced in virtually all aspects of employment litigation, including wage and hour, labor, Title VII, harassment, discrimination, wrongful termination, non-competition and non-solicitation, trade secrets, SOX and Dodd Frank whistleblower claims, CEPA, ADEA, FMLA, NJLAD, and failure to accommodate issues. She has identified and managed employment issues in M&A deals and appeared before the EEOC, NLRB, and DOL in many states, as well as state agencies in DE, NY, NJ and PA. Kelly has represented many clients in mediation and settlement negotiations, and created HR and compliance training modules. She is regularly sought after as a workforce trainer for issues related to harassment and discrimination, FCPA compliance, good management techniques, and union awareness.

Kelly focuses much of her practice on international L&E issues, including employment/secondment contracts, data privacy, and global anti-corruption compliance. She advises clients on national and international handbook policies, procedures, and strategic HR issues, and provides day-to-day counsel in hiring, employee relations, employee discipline, and termination. She also conducts and advises on internal investigations.

SESSIONS:
Monday, June 30, 2025 - 9:15am to 10:15am