Virtual Pass

Theresa Adams is a SHRM-SCP certified professional with 23 years generalist experience in the human resources field. She obtained a BS from the University of Maryland. She has experience in various industries, including manufacturing, retail and nonprofit. She has worked for SHRM for almost 12 years as an HR Knowledge Advisor in the SHRM HR Knowledge Center. She particularly enjoys collaborating with SHRM members by providing practical HR guidance and resources to promote effective talent management practices.    

Deniece Maston has 14+ years of HR experience.  Her areas of expertise in employee relations, performance management, talent acquisition, benefits and compensation is a great addition to the Knowledge Center team.  Prior to working at SHRM, Deniece spent a majority of her career in human resource positions in the government contracting industry.  Along with having her SHRM-CP, Deniece has a Bachelor of Science from Cornell University. She also holds the SHRM California Law HR and the Workplace Investigations Credentials, and the People Manager Qualification.

Julie Schweber, SHRM-SCP, has over 18 years of strategic and tactical HR experience in for profit and nonprofit organizations including FedEx and IKON Office Solutions. Prior to joining SHRM, Julie was a senior HR consultant for more than six years and provided Fortune 500 HR expertise to small and midsize organizations. Julie earned her bachelor's degree in human resources with a business minor from Old Dominion University.  Julie enjoys spending time at the beach and hiking.

Liz Petersen, SHRM-SCP, is the Quality Manager for the HR Knowledge Center at SHRM.  Prior to this role, she worked as a SHRM HR Knowledge Advisor.  Liz has a bachelor’s degree from John Carroll University in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with a Business minor.  She has a master’s degree from University of Maryland University College in Human Resource Management. 

Liz has over 25 years of HR experience and the SHRM Senior Professional Certification.  Prior to SHRM, Liz worked as an Outsourced HR Manager for several small and medium sized organizations in multiple industries including technology, engineering, hospitality, retail, service, construction, healthcare, manufacturing, etc. She also worked as in-house HR Manager and Director in the manufacturing industry.

Liz is lives in Oceanside, CA with her husband.  In her free time, Liz is discovering a love for painting, hacking away on golf courses, doing anything water or beach related, watching Seahawk and Steeler football, and trying to earn a green thumb.

Michelle spent 10 years at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, supporting employers to close their pay gaps through writing guidance reports and running workshops. This was until 2014, when Michelle took voluntary redundancy whilst on maternity leave and Equality Pays was born.

Michelle set up Equality Pays to provide the business coaching, strategy, support, and confidence that organisations want and need.

Michelle is on a mission to educate and share what organisations should be focusing on when it comes to addressing the root causes of their pay gaps in order to create more inclusive, equitable workplaces.

Michelle's role is to support organisations in identifying what changes need to be made to close both gender and ethnicity pay gaps so that people choose to work for those organisations and go on to build their careers with them. No matter their gender, ethnicity, or workplace needs.

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.

Katrina “KT” Thornton is Taco Bell’s Sr. Executive - HR and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Since joining Taco Bell in October 2021, KT has been energetically leading Taco Bell’s efforts in advancing Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (EI&B). She leads with the belief that EI&B needs to be woven into the business strategy and rooted in action. She is leading Taco Bell’s equity evolution with over 15 years of experience. Before her time at Taco Bell, KT spent her career with Kellogg’s, Sears Holdings Corporation, and Target Corporation in multiple HR leadership assignments.

Joelle is a highly respected and accomplished executive, strategist, speaker, and facilitator who has earned national recognition. Prior to launching the LLI, she had a 15-year career crafting impactful strategies for communication, business development, and public affairs across private and public sectors. Joelle's areas of expertise include Neuroleadership, Latino identity, civic engagement, demographic shifts, and workplace diversity and inclusion. Notably, Joelle has made significant contributions to various community and business organizations, actively serving on the Hispanic Advisory Council for Coca-Cola, multiple non-profit boards, for-profit advisory committees, and executive committees.

Jonathan Fowler has over 20 years of experience in data analytics, data strategy, and data-driven change. His prior humanities and education background provides a unique perspective in data analytics in organizations, which drove his doctoral research and the development of the Kulturata Data Quotient. Dr. Fowler regularly consults with companies for assessment, training, and implementation of data analytics solutions that empower and engage all employees. In addition to his industry work, he teaches analytics and data ethics courses for both undergraduate and graduate students, is a conference speaker, and published author. He is an alumnus of Clemson University.

Jennifer McCollum is CEO of Linkage, Inc., where she oversees the strategic direction and global operations of the Boston, MA-based leadership development company. With a mission to “Change the Face of Leadership,” Linkage has dedicated 30 years to improving leadership effectiveness and equity in hundreds of organizations globally. Linkage provides assessments, training, coaching, consulting and conferences, with Solutions designed to Accelerate Purposeful Leaders; Advance Women Leaders; and Create Inclusive Organizations. 

Jennifer is a highly sought-after consultant and speaker, with a deep expertise in Inclusive Leadership and Advancing Women Leaders. She has delivered workshops, keynotes, webinars and podcasts to thousands of leaders globally on live and virtual stages, including 100 Leaders Live (Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches conference), Chief Learning Officer Exchange, Chester Elton’s “Leading with Gratitude” LinkedIn Live, John Baldoni’s “Grace under Pressure” LinkedIn Live, Candy O’Terry’s “The Story Behind Her Success” podcast, and VoiceAmerica radio broadcast. She is a contributing author to Leadership in a Time of Crisis and has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Chief Talent Development Officer, CEO Refresher, and Real Leaders. She is a member of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches.

Background & Experience:

Jennifer has 20 years of experience building and leading businesses in the leadership space. Prior to Linkage, Jennifer spent a decade growing businesses within Korn Ferry and Corporate Executive Board (CEB), now Gartner. At CEB, she led product management within the leadership division, driving innovative solutions that helped organizations select, develop and place leaders at all levels. She also ran CEB’s Leadership Academies business, which developed more than 30,000 professionals in 2,100 companies throughout 50 countries and grew revenue at a 97% combined annual growth rate across five years. 

Previously, Jennifer served as CEO of IntraVision, a leadership consultancy she founded and grew over the course of eight years. She worked with public companies, start-ups, associations and nonprofits. Her passion is creating vision, executing strategy and managing cohesive teams toward aspirational goals, with a special focus on supporting women in leadership roles.

She is an avid tennis player and skier, and lives in Bethesda, MD, with her husband and three children.

Education & Training:

Jennifer has a master’s degree in communications from the University of Stirling in Stirling, Scotland, and an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University in psychology and communications.

Katie O'Malley is a Career Coach and Workplace Consultant with fifteen (15) years of professional experience serving the nonprofit, corporate and education sectors. Across these workplaces, Katie noticed her strengths and values consistently steered her toward the
support and development of others. In 2012, Katie translated this observation into action, earning a Master's Degree in Counseling and Board Certification in Coaching.  

Since 2018, Katie has worked alongside more than 125 clients as the Founder and Principal Coach of (en)Courage Coaching. Founded with the noble mission of providing exceptional, financially accessible coaching services to Chicago area professionals, (en)Courage Coaching
has grown to support individuals and businesses from coast to coast, as well as in the United Kingdom.

Coaching clients in the design of authentic career paths, effective leadership practices, and courageous workplace cultures is in the DNA of (en)Courage Coaching. By leveraging a mix of evidence-based practices from the fields of counseling, organizational development,
and leadership education, Katie equips her clients with customized strategies to meet their individual needs and aspirational goals.

Prior to opening the doors of (en)Courage Coaching, Katie served as a leadership coach and course instructor to MBA and graduate students at Chicago Booth, The University of Texas at Austin, and DePaul University. Recently featured in Fast Company and Thrive Global,
Katie's research and writing supports both sides of the workplace equation, encouraging employers and employees to remember, "We're all in this work-thing together."