WELCOME 
to the HR Tampa Virtual Conference

Bill Grob

Bill Grob, Partner at Oglegree Deakins, focuses his practice exclusively on labor and employment law representing management. He has served as lead trial counsel in cases in federal and state courts and has extensive experience as lead counsel in a variety of labor and employment matters, including numerous collective actions, involving wage/hour and overtime litigation, race discrimination, disability discrimination, leave issues and harassment.

Chris Cavaliere

Chris Cavaliere. A practical advisor and passionate advocate for his clients, Chris helps businesses prevent and resolve legal disputes, particularly those with their own employees. Focusing on labor and employment law, he assists both large and small employers with HR and employment issues relating to hiring and firing, background checks, employee handbooks, compensation, overtime, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, unpaid wages, non-competition agreements, non-solicitation agreements, confidentiality agreements, and more. With an appreciation for the specific business needs of his clients, Chris helps ensure compliance with federal and state employment laws.

Jessica Stollings-Holder

Jessica Stollings-Holder is a national speaker, trainer, author, and coach who helps teams realize how diverse perspectives fuel success.

She entered the speaking world through her groundbreaking work in generational diversity and inclusion. She has studied how to bridge gaps across generations for more than a decade, serving more than 150 clients in 32 states and delivering 500 keynotes and training events.

Jessica’s work been highlighted in publications across the country- like SHRM, Ragan/PR Daily, and the Chronicle of Higher Education– and her experiential training using an escape game in a box was voted one of the top 120 trainings in the world by Training Magazine.

Jessica’s background includes leadership roles in corporate communication and talent development, and she also served as a nationally syndicated news reporter.

Jessica is an academic all-American volleyball player and graduate of King University. She is also a graduate of Leadership Tennessee Class V.

Most importantly, Jessica is a wife and bonus mom with a passion to help all people feel understood, included, and valued.

To learn more, visit jessicastollingsholder.com

Gena Cox

Dr. Gena Cox is an organizational psychologist whose executive clients want to make a positive difference regarding diversity and inclusion, but are tentative about treading into unfamiliar and seemingly unforgiving, terrain. Gena understands that although executives support “diversity and inclusion” efforts, they are often unsure which actions can drive their desired outcomes. Additionally, they often get filtered information that camouflages the challenges their employees face at work. Gena has advised many high-performing companies regarding organizational culture, employee experience, diversity and inclusion, talent analytics, leader effectiveness, and Future of Work. She has worked with IBM, Raymond James Financial, Hitachi, Scotiabank, Johnson Controls, Mastercard, American Express, and many more. Gena’s keynote speech educates and inspires leaders to enhance the experience of people of color in the workplace, and she is writing a book to with a related message. Gena earned a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of South Florida.

Jennifer Currence

Jennifer Currence is the CEO of WithIN Leadership in Tampa, Florida, where she delivers results through customized training and coaching programs for leaders and HR. She is the creator of the Leading for RealTM leadership development program and content creator for SHRM’s new People Manager Qualification (PMQ). Jennifer earned her MBA with an emphasis in management and holds a nationally accredited certification in coaching (ACC) and an international senior-level certifications in human resources (SHRM-SCP). She has been recognized as a Thought Leader by the International Society of Performance Improvement, a Subject Matter Expert by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and was named Tampa Bay’s HR Consultant of the Year for 2017. She has over 25 years of experience in Human Resources and training in organizations, and is a faculty member for SHRM as well as a professor at the University of Tampa’s award-winning Sykes school of business. 

Jennifer has been published in HR Magazine and featured in Fast Company magazine, USA Weekly, and HR.com. She is a professional member of SHRM, the National Speaker’s Association (NSA), the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and the author of three SHRM-published books on business behavioral competencies.

Ryan McNulty

Ryan McNulty is an HR Business Partner with Tech Data Corporation and holds a SHRM-CP certification.
Ryan started his career with the Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, FL followed by joining Tech Data Corporation in 2011 as a Sales representative. Ryan’s career in HR started in 2014 as a Talent Acquisition Specialist working with Tech Data’s Internship Program and Entry-Level positions. Ryan progressed to a Talent Acquisition Partner role and then a Supervisor, Talent Acquisition before becoming an HR Business Partner in 2020. As a Supervisor, Ryan led a team of seven recruiters filling a variety of roles in North America along with Tech Data’s Internship Program. Under Ryan’s leadership, the program grew from 18 interns to 50+ when he left supporting the program in 2020. Ryan’s experience working with Sr Executives and University leadership was a key driver in growing the Tech Data Internship Program.

Amanda Benincasa

Amanda Benincasa Arena is an Associate Partner and the East Coast Practice Leader with Aon Equity Services, the group within Aon Rewards Solutions that focuses on the entirety of the equity lifecycle.

Her background consists of performing valuation and technical accounting for equity compensation, including complex scenarios like global equity, employee stock purchase plans, M&A transactions, bankruptcies, modifications, SEC reporting, etc. She is a frequent industry speaker, addressing topics primarily related to equity valuation and financial reporting, and has written countless articles surrounding those topics. She serves on the Board of Directors of the NASPP Boston Chapter and is a Certified Equity Professional through Santa Clara University.

Amanda is currently attending Harvard University, graduated from Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA where she obtained her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Business Analytics, and previously attended Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting with a dual minor in finance and business administration. She is pursuing the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation. Amanda is based in Philadelphia. Amanda Benincasa Arena is an Associate Partner and the East Coast Practice Leader with Aon Equity Services, the group within Aon Rewards Solutions that focuses on the entirety of the equity lifecycle.

Her background consists of performing valuation and technical accounting for equity compensation, including complex scenarios like global equity, employee stock purchase plans, M&A transactions, bankruptcies, modifications, SEC reporting, etc. She is a frequent industry speaker, addressing topics primarily related to equity valuation and financial reporting, and has written countless articles surrounding those topics. She serves on the Board of Directors of the NASPP Boston Chapter and is a Certified Equity Professional through Santa Clara University.

Amanda is currently attending Harvard University, graduated from Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA where she obtained her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Business Analytics, and previously attended Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting with a dual minor in finance and business administration. She is pursuing the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation. Amanda is based in Philadelphia.

Kate Corbin-Brown

For more than 35 years Kate has been professionally involved with marketing and wellness. Kate has a passion and the skills for helping employers and employees in Florida become healthier and feel better. Her watchwords along the way; Grow and Serve.

Kate’s roles have included representing Transformations Weight Loss as both a Community Relations/Marketing Director and Corporate Wellness Director since 2014. Currently, she assists multiple Florida organizations and businesses as a Corporate Wellness Coach and Consultant. Kate is also proud to be the 2020/2021 HR Florida Ambassador of Well-Being. Kate received her certification as a Corporate Wellness Specialist (CCWS) in 2014, from the Corporate Health and Wellness Association (CHWA). Kate’s also a proud member of WELCOA, an organization helping to build healthy happy and thriving organizations with results-oriented workplace wellness programs. After fulfilling experiences with SHRM, WELCOA and HR Florida, she is focused on offering expertise and guidance to the betterment of creating a wellness focus within an environment that is fun, engaging and stimulating.

Ed Krow

Ed Krow works with executives and business owners who are struggling with people problems, such as adapting to changing business conditions and customer, investor, or community expectations. He turns irrelevant and ineffective HR functions into strategic contributors by aligning HR with the business objectives. As a result, Human Resources actually drives business results. To date, Ed has completed over 700 projects for more than 250 clients across nearly all industries. Ed is an advocate for using Organizational Development strategies to drive business results. He speaks to senior leaders across the United States and Canada about how to turn their people into strategic contributors. He is the author of, “Strategic HR: Driving Bottom-Line Results Through Your People”. Ed’s clients and audiences include organizations as diverse as Johnson & Johnson, Goodwill Industries, Penn State University, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Utz Snack Foods. When he’s not working with clients, Ed can be found teaching at Millersville University. In his free time, Ed enjoys family time, travel, golf, the outdoors and Notre Dame and Baltimore Ravens football.

Lorna Kibbey

Scott Fontechia

Scott Fontechia is a University of South Florida alumnus, receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Master of Science degree in Applied Behavior Analysis. Currently, Scott works as an employment specialist at The Learning Academy at USF and provides a variety of employment-related services to adults on the autism spectrum. He has provided services to the autistic community across a range of ages and settings since 2010. The Learning Academy is a transition program and employment service vendor through the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation and the sister program of the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD-USF). In addition to providing direct services to job-seekers, Scott also trains businesses and professionals on autism and other diversity topics, is an adviser to Learning Academy transition students, and is an invited speaker and presenter on autism-related topics.

Tina Hallis

Tina Hallis, Ph.D. is certified in Positive Psychology through the WholeBeing Institute, an Authorized Partner for Everything DiSC®, and a Professional Member of the National Speakers Association. She is the author of Sharpen Your Positive Edge: Shifting Your Thoughts for More Positivity & Success.Tina worked for 20+ years in Biotechnology before discovering a new science called Positive Psychology in 2011. Seeing the powerful impact this information has on improving people and organizations, she decided to create her own company, The Positive Edge. Her mission is to help people build their positivity skills so their work is more enjoyable and their organizations become more successful.Tina has had the opportunity to share this life-changing information with thousands of people from a variety of industries including government agencies, academic institutions, medical staff, financial institutions, biotech companies, manufacturing companies, sales teams, nonprofits, and more.

Amber Vanderburg

Amber Vanderburg is a multi award winning international businessperson, keynote speaker, and founder of The Pathwayz Group. In 2016, she left her job in corporate HR to become the only female, only American, and only blonde Academy elite football coach for the Adidas Gameday Academy/Paris Saint Germain Academy in Bangalore, India. She worked with an international team of coaches to transform the organizational design, training development, and corporate culture to cultivate a higher-performing team. Today, Amber and The Pathwayz Group work with international teams that struggle with co worker tension, inefficient processes, and unmet performance expectations in an action focused approach to become more effective, more efficient, and more enjoyable.

Lori Lastowski

Lori is the founder of HRPT Consulting and the lead HR Technology Consultant. She specializes in assisting clients in choosing an HR system, implementing it or enhancing to get the best ROI from their HR system. Lori has over twenty-five years of experience in leadership roles in corporate payroll, HR operations, and HRIS implementation. After implementing her first HR system back in 2007 she fell in love with the process; thus, started her own company HRPT Consulting in 2018. Lori has expertise in system implementations, project administration, cost reduction, compliance tracking, best practices and staff management. She has provided her consulting services to many companies of all sizes from small companies of 300 employees to Enterprise companies with 30,000 plus employees. She enjoys the excitement of finding solutions to complex processes using the HR system, and ultimately resulting in an increased ROI.

Priya Dhingra Klocek

Priya Dhingra Klocek is a business consultant, executive coach, mentor, and facilitator. She is the President and CEO of her consulting firm Consultant On The Go LLC. Her mission is to help organizations manage and develop their most important assets: People. Her consulting practice focuses on diagnosing and improving the fundamental human interactions upon which all successful businesses are built. Priya has more than 20 years of experience working in the areas of Talent Management, Leadership Development, Diversity, and Change Management. Priya is a skilled business consultant who works with her clients collaboratively to identify and implement strategic, customized solutions for their businesses and cultural needs. She has extensive experience in conducting skills assessments, analyzing results, and facilitating debrief sessions. She is also an experienced instructional designer and facilitator, having developed, designed, and facilitated training workshops across the globe. Priya’s corporate experience includes working for companies like Ashland Inc, Convergys, Great American Insurance, and Fifth Third Bank. She has managed several global initiatives, and she has had responsibility for several start-up teams based in the US, Canada, Europe, India, and the Philippines. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the College of Mount St. Joseph and a Master’s degree in Human Resource Development from Xavier University. Priya is certified in various tools and methodologies, including Prosci Change Management, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ® (MBTI), EQi 2.0, Social + Emotional Intelligence (ISEI) and the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI).

Stacey Scrabis

Stacey Scrabis received a four-year athletic scholarship from Florida State University where she graduated with a double major in Dietetics and Nutrition & Fitness. She completed her Dietetic Internship at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama, and her master’s degree in Dietetics from University of North Florida.  Her twenty-four-year career as a Registered Dietitian has been spent as a clinical dietitian specializing in oncology and intensive care, a nutrition educator for the WIC program, an out patient dietitian specializing in weight management and oncology and working with individual and teams as a Sports Dietitians. In addition, her growing business, Nutrition Connection, keeps her busy conducting health seminars, developing corporate nutrition programs, consulting for groups and individual clients in the community, works as a consultant for pharmaceutical companies, and analyzes and develops meals and menus for companies throughout Florida. Stacey’s true love is working with athletes of all ages and backgrounds. Stacey currently works full time as a dietitian and wellness coordinator splitting her time between working as the sports dietitian, working with the students, staff, facility, and ROTC for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Stacey also works as a adjunct professor at Daytona State College. She has also been a guest speaker on various radio and television broadcasts. Stacey is an active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and was nominated “Recognized Young Dietitian” for the state of Florida in 2001. Stacey was the treasure for two years for the 16th District, Volusia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and served on the board of directors as the nominating committee chair for one year.  Stacey is a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) and also has both certifications in Adult Weight Management and Child & Adolescent Weight Management.

Anna Nielsen

Anna is passionate about helping people see conflict as progress. She’s a lifelong communication enthusiast who thrives when creating Conflict Capable leaders, teams, and organizations to drive innovation and maximize growth. Working as a conflict resolution professional, executive leader, and change-maker, one thing has been true in every organization she has encountered: people need a shared method for managing conflict and they don’t have it. She created the Conflict Capable Method to address and solve this problem. This method was created by fusing her experience as a civil mediator, conflict resolution consultant, Non-violent Communication (NVC) practitioner, and facilitator to solve the universal problem of workplace conflict. Anna has worked with organizations of all kinds helping them navigate their way through conflict, shape their culture, design their dreams, and aim high. She’s at her best when in the middle of a puzzle which needs solving, and she’s always ready. Some of her favorite projects include work with a national media company that needed to revitalize its Diversity and Inclusion policy, a large organization that needed to undo the damage caused by years of gossip and silos, and leading a statewide coalition through the process of merging. Anna holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Diversity Studies from Metropolitan State University, and a master’s degree in Advocacy and Political Leadership from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. She loves improv, popcorn, paddle boarding, creative writing, and high fives. She is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota where she lives with her husband Gabe and Morris the Golden Retriever.

Steve Watson

Steve has a passion for learning a business and helping to solve its problems. He studied finance and international finance at BYU before launching a successful career. By the time he earned the title CFO, he was managing not only the company’s finances, but also all of their HR initiatives, including securing health care. His natural curiosity and affinity for helping others to the best of his ability led him to earn his MBA, CPA certificate, and SHRM-SCP certificate. Lately he has taken this same curiosity and background in finance and human resources and applied it to the employee benefit industry. He became a licensed advisor in order to “peek behind the veil” and understand all the incentives in place. With this knowledge he is now helping employers replicate best practices and lower their employee health benefits with no impact to employees. And when he’s not helping businesses succeed, he’s at home spending time with his wife and seven children.

Dr. Abby Hamilton

Dr. Abby Hamilton is an industrial/organizational psychologist who speaks on assertive communication for Filipino Americans. Dr. abby is the Director of Student Services at Everglades University in Tampa. She has educated and trained in leadership for over 20 years and spent the past 11 years equipping students with proper skills to present themselves in their job search and the workplace. Dr. Abby’s research on 473 Filipino Americans in 35 states in the US revealed the Filipino values conflict with assertiveness. This research sparked Dr. Abby’s mission to help Filipino Americans learn their values and assertiveness.

Sonia Aranza

Sonia Aranza is a 25-year veteran in the field of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. The U.S. Department of Labor describes her work as “Outstanding!” The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) selected Sonia as a featured Diversity & Inclusion Expert in HR Magazine. She is on the Faculty of Howard University’s Executive Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Program. Sonia’s clients include Boeing, CIA, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, NASA, Pew Research, U.S. Air Force and many more. She was selected to execute congressionally mandated Diversity programs for several landmark cases and has conducted executive sessions for senior leaders including the Director of the CIA, Director of National Intelligence and CEOs of major corporations. She was honored “Outstanding Woman of the Year” by the National Association of Professional Asian American Women and named “100 Most Influential Filipina-Americans in the United States.

HR Tampa