Executive

President, Executive

Joanna Vazquez, Ed., D., SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Dr. Joanna Vazquez (Dr. Jo) is the Director of Organizational Development at Children’s Crisis Treatment Center (CCTC), a private non-profit agency dedicated to assisting children and their families coping with the impact of behavioral health issues, traumatic events and other challenges that have an effect on childhood development. She is also an Adjunct Professor for Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development. During her tenure at CCTC, she has successfully designed and directed the agency’s professional development program which prepares staff to meet the challenges of serving the emotional and behavioral needs of at risk children and families. Dr. Jo supports the strategic vision of the organization and drives programs to support DEI, trauma-informed practices, workforce development, employee engagement, leadership development, and other related programs with measurable outcomes that demonstrate achievement.

Dr. Jo is the recipient of the 2015 Delaware Valley HR Person of the Year for Medium-sized companies and was a Finalist in the same category in 2023. She holds a Doctorate in Education from Gwynedd Mercy University. Her research and dissertation focused on the preparation and education of future HR professionals. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management from Saint Joseph’s University. She has been SPHR certified since 2006 and SHRM-SCP certified since 2015. Dr. Jo has been a member of Philadelphia SHRM since 2006 and currently serves as Executive VP of
Strategic Initiatives on the Board. In addition, she is the Executive Producer of the Philly SHRM podcast “HR Fresh Take”.

An avid runner, Joanna has finished her 10th Broad Street Run 10-Miler and second Half-Marathon. She is currently training for her next half-marathon and Spartan Race.

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Past President, Executive

Catherine Preim, SPHR, SHRM-CP

Catherine is currently a Senior Business Partner with Baker Tilly US, a leading advisory CPA firm. Serving as a leader within the Talent Management Business Partner team, she partners with leadership in the Pennsylvania/West Virginia market in the development and execution of their people strategy and advises on various people-related matters including employee relations, performance management, DEI, succession, and compensation. She also serves in a leadership role chairing the Philadelphia DEI committee and co-chairing the firm’s ESG Social initiative.

Prior to joining Baker Tilly, she held increasingly responsible roles in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. Touching on everything HR and Talent related from recruitment and talent acquisition, project management, compensation, employee relations, and training to immigration. In her roles, she successfully led several key initiatives including the implementation of new software tools for performance management and HRIS, and streamlined several key processes to enhance efficiency with onboarding and recruitment.

Catherine is active in the HR community and has been a member of SHRM since 2009. She started volunteering with the Philly SHRM Emerging Leaders committee in 2011 where she eventually held a board role co-chairing the committee. Following her time with Emerging Leaders, she co-chaired the Membership Committee and most recently served as Executive Vice President, Chapter Operations, where she was responsible for overseeing Sponsorship, Marcomm, Certification, and Membership. In addition to her leadership roles with Philly SHRM, she previously served on SHRM National’s Young Professional Advisory Committee (YPAC) and held a board role with Philadelphia WTS, chairing their Membership committee.

Catherine graduated Magna cum Laude from Temple University’s Fox School of Business with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management. She also holds SHRM-CP and SPHR certifications.

In her spare time, she enjoys doing activities with her husband and two children. You will often find them at the Jersey shore in the summer months spending time on the water. Outside of that, she has recently reignited her passion for singing and has been focusing on brushing up her skills.

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Vice President, Legal, Executive

Timothy McCarthy, Esq.

Timothy M. McCarthy is an associate attorney in the Philadelphia office of Jackson Lewis P.C. His practice focuses on representing employers exclusively in workplace law and employee relations matters, including management training, litigation defense, and preventive advice and counseling.

Mr. McCarthy graduated magna cum laude from Rutgers University School of Law-Camden in 2014 and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Loyola University Maryland in 2011. While attending law school, Mr. McCarthy was an executive editor of the Rutgers Law Journal, was a Michael Young Scholar for his participation in the Marshall-Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project, and served as a judicial intern to a United States Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Prior to joining Jackson Lewis as an associate, Mr. McCarthy was a Summer Associate in the firm’s Morristown, New Jersey office, and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Joseph L. Yannotti, N.J. Superior Court – Appellate Division. Mr. McCarthy is currently admitted to practice law in the state courts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District of New Jersey.

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Vice President, Finance & Analytics, Executive

Ryan Smith, CFP

Ryan Smith is an Investment Representative and Financial Consultant with AXA Advisors, LLC in Bala Cynwyd, PA. As a Financial Consultant, Ryan takes pride in breaking complex planning scenarios into smaller more manageable pieces, to assist his clients in understanding how their investments, insurances, and tax/legal obligations* all play a part in their long term financial situation.

Ryan has extensive knowledge and experience in the employer sponsored arena. He has expanded his knowledge to become a Retirement Benefit Specialist of tax-sheltered plans. Throughout his career Ryan has built a diverse client base consisting of educates, self-employed individuals, small business owners, schools and non-profit organizations.

Ryan is a Philadelphia native and former all-public basketball player. Ryan carries the same ethics of hard work, integrity, and zeal learned on the basketball court to his business. Ryan has obtained several production awards including, District Leaders’ Corps. He continues to refine his processes and update his planning knowledge to achieve the highest level of service.

Ryan attended Clarion University of PA to earn his Bachelor Degree in Finance. He currently resides in Willow Grove, PA with his wife Michelle and their two children, Ryan Jr. (6) and Mirya (10).

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Vice President, Programming, Executive

Richard Foronjy, MS, SHRM-CP

My name is Richard Foronjy and I am a Sr. HR Associate with the Talent Acquisition team at Philadelphia Insurance Companies. My primary responsibilities include assisting PHLY’s Talent Advisors with our recruitment efforts, onboarding and working on various talent acquisition projects.

Additionally, I am currently a member of PHLY’s DEI Council where I serve as the Council’s Secretary. I began my PHLY career in June of 2019 after graduating from St. Joseph’s University in May of 2019 with a double major in Managing Human Capital and Spanish. I enjoy playing soccer, going on hikes and traveling on my free time. During the pandemic, I have been able to practice and enhance my cooking and baking abilities. I look forward to serving as the Director of Day Programming for Philly SHRM.

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Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Executive

Maria Downs, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, PMP

Maria Downs is a Human Resource Project Manager at the Vanguard Group. She manages various projects within the organization that include both operational and strategic initiatives for performance management, workforce planning, payroll and leadership development departments within the organization.

She began her career at Vanguard after graduating from Saint Joseph’s University in June 2000. She has had experience in various areas, first as a client service associate for a department specializing in small business retirement plans. She then transitioned to various leadership roles as well as those focused on process improvements through data and process analysis.

Maria became interested in Human Resources while obtaining her Master’s degree. Her career in HR began as a supervisor leading the Data and Reporting team. As a result of her strong project management, she led a project looking to redesign the current reporting tools and develop the strategy for human resource reporting.

Maria has received her Master’s in Business Administration from St. Joseph’s University. She also has her SPHR, SHRM-SCP and recently obtained her Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification. She enjoys spending time with her husband Ryan and two daughters Allison and Liliana. In her free time, she enjoys running and exercising.

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Vice President, Chapter Services, Executive

LaRhonda Green, SHRM-SCP

LaRhonda Green, SHRM-SCP is a visionary human resources professional with over 10 years of experience partnering with senior leaders to sustain and grow organizations through people and culture. LaRhonda earned her bachelor’s degree in HRM from Temple University and continued her studies at La Salle University obtaining her master’s degree in Human Capital Development.

She currently works as a HR Business Partner for Merck & Co in the Merck Research Laboratories division, where she serves as a strategic people partner for her clients in the Global Regulatory and Clinical Safety space. LaRhonda focuses on partnering with senior leaders to build and sustain high quality talent through talent acquisition and retention, talent management, career development, diversity and inclusion, and organizational development strategies. Before joining Merck’s HR team, LaRhonda worked in the Higher Education, Retail, Industrial Manufacturing and Behavioral Health industries. In addition to her daytime profession LaRhonda is an Adjunct Professor at Temple and Drexel University; as well as a wife, mother and phenomenal baker, she enjoys creating treats for her family and friends during the holiday seasons and beyond.

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Vice President, Symposium, Executive

Kim Huegel, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Kim is the Director of Talent Acquisition at AAA Club Alliance.  Kim leads the Talent Acquisition organization in identifying, recruiting, selecting and placing qualified candidates for management, professional and technical positions.  She is also responsible for developing and implementing strategic recruitment programs and identifying best-in-class recruiting practices to drive the Organization’s growth strategy

Prior to AAA, Kim spent time as the Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY), a premier national Property/Casualty and Professional Liability insurance carrier and as the Sr. Mgr. of HR/Talent Management at CTDI, a full-service, global engineering, repair and logistics company.  Kim has led the development and implementation of strategic talent acquisition campaigns and owned the evaluation of recruiting function, strategies, and procedures while building strong relationships in a rapidly and constantly evolving environment.

Kim was also an HR Manager in a Global Shared Services organization at The Vanguard Group, managing a multi-site team responsible for all domestic recruiting operations and HR sponsored events. Kim was with Vanguard for 20 years, spending time managing teams in Talent Acquisition & Event Logistics, Leadership Development and HR Data & Reporting and also managed the strategic development and implementation of Vanguard’s Performance Management program.

Kim has extensive people leadership, HR, and business knowledge coupled with creative ideas for designing and implementing new processes and training with a solid history of success. She has strong operational leadership and planning skills, combined with the ability to coordinate the efforts of many to meet organizational goals.

Kim has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Performance Management from Immaculata University and has served on the PSHRM Symposium planning committee since 2012.

Kim enjoys spending time with her husband Patrick, their two college age children Toni and Michael, is a devoted “Drama & Swim Mom” spending her free time attending her daughter’s musical performances and her son’s swim meets.

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Programming

Vice President, Day Programming, Programming

Kristina Wolfgang

Kristina Wolfgang is a Talent Acquisition Coordinator at ACA, where she has spent the past three years supporting recruitment operations, candidate experience, and talent pipeline initiatives. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is passionate about connecting people with opportunities that align with their skills and goals. Kristina has been an active volunteer with Philly SHRM for the past two years, serving as a speaker coordinator for the Annual Symposium. She is excited to continue her involvement as a member of the board with the Day Programming Team, where she looks forward to collaborating with fellow professionals to deliver engaging and impactful programming for the chapter’s members. Driven by a genuine desire to help others, Kristina values building meaningful relationships and contributing to initiatives that foster growth, inclusion, and professional development within the HR community.

Outside of work, she enjoys visiting local farmers markets, walking her dog on the beach, and exploring new coffee shops and restaurants with her husband.

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Vice President, Webcast Programming, Programming

Shakema Appleton

Shakema Appleton is a diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging change agent at Cozen O’Connor, a full-service law firm that has more than 825 attorneys in 30 cities across two continents and ranked among the top 100 firms in the country. Shakema is a highly effective, results-oriented strategic visionary that inspires a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion beyond compliance and onto skill and competence.

In her current role, Shakema is responsible for tracking all diversity metrics – analyzing and generalizing data to show trends and impact across the firm; helping to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion educational efforts such as the development and facilitation of training/workshops, tools and resources; and researching, benchmarking, developing and executing the ERG strategy through project plans, communications, stakeholder engagement, timelines and milestones. In addition, Shakema enjoys facilitating on how to use diversity metrics for business impact, psychological safety in the workplace and self-care for busy professionals.

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Emerging Leaders

Vice President, Emerging Leaders

Anna Greenwald

Anna Greenwald is a mindfulness and wellbeing speaker, professor, and founder/CEO On the Goga. Through her work, Anna helps companies of various sizes and industries think differently about the future of work. She works with leaders and their teams to enhance employee wellbeing, team performance and organizational value through culture change and technology.



Anna Greenwald is a mindfulness and wellbeing speaker, professor, and founder/CEO On the Goga. Through her work, Anna helps companies of various sizes and industries think differently about the future of work. She works with leaders and their teams to enhance employee wellbeing, team performance and organizational value through culture change and technology. Specifically, Anna focuses the power of systemic change and organizational practices that promote emotional intelligence, inclusive cultures, and comprehensive wellbeing. Anna believes that organizational success is built upon the success of individuals. Companies that nurture personal development gain a unique advantage in the competitive landscape. She has worked with professionals and teams at Johnson & Johnson, PwC, Lyft, L’Oreal, Urban Outfitters, DELL, and others to help foster happy, high-performing teams. She is a TEDx Speaker, and has been featured in numerous publications and events including Philadelphia Magazine, #MILLSUMMIT, ATD Magazine, and the Women to Watch Radio Show. Anna is an adjunct professor of mindfulness and wellbeing at Drexel University, and has served on the board of Philly Startup Leaders and the Philadelphia Mayor’s Millennial Advisory Committee.



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Vice President, Emerging Leaders

Swain Tamar, SHRM-CP

Swain Tamar, SHRM-CP is a highly accomplished HR professional with a strong track record in talent acquisition and organizational development. A graduate of the prestigious University of Florida, he holds a master’s degree in Human Resource Management and brings almost a decade of expertise to their role as Senior Corporate Recruiter at Amtrak. With a focus on recruiting exceptional leaders, he supports Amtrak’s mission to usher in the New Era of Rail, revolutionizing the rail industry through visionary leadership.

Passionate about making meaningful connections between individuals and their work, Swain possesses a deep desire to help people align their passions with their professional pursuits. Recognizing that fulfillment comes from engaging in work that ignites one’s inner drive, he goes above and beyond to help talented and passionate individuals connect with their next opportunity, wherever it may be. Alongside his professional endeavors, he is an avid softball enthusiast and takes great pride in being a dedicated father and husband.

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Thought Leadership

Vice President, Thought Leadership

Dennis Paris, MBA

Dennis brings 30+ years of industry experience into the classroom as a fulltime Associate Professor of Marketing at the Fox School of Business, Temple University. An author of articles and several business cases published and taught internationally, he also received numerous case research and teaching awards, developed, and continues to teach a highly experiential curriculum to students who conduct market analysis, strategy and planning for live problem and client firms. Dennis has also coached and consulted to small, medium, and large major brands on how to enhance value through gap analysis, internal alignment of market strategies, innovation, and new product development processes.

Client industries include Healthcare System, Municipal Economic Development, Military Contracting, Pharmaceutical Packaging, Manufacturing and various other diverse product and service organizations.

Dennis’ experience includes instructing, speaking, consulting, and coaching on new ventures, product strategy, and execution planning to a variety of businesses, domestically and internationally, including non- and for-profit. For the Dutch conglomerate Philips, he had responsibility for developing disruptive international marketing strategies that influenced market adoption of innovative technologies in the global computing marketplace.

Subsequently recruited by the multibillion-dollar Japanese technology firm, Oki Data, Dennis led international strategic marketing initiatives including the planning and start-up of a new technology division, the turnaround of a South American business unit, and the start-up of Mexico and Brazil subsidiaries.

Dennis has served in advisory capacities to the Pharmaceutical-Drug Exchange, the Manufacturing Alliance of Philadelphia, and Peirce College in Philadelphia. He is the President of the Economic Development Partnership Corporation of Gloucester Township, NJ, and serves on Philly-SHRM’s Board as Vice President and Co-Chair of Thought Leadership. Dennis also fulfills services to Temple University as Academic Advisor for Temple University’s Consulting Club, the Fox DEI Council’s Marcom Chair, Undergraduate Course Coordinator, and Masters Program Committee Secretary.

Dennis earned his MBA from the LeBow School of Business at Drexel University, and a BBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. During an earlier career with the Philadelphia Police Department, he also earned an Associate Degree and Certificate in Criminal Justice and Administration of Justice respectively from Temple University. Additionally, Dennis received training at the Center for Creative Leadership in Boulder CO and at INSEAD Business School in France for organization-management.

Dennis served for 13 years in a reserve unit of the United States Air Force, and with a love for choral arts, has performed internationally with the Philadelphia Boys Choir & Men’s Choral, as well as the Greater South Jersey Chorus and Chamber Singers.

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Vice President, Thought Leadership

Evelyn Reed, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Evelyn Y. Reed is a dynamic powerhouse, and progressive HR Leader with over 15 years of experience in various industries and markets throughout North America (US & Canada) and all aspects of the employee & HR cycle, from hire to retire. Evelyn holds a Bachelor’s and MBA degree along with multiple HR certifications (SPHR & SHRM-SCP), and a notary license. Evelyn is an official member of the Forbes HR Council and an active Board Member of DisruptHR Philadelphia.

Evelyn Y. Reed is a dynamic powerhouse, and progressive HR Leader with over 15 years of experience in various industries and markets throughout North America (US & Canada) and all aspects of the employee & HR cycle, from hire to retire. Evelyn holds a Bachelor’s and MBA degree along with multiple HR certifications (SPHR & SHRM-SCP), and a notary license. Evelyn is an official member of the Forbes HR Council and an active Board Member of DisruptHR Philadelphia.

Throughout her career, she’s worked with global brands such as Amazon and Hertz. Evelyn has also worked with Philadelphia-based non-profits and healthcare sectors.

Currently, Evelyn serves as the Senior HR Director at Jacent Strategic Merchandising, a multinational impulse merchandising company, where she strategically designs & oversees 90% of the company’s HR functions. In addition, Evelyn is the founder and owner of the “HR Jawn” brand. HR Jawn is not only a social media brand, but also a boutique firm that offers HR, Business, Notary, and Advocacy content and services for individuals, startups, and small to midsize businesses.

You can reach Evelyn via Social Media: @HRJawn

Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Linkedin | www.hrjawn.comwww.msevelynreed.com

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Partnership

Vice President, Partnership

Kristina Syvarth, PHR, SHRM-CP

Kristina Syvarth is the Talent Development Program Manager for Gift of Life Donor Program, the nation’s leading organ procurement organization based in Philadelphia. In this role she manages leadership and professional development training, staff engagement and performance management processes. Kristina earned her bachelor’s degree from University of Delaware in Foreign Languages and Literature and a master’s degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Toronto with a specialty in French and Russian literature. She is passionate about advancing non-traditional educational and training models designed to build engagement and meet the unique needs of diverse learners.

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Workforce Development

Vice President, Workforce Development

Kena Sears, MBA

Kena R. Sears, is Director, Continuing Professional Education and Workforce Initiatives at Goodwin College of Professional Studies. Kena is an accomplished professional with over 15 years of experience in advertising, marketing, and business development. For over 6 years, she held the position of Continuing Education Representative at Penn State Abington.

In this role, her exemplary strategic planning and natural interpersonal and communication skills were an asset to dozens of clients and students with professional development needs. Kena is an alumna of Penn State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a Master of Business Administration. She resides in Philadelphia with her husband and two children.

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Vice President, Workforce Development

Dawn Bruno, PHR, SHRM-CP

Dawn Bruno is the Vice President of Human Resources for McCormick Taylor, Inc., a full-service civil engineering firm providing creative design, planning, and environmental solutions primarily to the transportation and energy sectors. Her focus is on the company’s most important asset—its people.  Advocating for staff development and training, and managing a comprehensive benefits program are among her priorities. From employee benefits to employee relations and retention, Dawn oversees the life of an employee at McCormick Taylor.

With over 20 years of experience, Dawn leverages the insights she gains through working with ownership, management, and employees to help shape the strategic direction of the organization. Her blend of experience with business management and employee relations gives her a unique perspective that she brings to our firm’s leadership team.

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Membership

Vice President, Membership

Paige Liscka, PHR, SHRM-CP

Paige Liscka, PHR, SHRM-CP is an HR Manager at Tokio Marine North America Services, a mid-sized professional services organization that supports insurance companies under the Tokio Marine Group. In her role, she is responsible for managing day to day HR operations, including Employee Relations, Employee Engagement, Onboarding and Offboarding, Performance Management, Corporate Social Responsibility Activities, Rewards and Recognition, and Internal Policies and Communications.

She also serves on her company’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Council.  Paige knows that people are a company’s greatest asset.  She believes that HR professionals have the amazing opportunity to positively influence leadership, workplace culture, and overall employee engagement. She finds no greater joy than watching others succeed and truly enjoy where they work!

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Vice President, Membership

Noel Ridlon, M.A., SHRM-SCP

Noel Ridlon received her undergrad degree at Northern Illinois University and her MA in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from West Chester University. Noel has been working in Human Resources for almost 10 years, and has held a variety of positions in both non-profit and for-profit organizations. She also serves as an HR consultant for non-profits in the Philadelphia area.

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Director, Membership

Dawana Holmes, M.Ed., SHRM-CP

Dawana Holmes is a Talent Management Consultant at Penn Medicine. In her role, she is responsible for the New Employee Orientation (NEO) experience for the hospitals located in the Philadelphia region. Over the last fiscal year, she and her team had the privilege of welcoming over 4500 new employees to the health system. In addition to managing the weekly NEO program, she manages programming for individual contributors such as facilitation skills and presentation skills.

Dawana acts as the liaison for different educational partners across the Pennsylvania region to provide resources to employees to continue their personal and professional development. She also co-facilitates training sessions for aspiring leaders and new leaders within the organization. In addition to facilitating, she partners with employees across the health system to discuss mentorship and career development opportunities.

Dawana started her career working as the Operations and Training manager before transitioning to recruitment. Majority of her experience has been in the retail and healthcare industries. She has a true passion for fashion and providing compassionate care. In both industries, she has recruited, trained, and developed talent ranging from individual contributors to senior leaders. She loves all things talent focused, including talent acquisition and talent management. She enjoys the idea of sourcing talent and creating innovative solutions to retain talent.

She received her Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Education degree from Temple University in Adult and Organizational Development. She has obtained her SHRM-CP and is an active member in the Philadelphia SHRM chapter.

Dawana has been nominated for the Delaware Valley 2025 Human Resources Person of the Year award. She has a passion for being a resource for the next generation of HR professionals.

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Ragine Williams, M.S., SHRM-CP.

Ragine Williams, M.S., SHRM-CP, is the Leader of DEI Reporting, Recruiting and Outreach at SEI. Her first gig was at Smoothie king, and she approaches her profession the same way today as she did then: with a positive outlook, commitment to teamwork, and a hunger for knowledge. She is the ultimate HR Geek!

With Ragine’s roots tracing back to her first job at Smoothie King, she’s always approached her professional journey with an unwavering positive outlook, a dedication to teamwork, and an insatiable hunger for knowledge.

Proudly known as the ultimate Diversity geek and disruptor, Ragine is deeply passionate about revolutionizing workplace dynamics by embedding fresh perspectives of diversity and inclusion. Ragine is graduate of La Salle University, with a Master’s Degree in Human Capital Development. Ragine driven by the mission of reinstating the human element in Human Resources, ensuring each employee feels genuinely valued and appreciated.

Currently, Ragine serve as the Inclusion, Opportunity and Belonging Transformation Lead as part of the Workforce Development Team at SEI. In this role, Ragine is committed to fostering an environment of equality and safety for all employees while expanding her impact. Continuously striving for innovation, Ragine’s endeavor to infuse diversity and equity into every facet of her work.

Ragine’s dedication and contributions have been recognized, with a notable accolade as a finalist for the HR Rising Star of the Year at the Delaware Valley HR Person of the Year Award in July 2021. Ragine is a 40 under 40 Winner recognizing her work in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Ragine also holds an active role as Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at the Society for Human Resource Management Philadelphia Chapter, further amplifying her commitment to driving positive change. Ragine also sits on the board for Pathways to Housing PA and the Young Professionals Board for March of Dimes.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Ragine is an advocate for maternal health, driven by personal loss after the passing of her son, Crew, in November 2023. Through advocacy, she strives to break the silence surrounding #LossFamilies and advocate for innovation in maternal health, believing that as a nation, we can and must do better.

Ragine’s journey is a testament to her unwavering commitment to creating a more inclusive, equitable, and compassionate world, one where every individual’s voice is heard and valued.

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Sponsorships

Vice President, Sponsorships

Ally Lamson

As a family law attorney for over a decade, I took solace in believing my involvement in a case made the situation less bad than it otherwise would have been had I not been involved. I then tried my hand as an administrator at Temple Law School for the LL.M. program, recruiting international students. The job became slightly less glamorous one year in, when the pandemic hit. Unable to travel, my team had to be far more creative in thinking of ways to engage with prospective students around the globe. While many other law schools saw significant decreases in their numbers of enrolled students, we shifted and it paid off: enrollment in the program grew substantially.

Now, as a consultant, I partner with employers to advise on their insurance needs. Sometimes, the result of our analysis is to decide it does not make sense to change brokers, and that’s okay. If I did my job, I left our conversation(s) with an actionable item that you can use. For existing clients, I hope to provide better service than your prior brokers and bring new solutions to the table that continue to build on our existing relationship.

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Symposium Programming

Vice President, Symposium Programming

Edward Rogers, SHRM-SCP

Edward Rogers is a director for the United States Department of Labor (DOL) since 2011. In this role, Ed oversees reviews of EEO/AA compliance, compensation, talent selection, onboarding and employee engagement as well as all facets of investigations and analysis.

Prior to working for DOL, Ed spent 12 years with the PA Human Relations Commission (PHRC). Before leaving the PHRC, Ed was the Director of Compliance responsible for all dimensions of training and development of the staff and reporting monthly to the commissioners.

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Director, Symposium Programming

Dominic Micali

As Vice President, Senior Benefits Sales Leader, Dominic is involved in CSB’s new client development and marketing initiatives. His creativity and client focus have been instrumental in attracting and retaining client-partners over the years. Dominic is tasked with driving organic client growth, overseeing a team of Producers to ensure CSB’s short-and-long term growth initiatives are successfully met.

Prior to joining CSB, Dominic was EVP and Market Leader for the
Philadelphia offices of Arthur J. Gallagher, a global brokerage and
consultancy. In this role, Dominic oversaw a team of producers and consultants, leading key initiatives including sales accountability and process standards, resulting in record client retention and 200% pipeline growth. Previous to AJG, Dominic played a significant role in helping grow NFP into the one of the largest privately-held employee benefits firms in the Delaware Valley, delivering benefits consulting service and support to over 320 mid-market clients.

Prior to joining NFP, Dominic spent eight years in a number of sales positions with Comcast-Spectacor, most recently as a Sales Executive in charge of contracting multi-year luxury suite and sponsorship deals for the Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers. In this capacity, Dominic led the sale of nearly $30 million in annual revenue generated for the Premium Seating Department.

Dominic is actively involved in numerous charitable organizations, including Melmark, Girl Scouts of Eastern PA and CUPA-HR. ia. As a board member for the Schoemaker Classic, Dominic leads fundraising efforts to benefit Melmark, an organization that helps individuals with special needs, Dominic is also passionate about HR, serving as a long-time Board Member at Philadelphia SHRM, one of the largest chapters in the country.

Dominic resides in Yardley, PA with his wife, Rachel, son, Jace, and daughter, Susannah.

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Director, Symposium Programming

Christina Amendola, SHRM-CP

Christina Amendola is a seasoned HR professional with a strategic and generalist background in HR affairs within the pharmaceutical industry. Currently serving as the Head of HR at Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Christina focuses on driving comprehensive HR strategies that align business needs with employee needs. Her expertise includes talent management, performance management, total rewards and benefits, employee relations, and employee engagement.

Christina Amendola is a seasoned HR professional with a strategic and generalist background in HR affairs within the pharmaceutical industry. Currently serving as the Head of HR at Venatorx Pharmaceuticals, Christina focuses on driving comprehensive HR strategies that align business needs with employee needs. Her expertise includes talent management, performance management, total rewards and benefits, employee relations, and employee engagement.

Before her role at Venatorx, Christina held various HR positions at Aceragen (formerly Idera Pharmaceuticals) and began her career as a recruiter in the life sciences. She holds a Master of Science in Human Resource Development from Villanova University and a Bachelor of Arts from the College of the Holy Cross. In addition, she has a certification in Inclusion & Diversity Strategy from Villanova and is a Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP). Christina also utilizes her HR background to give back to the community by participating in various mentorship and professional development programs for college students.

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Director, Symposium Programming

Lindsay Lenow

Lindsay is a strategic, innovative HR executive with over 12 years of experience driving people initiatives across talent acquisition, employee engagement, retention, compensation, and safety. As Vice President of Human Resources at PRG Real Estate, she oversees the full HR function for an award-winning, 300-employee multifamily firm operating across 44 locations in the Southeast and Midwest.

Known for her ability to build high-performing teams and cultures, Lindsay has led efforts that significantly reduced turnover, optimized benefits offerings, and improved safety outcomes across the portfolio. A long-standing Philly SHRM Symposium Fellow and current Board Member, she is passionate about creating space for HR professionals to connect, learn, and lead.

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