Concurrent Session

Bob Johansen of the Institute for the Future has been helping organizations around the world prepare for and shape the future for nearly 40 years. He draws on his training in the social sciences and his extensive experience at the edges of multiple disciplines as he interacts with top leaders of business, government, and nonprofit organizations to encourage thoughtful consideration of the long-term future. 

Kyra Cavanaugh is president of Life Meets Work, a consulting firm that helps organizations implement and improve workplace flexibility. She provides companies that are striving to be "best-in-class" with an online member-based community and services that include coaching, consulting, and training. She's a nationally-recognized speaker on workplace flexibility, telecommuting and work/life issues, and the recipient of the 2011 Work-Life Rising Star Award by Alliance for Work-Life Progress.

Diane Stegmeier is Founder and CEO of Stegmeier Consulting Group, a globally-recognized leader in workplace change management. Diane is best known for her extensive research on resistance to workplace change and her discovery of the 15 Critical Influences™ impacting behavior in the workplace. She is author of Innovations in Office Design: The Critical Influence Approach to Effective Work Environments which was ranked the #1 Workplace Strategy Book by Amazon readers. Stegmeier is the recipient of the International Facility Management Association's (IFMA) Award of Excellence, Distinguished Author for a Book. Ms. Stegmeier is a member of the Advisory Board for the Telework Coalition, and the Industry Advisory Board for The Journal of eWorking, published by Merlien Institute in The Netherlands. She is a member of the Association of Change Management Professionals, an international organization of recognized thought leaders.

Paul Rupert is President of Washington, DC-based Rupert & Company. He combines forty years’ general management, consulting, coaching, training and research experience with expertise in the development of flexible leadership skills and online systems. He excels in aligning Senior Management commitments with business-beneficial flexibility initiatives. Paul pioneered the development of explicitly business-based approaches and tools for creating the flexible workplace and transforming traditional managers into flexible leaders. In his previous work as Associate Director of New Ways to Work and Flexibility Practice Leader of WFD Consulting, he directed national flexibility advocacy efforts and served a broad and distinguished client list of more than a hundred companies ranging from Aetna and AOL to Wal-Mart and Xerox. He pioneered challenging flexibility initiatives such as Phased and Partial Retirement and high yield approaches to Remote Work. Mr. Rupert speaks widely about organizational flexibility and is quoted regularly in the national media such as the Wall Street Journal, ABC World News, CBS News, NPR, Marketplace and Newsweek. He is a graduate of Stanford University.

Kelly Hughes practices primarily in the areas of labor and employment law. She represents management in the full range of issues related to the employment relationship.

Ms. Hughes handles the following matters:

• Handling discrimination and retaliation charges before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and states' deferral agencies, including both individual discrimination charges and threatened systemic actions. This may involve conducting witness interviews, representing management during mediation, preparing position statements, handling any ensuing investigation, and/or negotiating conciliation agreements with the EEOC and states' deferral agencies
• Handling wage and hour, discrimination, and retaliation complaints before the North Carolina Department of Labor
• Litigating claims arising under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination In Employment Act, and other federal statutes and state laws
• Representing employers, fiduciaries, insurers, and third-party administrators in employee welfare benefit plan litigation in federal and state courts, including defending against plan participants’ and beneficiaries’ claims for benefits under ERISA
• Advising employers on all human resource issues, including hiring new employees and evaluating, disciplining, and terminating existing employees, managing difficult leaves of absence situations, executing reductions in force, and complying with disability accommodation and religious accommodation obligations
• Drafting and negotiating severance agreements, non-solicitation agreements, and non-competition agreements
• Drafting employee handbooks and employment policies
• Conducting management training, including EEO and anti-harassment/anti-discrimination training
• Directing employers on avoidance of employee claims

An experienced speaker, Ms. Hughes has lectured on a range of employment law subjects for organizations including The Employer's Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, the Diversity Forum, and North Carolina Society for Human Resource Management, among others

Kyra Cavanaugh is president of Life Meets Work, a consulting firm that helps organizations implement and improve workplace flexibility. She provides companies that are striving to be "best-in-class" with an online member-based community and services that include coaching, consulting, and training. She's a nationally-recognized speaker on workplace flexibility, telecommuting and work/life issues, and the recipient of the 2011 Work-Life Rising Star Award by Alliance for Work-Life Progress.

Sara Taylor, President and Founder of deepSEE Consulting, has 35 years of extensive experience, nationally recognized as in the practice of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion serving local, national and global clients. While her areas of specialty are in both Diversity and Leadership Development, Sara has become a thought leader particularly in the field of Cultural Competence. Her bestselling book, Filter Shift: How Effective People SEE the World, is used by numerous individuals and organizations to increase success and create greater effectiveness. Sara holds a Master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development and, prior to founding deepSEE, held positions such as Chief Diversity Officer and Leadership and Diversity Specialist.

James Wright of JamesWantsToKnowYou.com is a dynamic and compelling leader with a track record of delivering practical roadmaps for increasing Inclusion and Diversity in global corporations such as Apple Inc., LinkedIn, NBCUniversal, and Time Warner (now WarnerMedia). A featured guest on NBC and FOX, Wright’s articles and commentary appear frequently on LinkedIn and his expertise has been included in The Washington Post as well as several SHRM articles. 

In his practice, James offers transformative training solutions on Gender Equality, Unconscious Bias, Improving Race Relations, and Generational Diversity. In addition, James introduced The Language of Inclusion - a free download of over 135 key terms and definitions to help organizations find a common language to Inclusion. With increased focus on gender and LGBTQIA+ equality, James believes it is important to update these terms to signal where we are today in our journey to ensure diverse communities are truly seen, heard, and valued.

James attended Erskine College in SC & The Catholic University of America in Washington DC.

Nationally known as one of "America's Top Experts on Diversity" (Diversity, Inc., 2005), Dr. Jones’ philosophy is to lead with listening to support clients in finding a strategy and solution that works for them.

Dr. Jones has been heralded as a dynamic keynote speaker, transformational facilitator, phenomenal organization effectiveness consultant, and innovative executive. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, a master’s in Multicultural Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology. He is the author of Journey to Excellence, a transformational book helping people define and achieve excellence in their lives.

Dr. Jones founded Jones & Associates in 1993 in order to build a firm committed to making a widespread positive impact in the world in the area of diversity, inclusion, and organizational excellence. The company's team of certified Jones & Associates consultants provide diversity, inclusion, organizational change and organizational development services to corporations, educational institutions, government agencies and non-profit organizations.

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