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.

Theresa has provided Human Resources support for both non-profit and for-profit organizations. She began her Human Resources career with ARAMARK in the company’s Human Resources Representative program. During her time as a Human Resources Representative, Theresa worked with Human Resources leaders in the Sports and Entertainment business providing HR support and guidance during large scale events.

Theresa later accepted the role of Human Resources Coordinator for one of the top symphony orchestras in the world, the Philadelphia Orchestra, where she assisted both administrative staff and orchestra musicians in all areas of employment.

In 2012, Theresa joined St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, a leading pediatric facility in Philadelphia, as a Human Resources Generalist for. In this role, Theresa worked as an advocate for healthcare professionals and provided support in all areas of Human Resources. Theresa was a Six Sigma Lean Leader for St. Christopher’s and worked to implement process improvement initiatives throughout the hospital.

Theresa is a graduate of Temple University’s Fox School of Business and Management where she obtained her Bachelors of Business degree in Human Resources Management and her People First certification. She has been an active member of Philly SHRM since 2009 and has worked on the Programming, Emerging Leaders, Philly SHRM Symposium committees.

Theresa lives in Northeast Philadelphia with her husband Jason, son Jacob, and Labradoodle Duncan.

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.

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).

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.

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.

Prior to specializing in DE&I, Kaela’s background is centered around critical HR functions, like talent management, organizational development/change, HR systems/analytics, communications, and employee engagement. They also served as an ERG leader during their time in HR roles. Kaela has a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership with a focus in Human Resources from Northeastern University and is an alum of Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. They hold a Senior Certified Professional (SCP) certification from the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Kaela is also an active member of the local Philadelphia community and holds board and operational leadership roles with Philly SHRM, Making Worlds Cooperative Bookstore and Social Center, and cinéSPEAK.

Kaela is also an active thought leader and frequently contributes their insights on panel discussions, workshops, and conferences. They were nominated as an HR Rising Star in 2020 by the Delaware Valley HR Person of the Year Awards and named Philadelphia’s Top 40 Connectors and Keepers by Leadership Philadelphia in their class 2021. True to their passion, Kaela loves to travel to new cities and explore new foodie dishes to learn more about the cultures of others. They also geek out on sci-fi and space travel and can easily get lost in a good book, movie, or tv show.

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.

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.

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.

Ragine is passionate about embedding new perspectives of Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace. She is a graduate of La Salle University, with a Master’s Degree in Human Capital Development. Ragine attended Penn State University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Labor and Employment Relations. Ragine was a finalist in the Rising Star Award for the 2021 HR Person of the Year award ceremony. As a Human Resources Professional, her goal is to put the Human back into Human Resources, making sure that every employee feels valued and appreciated. Ragine is dedicated to making the workplace an equal and safe environment for all employees—expanding her reach. Ragine is continuously thinking of new and innovative ways to embed Diversity and Inclusion into everything that she does! She taught Strategic Human Resource Management as an Adjunct Professor at Drexel University. Ragine is also a volunteer with various nonprofit organizations in the Philadelphia area. She is a current and active member of Society for Human Resource Management Philadelphia Chapter. Ragine is a lifelong learner who enjoys exploring the world.

Previously, Shrina conducted people analytics to influence business decision-making and people strategy at Comcast, consulted organizations on their job architecture, total rewards, and diversity, equity, and inclusion at Korn Ferry, and worked at the US Department of Justice.

She is also involved in community service. Shrina has previously served on her local School Board and is currently part of her borough’s Sustainability Advisory Committee and her local BAPS Hindu temple.

Dr. O’Neill uses her expertise as a strategist, consultant, facilitator and coach to help leaders and teams positively impact people, performance, and productivity. She also has served her country and supported the stateside effort during Operation Desert Shield as a United States Air Force nurse.

In her spare time, you may find her performing on stage or volunteering behind the scenes in community theater. Dr. O’Neill has performed in local theater productions throughout the Greater Philadelphia area for the past fifteen years. 

Dr. O’Neill also serves as a board member for Learning & Development Philly; and as a volunteer and advocate for a local non-profit that provides mentoring and leadership development for first generation, low-income college students, Collective Success. She serves as a volunteer with Philly SHRM’s Partnerships committee. She is most proud of being a mother, auntie, daughter, sister, soror, truth-teller, and champion of the softer voices in the room.

Prior to this position, Brisilda worked as the Associate Director of the Human Resource Management Department (HRM) at Fox School of Business, Temple University. In this role, Brisilda oversaw all the operational facets of the department. She worked closely with the Chair to help the department attract, retain, and develop HR student talent. She also directed the SHRM Certification Prep Program at Temple University. Brisilda is an expert in event planning management with a proven track record of planning some of the most unique events for the HRM department.

Brisilda has worked as the Coordinator of the Office of International Affairs, Temple University, planning and executing orientation for 700+ international students who joined temple University each academic year.

Before that, she worked as In Flight Service Manager for the Bahrain Royal Air Force. Brisilda trained junior cabin crew in VVIP service, as well as, emergency evacuation. She has worked in the aviation industry for twelve years before moving into higher education.

Brisilda was born and raised in Albania. She moved to the U.S. in 2008. She obtained her bachelor’s in Tourism and Hospitality Management and Master’s in Higher Education Leadership both from Temple University.

Client industries have included 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 venture, product strategy and execution planning to a variety of domestic and international businesses, including non-profit organizations. In his early career for the Dutch conglomerate Philips, Dennis had responsibility for developing international strategies that were integral to a disruptive technology shift of the global computing marketplace.

Subsequently, he led and contributed to numerous international strategic marketing initiatives for a multibillion-dollar Japanese technology company in the planning and start-up of a new technology division, the turnaround of a maturing product division and a South American business unit, including the start-up of Mexico and Brazil subsidiaries.

Dennis has served in advisory capacities to the Pharmaceutical-Drug Exchange (PDE), the Manufacturing Alliance of Philadelphia and Peirce College in Philadelphia. He is a Board Director with the Economic Development Corp. of Gloucester Township, NJ, and with Philly-SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) as Vice President of Thought Leadership.

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. He received training at the Center for Creative Leadership in Boulder CO and INSEAD Business School in France for organization-management.

Dennis served in the United States Air Force Reserves for 11 years, 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.

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!

Her experience led her to be appointed to communications coordinator for the Philly Vets Home coalition, a community-wide, collaborative, and inclusive effort to end homelessness among Veterans in Philadelphia by Veterans Day 2015 and driven by an unprecedented collaboration between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, two City offices, the Housing Authority, and four non-profit organizations committed to ensuring the success of the campaign.

Debby is also a Leadership Philadelphia 2015 Fellow. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Psychology from New York University.

If given the opportunity to boast, she will definitely mention her most beloved pit bull, Kennedy.

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.

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.

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.

Dominic is actively involved in numerous charitable organizations, including Melmark. As a board member for the Schoemaker Classic, he leads fundraising efforts for Melmark, an organization with a focus on individuals with special needs. He also sits on committees for PSPS Bux-Mont and the Eastern Pennsylvania/Delaware Chapter of CUPA, HR.  Dominic resides in Yardley, PA with his wife, Rachel, son, Jace, and daughter, Susannah.

Prior to PHLY, Kim spent time as the Sr. Mgr. of HR/Talent Management at CTDI, a full-service, global engineering, repair and logistics company providing best-cost solutions to the communications industry.  Kim led the development and implementation of strategic talent acquisition campaigns and owned the evaluation of CTDI’s recruiting function, strategies, and procedures while building strong relationships in a rapidly and constantly evolving environment.

Prior to CTDI and for the majority of her career, Kim was 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 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 children Toni and Michael, and is a devoted “Drama & Swim Mom” spending her free time attending her daughter’s musical performances and her son’s swim meets.

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.

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.

 Throughout her career, Christina has held roles of increasing responsibility in Human Resources. She drove talent management, performance management, talent acquisition, inclusion & diversity strategy, compensation, M&A integrations, and benefits. She began her career at a recruiting agency, focusing on niche roles in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.

Christina received her bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross in Art History and her master’s degree in Human Resource Development from Villanova University. In addition, she has a certification in Inclusion & Diversity Strategy from Villanova and is a Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).