An HR practitioner for over 25 years, Michael VanDervort specializes in creating thriving workplaces driven by positive associate relations.

Michael is the Executive Director of CUE Inc., a non-profit, member run organization dedicated to assisting companies in the creation and maintenance of positive working environments.  Before joining CUE, Michael was the Manager, Labor Relations for Publix Super Markets, based in Lakeland, Florida.  Michael is also a volunteer leader for the Society of Human Resources Management, currently serving a term on their Special Expertise panel on Labor Relations.

An accomplished social media user, Michael was responsible for implementing the initial social media efforts at one of the largest grocery retailers in North America.  Michael was recently chosen for the 6^th time to serve as part of the blogging and social media team for the SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition.

As a measurement strategist, Whitney’s passion and expertise lies in the field of surveys and assessments. A self-professed “data nerd,” Whitney has a Master’s degree in the area of Human Resources Measurement and Evaluation and has conducted extensive research on the predictive validity of various hiring assessment strategies.

Whitney has been a highly rated speaker at several National HR Conferences and has authored articles on assessments for several books and publications, including Harvard Business Review. She is a member of the Society for Industrial & Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and has two decades of experience working in the assessment industry.

Lester S. Rosen is an attorney at law  and CEO of Employment Screening Resources (ESR), a national background screening company.  He is a consultant, writer, expert witness  and frequent presenter nationwide on pre-employment screening. He is the author of “The Safe Hiring Manual,” (3d Edition 2017/826 pages), the first comprehensive book on background screening.  He served as the chairperson of the steering committee that founded the Professional Background Screeners Association (PBSA),  served as its first co-chair and received the PBSA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. 

Paul Falcone (PaulFalconeHR.com) is principal of Paul Falcone Workplace Leadership Consulting, LLC, specializing in management & leadership training, executive coaching, international keynote speaking, and HR advisory services. He is the former CHRO of Nickelodeon Animation and has held senior-level HR positions with Paramount Pictures, Time Warner, and City of Hope. He has extensive experience in entertainment, healthcare/biotech, and financial services, including in international, nonprofit, and union environments.

Paul is a long-term columnist for SHRM, a certified executive coach, a board member of the American Management Association, and a bestselling author of 17 books published by HarperCollins Leadership, the American Management Association, and SHRM.