Concurrent Session

Mr. Rittof is the President and CEO of Modern Management, Inc. and an employee relations consultant His proactive approach to employee relations has roots in a broad spectrum of activities including organizational re-design studies, employee opinion surveys, communication audits, and labor relations seminars. As President/CEO, he leads a team of dedicated professionals in helping executives, managers, and supervisors face the challenges of the future. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Mr. Rittof holds a B.A. and M.A. in Organizational Communication. He has taught at the university level and is co-author of Quality Circles, a textbook utilized by several universities and businesses. Since joining the firm over 33 years ago, he has consulted in virtually all aspects of employee relations. His experience encompasses healthcare, manufacturing, gaming, hospitality, banking, services, insurance, and government. A few of Mr. Rittof’s many accomplishments include successfully assisting numerous organizations in maintaining non-union status; providing preventive management training programs regarding the union campaign process; developing identification and action planning processes for responding to employee morale issues; and implementing communication plans for organizations in transition. He has also provided coaching and guidance for executives wishing to improve their public speaking skills and frequently facilitated executive retreats for strategic planning and team building.

Dawn Fahner, PHR, Director of Benefits and Wellness, at Miami University a position she has held since 2007.  Dawn has been employed with Miami University for 9 years; prior to Miami she was employed with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. as a Human Resource Manager.  She received her certification as a Professional in Human Resources in 2010 and obtained her Bachelor's Degree from Miami University.  Dawn currently serves as co-chair for the Ohio Inter-University Council Benefit Committee.

Sherrin Ross Ingram, CEO of the International Center for Strategic Planning, is a Master Strategic Planning Facilitator and an Independent Corporate Board Director for companies in need of fresh strategies, an updated strategic plan, improved strategy execution, or restructuring to increase competitive advantage. She is a frequent speaker on strategy development, execution and leadership topics at business meetings and conferences around the world.

Randy Pennington helps leaders deliver positive results in a world of accelerating uncertainty and change. His clients include many of world’s best-managed companies, associations, government agencies, and universities. Additionally, Randy serves as an adjunct instructor in the Cox Business Leadership Center at Southern Methodist University.

Randy is author of three books: Make Change Work, Results Rule!; and On My Honor, I Will . His ideas have been featured in leading media outlets including CNN, PBS, Fox News, ABC Radio Network, the BBC, Fast Company, and The New York Times. He is a contributor to CIO.com and the Huffington Post.

Colonel David W. Sutherland is the co-founder and Chairman of the Center for Military and Veterans Community Services (Dixon Center) and actively contributes to numerous national veteran and military family committees and boards. Sutherland speaks in communities at universities, businesses and conferences around the country as a vocal advocate and leader for transformational change. He is a vocal advocate for our service members, military veterans, their families, and the families of our fallen.

Colonel Sutherland culminated his 29 years of service following Brigade Command, as the Special Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff with principle focus on Warrior and Family Support. By visiting hundreds of communities and assisting thousands of organizations, he created a nationwide network of support utilizing grassroots solutions for veterans and their families.

Awards and decorations include, among others, the Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart, Ranger Tab, Combat Infantryman's Badge Second Award and Senior Parachutist Badge. He is also the 2008 Freedom Award recipient presented by the No Greater Sacrifice Foundation, the 2011 Meritorious Service Award recipient presented by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, and the 2013 Commitment to Service award presented by Give An Hour for his work on behalf of returning service members, veterans, military families and families of the fallen.

He holds a Bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University in History and Economics and a Masters in Strategic Studies.

Team Sutherland’s roster includes Colonel Sutherland, his wife Bonnie and their two sons, Andrew and Patrick.

Clint Swindall is the president and CEO of Verbalocity, Inc., a personal development company with a focus on leadership enhancement. These solutions include leadership development programs, training, speaking and general consulting.

As a professional speaker, Clint Swindall travels the world delivering high-content speeches and training in an entertaining and inspirational style to Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and trade associations.

Clint enjoys the challenge of enhancing employee engagement for his clients by delivering programs based on his book entitled Engaged Leadership: Building a Culture to Overcome Employee Disengagement (John Wiley & Sons, 2007). He recognizes that a culture of employee engagement is a two-way road, and that true engagement comes when leaders and employees are both doing their part. In addition to working with leaders to build a culture to overcome employee disengagement, Clint addresses the employee’s role in his follow-up book entitled Living for the Weekday: What Every Employee and Boss Needs to Know about Enjoying Work and Life (John Wiley & Sons, 2010).

Follow Clint on Twitter @ClintSwindall.

Gordon M. Berger works with employers to resolve complex employment disputes and to reduce litigation risk. He regularly advises businesses in a multitude of employment and corporate law matters, including EEO, wage & hour, restrictive covenants, employment agreements and day-to-day employment and business law issues.  Gordon is especially experienced in advising alternative staffing organizations or administrative services organizations (ASOs), professional employer organizations (PEOs) and staffing companies.

Gordon reviews and drafts employment agreements, covenants not to compete and employee handbooks to ensure compliance with state and federal employment laws.  He is also adept at responding to EEO and DOL inquiries and has more than 20 years of experience in litigation defense.  Gordon routinely assists clients with employment law training needs for their HR personnel and front-line managers, ensuring that common areas of employment law liability are proactively identified and addressed.

Follow Gordon on Twitter @employeratty.

Ms. Walters has more than 30 years’ combined experience in management, HR administration, employment law practice, and teaching.

She has presented at conferences across the country, been engaged as an expert witness, and testified before U.S. Congressional and state legislative committees on employment issues.

Her book, “From Hello to Goodbye: Proactive Tips for Maintaining Positive Employee Relations” is in its 2nd edition and was one of the SHRMStore’s “Great 8” best-sellers for eight consecutive years.

Today, Ms. Walters works as an independent consultant doing business as FiveL Company, “Helping Leaders Limit their Liability by Learning the Law.”SM