Employment Law & Regulations

David Lusk joined the SHRM Government Affairs Team as the Senior Associate for Member Advocacy in 2010.  Lusk oversees SHRM’s traditional member advocacy efforts.   He is also responsible for the development of the Advocacy Team, a SHRM initiative that will elevate the visibility of the HR profession by establishing a strong member presence in each of the 435 congressional districts.

With over 15 years of policy experience, Lusk most recently specialized in grassroots and grasstops internet engagement with Capitol Advantage -- now a part of the CQ-Roll Call Group. He also focused on health policy as a staff member for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and in the state affairs department of the Health Insurance Association of America. He is based in Alexandria, Va.

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

U.S. Representative Allyson Y. Schwartz is currently serving her fourth term representing Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District. Labeled a "rising star" by POLITICO, Schwartz is an increasingly influential figure in Congress, playing a central role in debates on health care, the federal budget, and tax policy. Congressional Quarterly describes her as "one of the Democrats' leading health care experts," and her insight and knowledge on the subject are highly valued by her colleagues. As the sole female member of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, the Philadelphia Daily News praises her as a "local trailblazer" for women in politics. National Journal’s 2010 Congressional Vote Ratings ranked Schwartz one of the most centrist Members of Congress for her commitment to finding effective, bipartisan solutions to fix our economy, improve the quality of life for Pennsylvania families and communities, and make our nation more secure.The Congresswoman is also Vice Chair of the New Democrat Coalition (NDC), a group of 43 moderate members of the U.S. House of Representatives who are dedicated to the prosperity and security of American families and businesses. NDC members are dedicated to empowering the U.S. to grow economically and maintain a vibrant job market, preserving the U.S. standing as the world’s leader in innovation and technological advancement, and strengthening our economic and national security.
 

Kirsten Powers, a Political Analyst on 'Fox News' and Columnist for The Daily Beast and New York Post, has a unique perspective from her real-world experience working in politics and business.  Known for providing analysis and insight on the cultural and political issues of the day, Powers was a regular member of Fox News’ 2008 election night coverage throughout the primaries and general election.

After beginning her political career in Bill Clinton’s D.C. campaign office in January 1992 and working for the Clinton-Gore Transition team as they prepared for the new administration, Powers landed at the White House where she worked for U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor.  She rose through the ranks to become the Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Public Affairs. Powers served as Press Secretary to Andrew Cuomo’s 2002 governor’s race and continued to work in New York City and state politics, before turning to political commentary and writing. Her writing has been published in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the New York Post.

Recognizing the need of business to prevent lawsuits, Jody Katz Pritikin, Esq. founded Proactive Lawsuit Prevention to teach business how to prevent lawsuits and save the considerable expense of litigation. With over fourteen years devoted to preventing lawsuits, her expertise lies in unlawful harassment prevention, investigating complaints, teaching management leadership and communication techniques, counseling Human Resources and in designing and developing policies to protect corporations from lawsuits.

Jody Katz Pritikin grew up in Southern California and is an alumnus of UC Berkeley where she received her B.A. and USC Law Center, where she received her J.D.  She has been a member of the California State Bar.  Additional information about Jody Katz Pritikin, Esq. and her blog are available on her company website: http://www.proactivelawsuitprevention.com.

 

In his role as the Director of Social Engagement for SHRM, Midkiff provides strategic leadership and direction to various departments in their efforts to maximize the potential of social media to achieve their departmental and organizational goals. He also works closely with SHRM chapters and state councils across the country, providing them assistance and social media training.    In addition, he is a recognized thought leader on the subject of social media strategy as it relates to employee engagement initiatives.

Kathleen Coulombe is a Senior Advisor, Government Relations at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).  In this capacity, she is actively involved in tax and benefit public policy issues on Capitol Hill that impact the Human Resource profession.  Prior to working in this capacity, Coulombe served as the State Affairs Specialist where she managed public policy issues on the state level for SHRM. She is based in Alexandria, Va.

Michael Layman is senior associate in Government Affairs at SHRM.  Layman promotes SHRM’s views on employment, labor relations, and civil rights legislation with House and Senate offices and the Administration.  He also serves as Chair of the National Coalition to Protect Family Leave, a broad-based group of organizations, companies and associations dedicated to protecting the integrity of the Family and Medical Leave Act and supporting public policy that promotes voluntary, employer-provided leave benefits to maximize flexibility for both employers and employees.

David Lusk joined the SHRM Government Affairs Team as the Senior Associate for Member Advocacy in 2010.  Lusk oversees SHRM’s traditional member advocacy efforts.   He is also responsible for the development of the Advocacy Team, a SHRM initiative that will elevate the visibility of the HR profession by establishing a strong member presence in each of the 435 congressional districts.

With over 15 years of policy experience, Lusk most recently specialized in grassroots and grasstops internet engagement with Capitol Advantage -- now a part of the CQ-Roll Call Group. He also focused on health policy as a staff member for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce and in the state affairs department of the Health Insurance Association of America. He is based in Alexandria, Va.

Mike Aitken has worked at SHRM since 2003 and currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. Prior to joining SHRM, he served for 14 years as associate director for Governmental and External Relations at the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR). Previously, Aitken worked on state public policy issues at Bonner & Associates, a public affairs firm in Washington, DC. Currently, he is based in Alexandria, VA.

Margaret Spence is the founder of The Employee to CEO Project and CEO of C. Douglas & Associates. Inc. It is her mission to champion the advancement of women into executive leadership. Her new book, Leadership Self-Transformation ask women two simple questions, what do you want from your career and why don’t you have it now? It’s her feeling that you cannot get the corner office until you get clear about what you want and why you want it.  Margaret is a keynote speaker, leadership development coach, corporate consultant, and the author of three books. Learn more about Margaret at her website: www.MargaretSpence.com

Matthew Effland is the Vice President – Employment Counsel for KAR Auction Services, Inc.  KAR is a provider of vehicle auction services in North America, facilitating the used vehicle marketplace by providing auction services for sellers of used, or whole car, vehicles and salvage vehicles through its auction locations and multiple internet venues. The Company has a network of 65 whole car auction locations and 164 salvage auction locations, as well as offering a variety of online and financing services.  In his role, Matt provides guidance and support to KAR’s Human Resources department, drawing on his 14 years of management-side private practice.  Matt is licensed in both California and Indiana, and is the author of the recently-published SHRM Book ”The Perils and Pitfalls of California Employment Law: A Guide for HR Professionals.”

Robert A. Boonin is a member of the national law firm of Dykema Gossett and is based in its Ann Arbor office. Rob is an honors graduate from The University of Michigan Law School, holds a Masters in Labor and Industrial Relations from Michigan State University, and a BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.  Practicing law for nearly 40 years, Rob has litigated employment law matters before federal and state courts across the nation, handles all forms of union matters for employers, and regularly counsels clients on such issues as discrimination, FMLA compliance, and wage and hour law. 

Rob is a recognized leader in his field.  For instance, he is: on the Chambers USA list of top employment law attorneys; listed as a Best Lawyer in Employment Law; repeatedly recognized as one of Michigan’s “Super Lawyers”; a Fellow and a Past-President of the Litigation Counsel of America; a Past Chair of  the national Wage and Hour Defense Institute; a Past Chair of the Michigan Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section; and a Fellow of the distinguished American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.  Rob also in an immediate past-chair of the American Bar Association’s Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee (which covers FLSA matters), and serves as an Editor of the most recognized authority on the FLSA, the Bloomberg BNA legal treatise – The Fair Labor Standards Act.