Tim Mulligan serves Vulcan Inc, in Seattle, managing a staff of over 25 employees who fulfill employment needs for the organization, develop benefits packages for its very diverse group of employees and handle organizational and strategic challenges that occur in a very unique workplace.  Mulligan received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration from Washington State University in 1990 before receiving his Juris Doctorate from Gonzaga University School of Law in 1994.  He has extensive experience in human resources legal issues having practiced labor and employment law from 1995 – 1998.  Prior to joining Vulcan, Mulligan served as Chief Human Resources Officer for San Diego Zoo Global from 2004 – 2017, and previously spent several years in various Human Resources leadership positions with Starwood Hotels & Resorts.  Mulligan just recently joined Vulcan Inc. in early 2017.

Heather Parnell is a Total Rewards professional whose HR career started almost by accident in a benefits call center in the late 1990s.  She's had a variety of Benefits, Compensation and Rewards management roles since then, where she's been able to focus on the design and delivery of effective, value-added programs and the promotion of genuine understanding when it comes to what employees get in exchange for their time, talent and effort at work. 

 Originally from Wallkill, NY, she holds a Bachelor of Music degree from George Mason University as well as an MBA from Marymount University.  She enjoys being outside whenever possible, reading a good book, or doing simple crafts that do not involve sand or glitter.  She's also a lifetime Girl Scout, Army wife, Mom of 3, proud owner of 2 shelter dogs, 2nd grade Catechist, and first-time SHRM speaker.  

Rick Ridgeway is Patagonia’s Vice President of Public Engagement and represents and promotes the company’s core values with external stakeholders.  In this role, he is one of Patagonia’s key spokespersons in all its global markets. During his 12-year tenure at the company he has worked with teams to develop and launch environmental and sustainability initiatives within the company, including Freedom to Roam, the Footprint Chronicles, the Responsible Economy Campaign and Worn Wear.  He also was founding chairman of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, today the largest apparel, footwear and home textile trade organization in the world.

In addition, Rick is recognized as one of the world’s foremost mountaineers.  With three companions, he was the first American to summit K2, considered the hardest of the world’s high-altitude mountain to climb, and he has done other significant climbs and explorations on all continents including the first direct coast-to-coast traverse of Borneo and a traverse of the Tibet’s Chang Tang plateau on a route never explored. His magazine articles have appeared in National Geographic and Harvard Business Review, and he is the author of six books, including Seven Summits, The Shadow of Kilimanjaro and Below Another Sky.  National Geographic honored him with its “Lifetime Achievement in Adventure” award.   He serves on the boards of Conservacion Patagonica and the Turtle Conservancy, and is on the Advisory Boards of World Wildlife Fund, Unilever USA, and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. 

Elise Freedman is a Director specializing in Talent Management in the Washington, D.C. market of Willis Towers Watson as well as the Mid-Atlantic Line of Business Leader for RTC. For over twenty five years, Elise has worked with clients to align their talent management processes with their business strategy to drive engagement and business results. Prior to Willis Towers Watson, Elise also held a number of senior roles at Accenture, BearingPoint, and Novations where she developed a broad base of talent management, change management, human resources and project management skills and expertise. 

Elise is certified and/or has utilized a number of assessments including Saville, Facet5, various 360 Degree Assessment tools, DISC, MBTI and Hogan. She frequently speaks and writes on a number of human resources topics including performance management, succession planning, career development, leadership development, learning and development, talent acquisition and onboarding.  She has presented at conferences for Society of Human Resources, American Society of Training and Development, IHRIM, Linkage, World at Work, and Bersin. 

Elise holds a Master of Business Administration degree from George Mason University with a concentration in Management and Marketing.  She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Tulane University. 

Scott Christopher (M.S.HRM, UCONN) is author of the best-selling People People, The Levity Effect and a fixture on SHRM Top-Rated Speakers Lists.

As a work culture and leadership consultant, Scott has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, Fox Business Channel, CNBC, National Public Radio, BBC and has been quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, New York Post, Newsweek, Economist magazine, Ladies Home Journal and many other publications. 

In his rare spare time Scott is a professional film and television actor (Modern Family, Criminal Minds, Granite Flats)