Developing HR Fundamentals - 3/3/2021 & 3/10/2021

Meet Tracy Burns, the CEO behind NEHRA since November 2010. Tracy left a two-decade-long corporate HR career, finding her perfect fit at NEHRA. In her role, she stays closely connected to the HR space, championing and developing those working to meet the challenges in today’s work environment.

Tracy believes in more than just steering the largest HR organization in New England; she sees it as a duty to consistently propel HR professionals forward. For her, that goes beyond making sure HR leaders have what they need to support their own organizations; it also includes providing them with a chance to focus on their own development within NEHRA.

Her passion for women's leadership led her to play a pivotal role in launching NEHRA's first Executive HR Women’s Program in 2017. Recognizing the impact COVID had on HR professionals, in 2022, she collaborated with local business leaders to unveil NEHRA’s groundbreaking Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace resource platform.

Tracy is the go-to expert on "all things workplace," often lending her insights to local and national media outlets. She's been featured on industry-related podcasts like The Hennessy Report, HR Rebooted, and Wellbeing Walks.

Beyond NEHRA, Tracy is an active member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and the American Society of Association Executive (ASAE). She's a supporter of fundraising efforts for The Children’s Place, serves on the Work Without Limits Business Advisory Council at UMass Medical School, and actively participates in Boston's DEI community.

Tracy’s HR journey started early, leading her to earn a degree in business/human resources from California State University and later a master’s degree in organizational development from Lesley University. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Tracy has called Greater Boston "home” since 1996. Besides being a certified yoga instructor, she cherishes quality time with friends and family, especially her two fabulous sons. Tracy Burns isn't just a CEO; she's a dedicated advocate for growth, wellbeing, and genuine human connections.

David is President of the Compensation & HR Group and is responsible for all consulting functions within the organization. He is the Author of the bestselling HR book Pay Matters: The Art and Science of Employee Compensation.

Prior to joining the Compensation & HR Group, David spent 20 years managing a human resources membership and consulting organization. He has also held positions with industry leaders Liberty Mutual, Honeywell and Hewlett-Packard as a corporate human resources professional. During this period, he gained essential hands-on experience in compensation program development, marketing and internal communications.

A graduate of The University of Massachusetts at Amherst, David has also made his mark in academia, having served as adjunct faculty member for both Northeastern University and Newbury College where he taught courses in Compensation Management and Human Resource Management. He also worked as an instructor for the certification courses at the Compensation Analyst Academy, WorldatWork and the Society for Human Resource Management.

Employers are subject to a tangle of federal, state, and even local laws. The enactment of new laws and new interpretations of existing laws can create uncertainty that all employers must grapple with. Tim helps employers navigate the ever-changing landscape, stay abreast of their compliance obligations, and identify areas of opportunity. He partners with clients to bring litigations to successful resolutions.

Tim represents management in a broad range of labor and employment matters, including defense of class and single-plaintiff actions and employment counseling.

Prior to joining Seyfarth, Tim spent two years as a judicial law clerk, first for the Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court, and then for the Honorable Eric Neyman of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Beyond honing his legal writing and analysis skills, Tim gained invaluable experience seeing dispositive motion practice, trial matters, and appellate arguments from the perspective of an impartial neutral. He brings these experiences to bear on behalf of employers.

Tim relishes working alongside Seyfarth attorneys who are not only top of their field, but are committed to providing clients with innovative and efficient solutions. Clients entrust him with their most complex and sensitive problems, and he takes pride in rewarding that trust with efficient, successful resolutions.

Employers have to be prepared to address harassment and discrimination in the workplace—and it can feel challenging to keep up with complex and evolving laws in these areas. This is where Emily comes in. Clients look to Emily for guidance when it comes to preventing workplace issues from blossoming into litigation—and for effective leadership in litigation when faced with a lawsuit.

Prior to becoming an attorney, Emily worked in higher education for eight years in LGBTQ student life, general student conduct, and Title IX. She is equipped with the tools to make quick, sound judgment calls when faced with challenging, sensitive concerns.

Emily’s professional background working in sexual and gender-based harassment education, prevention, and response coupled with her educational background in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Theological Studies gives her a competitive edge when it comes to addressing some of the most sensitive challenges that can arise for employers.

Emily loves counseling clients on how to navigate identity-based questions and concerns that arise in the workplace. She has extensive experience educating others in the realms of sexual and gender-based harassment prevention and response and best practices for creating inclusive workplaces for LGBTQ people. She thoroughly enjoys collaborating with clients to devise litigation strategies and then bringing those strategies to life.

Gina Abudi: As President of Abudi Consulting Group, LLC, a woman-owned business, Gina utilizes her 25+ years of consulting, coaching and executive leadership experience to work closely with executives and Boards of Directors of mid- to large global organizations to lead and support strategic, transformational change initiatives. Her work is focused on coaching leaders on change, providing consulting services and offering training programs related to leading and championing/supporting change.

Gina is active with the Northeast Human Resource Association (NEHRA), frequently contributing to programs for developing HR Professionals and at conferences. She’s also adjunct faculty at several college and university undergraduate and graduate programs and is active with the Association of Change Management Professionals.