San Francisco HR Star Conference Tuesday, September 9, 2025 Speaker Information Christopher Boucher, Esq., AWI-CH, CLRM, SHRM-SCP is a Founding Attorney at Boucher Law and a Keynote Speaker. Christopher’s practice focuses on labor and employment law. His expertise includes representing employers in a union environment, including labor negotiations, and the meaning and application of labor contract provisions. He also serves as trusted counsel to employers throughout California regarding workplace investigations, employee discipline, grievance issues, reasonable accommodation issues and other labor and employment law matters. In addition, his clients value his practical HR experience. Prior to entering private practice, Christopher spent over a decade as a seasoned human resources executive with a broad spectrum of experience, including municipalities, public utilities, aviation, maritime, special districts, K-12 as well as higher education. Most notably, Christopher served as the Director of Human Resources for the Port of Oakland from 2014 to 2018. As an experienced workplace investigator, Christopher holds the Association of Workplace Investigators Certificate Holder credential, in addition to serving as part-time faculty for the Association’s Training Institute for Workplace Investigators. Christopher has been featured as a “Top Five Rising Stars” by Human Resource Executive magazine, and has received many prominent recognitions for his accomplishments as an attorney, including America’s Top 50 Lawyers, MyLegalWin's Top 10 Employment Attorneys and Top Lawyer by the American Institute of Legal Advocates. Christopher earned his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and graduated cum laude with a J.D. from the Abraham Lincoln University School of Law. In addition, he received a professional certificate from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and attended the Harvard Negotiation Institute at Harvard Law School. Allison West, Esq., SHRM-SCP, AWI-CH is the Managing Principal of Employment Practices Specialists LLC and holds a simple approach to employment practices: be proactive. Using her employment law background, coupled with her sound knowledge of human resources practices, Allison provides proactive risk management services aimed at helping companies both prevent and resolve employment claims. She is a frequent speaker on employment law and human resources topics at national conferences related to human resources and diversity. Allison specializes in delivering customized in-house training programs to companies of all sizes, serving a wide variety of industries. Her clients include: Chiquita Brands, SanDisk, Kodak EasyShare Gallery, Sharp Hospital, and Portola Pharmaceuticals. Her expertise also includes delivering one-on-one sensitivity training to executives, managers and employees concerning harassment, discrimination, and disciplinary and/or behavioral issues as well as conducting workplace investigations, providing expert witness assistance and other HR consulting. Allison is a member of the State Bar of California and holds an AWI-CH credential. Shari Dunn is Managing Director, Gallagher Compensation & Rewards Consulting and has a long and varied background in compensation management. She has worked both internally as a manager and as a consultant with such firms as McKinsey & Co., Deloitte, Boise Cascade and Bank of America. She later founded CompAnalysis, a San Francisco Bay Area consultancy dedicated to helping employers make successful compensation decisions. Prior to being acquired by Gallagher in 2010, CompAnalysis had grown to become a leading independent compensation management consulting firm, specializing in broad-based pay plans. Now she and her staff at Gallagher work with both non-profit and for-profit employers to develop and maintain executive and broad-based compensation plans, as well as incentive pay approaches, for employers across the U.S. Shari has a B.A. degree in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley and is the former President of what then was the 5,000 + member Northern California Human Resources Association (NCHRA). In 2022 she was awarded the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for Consulting Excellence from Consulting Magazine. Dave Collins is the Founder & CEO of Oak and Reeds - a corporate training firm dedicated to using the tools of improvisation to train clients on everyday soft skills. Dave is an award-winning improvisor, speaker and corporate strategist with over a decade of experience performing and coaching improv. Along with his teammates, Dave won the National Collegiate Improv Tournament. He has headlined shows across the United States and individually has coached hundreds of students and professionals in the art and practice of applied improvisation. Prior to founding Oak and Reeds, he worked as a change management expert at AECOM. As part of AECOM's workplace strategy team, Dave helped clients to examine the relationship between workspace and productivity, enabling people to break old habits and embrace change. Dave holds a B.A. in Communication and Economics from Northwestern University with a specialization in Team Leadership. Leena Mendoza, M.S. is the visionary force behind Intentional Leadership based in San Jose and the Co-Founder of CobleTree, where her expertise in executive coaching and leadership development sets her apart. Leena specializes in preparing leaders to position and posture themselves for high-impact roles - helping them elevate their brand, establish authority and align with strategic partners for long-term success. Her strategic acumen lies in crafting solutions that not only align with clients’ business goals but also accelerate growth and profitability. By integrating analytical thinking with effective communication and a keen ability to solve problems, Leena provides high-performing leaders with the tools they need to manage with excellence. Leena is dedicated to fostering a culture of intentional leadership, continuous growth and ethical business practices. Her work unlocks pivotal opportunities for organizations and leaders alike. Through her coaching and consulting she builds leaders who are ready to make an enduring impact. Leena has been certified with the International Coaching Federation, ATD Project Management, John Maxwell Leadership Trainer, DISC Assessment, Positive Intelligence Coach and the El Puente Institute. In addition, she was honored as the Latina Business Woman of the Year and is President-elect of NAWBO Silicon Valley. Tiana Sanchez is the CEO and Founder of TSI LLC (Tiana Sanchez International) - a talent and development powerhouse. For over a decade Tiana has been the go-to Corporate Trainer and Business Consultant for heavy-hitters in the public and private sectors across the globe. As a best-selling author, executive coach, corporate trainer and host of the "Like a REAL Boss" podcast, Tiana's consulting prowess is sought out by top tier organizations such as Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sempra, Mercedes Benz Research and Development, Sherwin Williams, Health-Ade Kombucha, Sony Music, the Metropolitan Water District of Los Angeles just to drop a few names. With impactful books to her name like "Undefeatable" and "The UPside of Failure" Tiana has been rewriting the rules of success in style. Prior to TSI, Tiana worked as an executive coach and consultant at Lee Hecht Harrison as well as a speaker coach for TEDxLA. Candice Gottlieb-Clark, MS, CRC, BCE is the Founder & CEO of Dynamic Team Solutions as well as a Business Advisor, Coach and Conflict Management Specialist. Candice founded Dynamic Team Solutions, to help businesses strengthen their leaders and employees through enhanced conflict management, communication, teamwork and leadership. Dynamic Team Solutions provides executive and leadership coaching, team building and development, and conflict management and resolution to positively transform business functionality in terms of employee relations, morale, turnover, culture and productivity. Candice is a sought after speaker and writer on the topics of leadership, teamwork, communication and conflict management and is a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). Candice holds a Master's degree in Counseling from San Diego State University, is a Certified Mediator of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and is a Board Certified Executive Coach. Bryan Barlow, CFI®, MBA, MJ is a Senior Instructor with Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, Inc. (WZ) where he focuses on trauma-informed interviewing, workplace investigations, evidence-based interviewing techniques and the law. He joined the Chicago Police Department (CPD) in 2002 and was promoted to Detective in 2008 where he conducted a wide variety of investigations around the city. In 2015 Bryan became an instructor for the CPD's Bureau of Detectives where he researched, wrote curriculum and delivered training to new officers, newly promoted detectives and department members on investigatory topics and methodologies. After retiring from the CPD in 2023, Bryan began conducting seminars as an instructor for WZ. Trying to gather information from traumatized individuals can be difficult, especially when regular information-gathering does not allow for a complete picture. The difficulty stems from the effect trauma has on the brain of a survivor. But interviewing in a victim-centered, trauma-informed manner allows for the best information available to aid in the conduct of a workplace investigation. Bryan holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Loyola University Chicago as well as a Master of Jurisprudence degree with a concentration in Criminal Law from DePaul University. In addition, he is a veteran of the U.S. Army. Nicole Ramirez is a Shareholder and Vice President of Employee Benefits at IMA Financial Group. With a decade of benefits consulting experience, Nicole works with companies made up of 50 to 1,500 employees where she creates long term cost savings strategies centered around employee education, benchmarking and demographic analysis. Nicole works closely with HR professionals to analyze their current plans and to identify their organizational coverage needs. She then leverages her relationships with underwriters to design terms and coverage for total rewards packages. Nicole bridges her knowledge, experience and creativity to help organizations maximize their employee value proposition to increase employee satisfaction and retention. Her clientele represents several industry sectors, including education, nonprofit, manufacturing and social services. Nicole sits on the Board for the National Human Resources Association as the Membership Chairperson. In addition she holds a leadership role with the Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA) as the Programs Chair. Nicole has a degree in journalism from California State University, Long Beach and served in the United States Air Force. Alexis Haselberger, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, RCC is a time-management, productivity and leadership coach. She spent the first 15 years of her career managing human resources and operations at several early-stage start-ups. Over that time Alexis developed and implemented numerous leadership and productivity systems as well as training programs to ensure that goals were met and that the companies thrived. Additionally, Alexis has worked at an HR outsourcing firm as an HR consultant to over 100 companies. Today, through her private practice, Alexis helps individuals and teams do more and stress less via coaching and corporate workshops on the issues of time-management, productivity and leadership. Her client list includes notables like Google, Upwork, Lyft, Silicon Valley Bank among many others. Alexis holds a BA from New York University and remains active in the Bay Area HR community. Amy Sanchez, MBA, PCC is an Executive Coach and Founder of Swim Against the Current, a leadership development firm dedicated to helping high-growth companies strengthen leadership and team effectiveness in preparation for market leadership, a high-value acquisition or an IPO. Amy is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation, and she holds an MBA from the University of Southern California. Over her two decades in leadership, she has worked with over 1,000 leaders from companies such as Google, Apple, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Bogle Family Vineyards and Stanford University as well as numerous growth-stage companies across a variety of industries. Amy's thought leadership has been featured in top-tier publications like Fast Company, Glassdoor, Authority Magazine, Thrive Global and The CEO Magazine. Cynthia Kassab is a Senior Financial and Underwriting Consultant located in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has 28 years of experience in employee benefits and underwriting. Cynthia is responsible for overseeing marketing, renewals and the technical aspects of client benefit programs. This includes financial analysis of complex group benefit accounts, strategically developing and retaining consultative partnerships, analyzing carrier data, developing comprehensive reports, working closely with benefit consultants, executing and monitoring comprehensive benefit plans to reflect client business and risk management goals, and advising clients on renewals and coverage products. In addition Cynthia has a solid track record in marketing, customer service and works successfully with business partners. Lorie Reichel-Howe is the Founder & Lead Trainer of Conversations in the Workplace as well as a professional mediator and a leadership communication coach. She equips managers, teams and business professionals to have “Safe Conversations” – transformative dialogue that uncovers hidden workplace issues. Whether addressing challenging team dynamics, mismanaged expectations, cultural insensitivity or good old-fashioned bad behavior, “Safe Conversations” foster greater innovation, inclusion and collaboration within organizations. With over 20 years of experience in communications, management and training and development, Lorie is passionate about supporting organizations in creating a culture where people love where they work and love the people they work with. Organizations Lorie has supported include Pinterest, SHRM, PIHRA, HR.com, Women in Technology International, Los Angeles Women’s Leadership Conference, Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, Santa Clara Superior Court, San Jose State University, Santa Clara County Office of Education among many others. Lorie received her B.A. from Seattle Pacific University and her mediation and conflict coaching certificate from Community Boards in San Francisco. In addition, Lorie has served as adjunct staff with Antioch University. Jenny Vonderwerth, SHRM-SCP, SPHR and PHRca is a Senior Benefits Advisor, HR Consultant and Community Leader at OneDigital. She brings decades of experience helping organizations across Northern California design and deliver high-impact, employee-centric benefits programs. Jenny offers a powerful blend of compliance expertise, strategic planning and operational excellence. Her approach is rooted in data-driven insights and population health management, enhanced by a passion for curating AI and emerging technologies to modernize business strategies. Jenny actively explores how artificial intelligence can personalize benefits offerings, streamline administration and elevate the employee experience - making her a forward-thinking advisor in today’s rapidly evolving workplace. She leads the Bay Area Human Resources Connections, an HR community founded in January 1997, and is a founding member of JobNet 2.0 - a modern, community-driven, peer-led initiative supporting HR professionals through in-person networking and career development. Jenny’s leadership, collaborative spirit, and commitment to innovation make her a trusted voice at the intersection of benefits, technology and human connection. James Palen is a Consultant at TIAA and a ScholarShare 529 representative. A firm believer that education is one of the most valuable treasures we can give to our future generations, James helps organizations to provide education and support for employees looking to save for education through the Scholarshare Workplace Savings Program. Increasingly employers have become interested in the growing need for their employees to support financial issues beyond the paycheck, including benefits, retirement savings and college savings. Doing so connects the company to the employee’s family, reduces employee financial stress and helps foster loyalty and retention. James works diligently with organizations of all sizes and industries to help their employees develop a grounding in financial wellness as well as tax efficient savings strategies and proper education planning. James has a strong background in comprehensive financial planning, but he is now wholly focused on education savings. James holds a degree in Financial Economics from the University of Maine. Fernando Duran is the HR Director for Scudder Roofing and Scudder Solar based in Marina, California. There he supports over 100 skilled employees who provide full-service roofing, roof repair, waterproofing, high-efficiency solar, energy storage solutions and home energy management systems. Fernando's HR experience began in the amusement park industry with Cedar Fair and continued as HR Manager for Child Development, Inc. helping lower-income families in Santa Clara County gain access to subsidized childcare. He has also built HR departments from scratch for organizations that previously lacked HR expertise. With a passion for training and development, as well as a desire to share his knowledge, Fernando likes to speak on leadership training and retention strategies. He is currently pursuing his Master's of Science Degree in Human Resources and is an active member of the Bay Area Human Resource Executives Council. In his free time Fernando volunteers at Rancho Cielo in Salinas, helping young people who are facing challenges with interviewing skills and preparing them for the workforce. Braden Albert is the Founder and President of the HR Star Conference and its parent company, Abbington Court Media. A graduate of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, Braden began organizing job fairs and trade shows in the mid-1990's. Intrigued by the idea of bringing people together for a shared, learning experience - and impressed by the impact such an experience can provide - Braden organized his first HR Star Conference in 1999. Today the scope of the HR Star Conference includes annual events in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Cleveland, Ohio where he is based. Over 1,700 HR professionals attended an HR Star Conference last year.