NEHRA's Virtual Talent Summit - February 11 & 18, 2021

Jason is Managing Partner of BANKW Staffing, LLC and its portfolio companies Alexander Technology Group, KBW Financial Staffing & Recruiting, The Nagler Group, Sales Search Partners and KNF&T Staffing Resources. BANKW companies were represented in the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 Inc. 5000 lists. His passion for client service and dedication to the local community have resulted in rapid growth and multiple awards for his businesses in recent years. Jason was named by Business NH Magazine as one of the state’s top 25 leaders for the future and was a past recipient of the New Hampshire Business Review’s Business Excellence Award. Prior to co-founding Alexander Technology Group and BANKW Staffing, LLC, Jason held management and director roles for multiple international services, staffing, and software companies.

Jason also serves as a director, advisor, or trustee on the boards of local organizations such as the New Hampshire High Technology Council, NHTI, Granite State College, and Pinkerton Academy. He speaks frequently at college campuses and professional events throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts. His specialties include talent acquisition and recruiting, entrepreneurship, networking, public speaking, and career development coaching.

Human Resources professional with over 30 years experience in the learning and organizational development field. Specializing in HR strategy, change management, leadership development, organizational/strategic planning and facilitation.

Strong leadership and managerial skills, with experience leading large teams of professionals.

Experience in both the private and non-profit sectors.

Specialties: Talent management, organizational consulting, facilitation, instructional design, program delivery, project management 

Experienced Talent Management professional with an extensive history in the financial and consumer services industries. Enterprise-wide, Service, Sales, Operations, and internal and external client organizations.

Scott is the Managing Partner of the Boston, Massachusetts office of Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, and a Managing Director of Fragomen Immigration Services India Pvt., Ltd.

He has practiced exclusively in the field of corporate immigration and nationality law for more than 25 years. Scott provides multinational corporations, including leading e-commerce and technology companies as well as financial and educational institutions, with strategic counseling on all matters of U.S. immigration and nationality law, regulation, policy and compliance. 

Scott is a Board Member of the American Immigration Council, the British American Business Council of New England, and the Council for Emerging National Security Affairs. 

Scott provides pro bono immigration advocacy to Project Citizenship, a nonprofit agency that helps immigrants apply for U.S. citizenship, and Partners in Health, a Harvard-affiliated world health nonprofit organization. 

Aaron Green is a recognized authority on staffing, recruiting, and retention. Aaron founded the temporary and direct-hire staffing firm Professional Staffing Group ("PSG") fourteen years ago and has achieved many successes, including steady growth, recognition as one of Boston’s Best Places to Work and awards for customer loyalty from recognized customer service firms. PSG’s customer and employee loyalty program was honored with Staffing Industry Review’s Gold Award for having the best loyalty program in the industry and with a Best in Staffing award from the Inavero Institute, a customer loyalty research organization. PSG was the only local staffing firm in Massachusetts to be named the Best in Staffing by Inverno, an honor achieved by less than one percent of all staffing firms in the country. Each year PSG puts more than 5,000 people to work in the fields of Office Support, Creative, Technical and Finance.

Green currently serves as Vice Chairman of the American Staffing Association (ASA). The American Staffing Association is the national trade organization for the industry and represents 85% of the staffing business in this country. Aaron's involvement in the ASA provides him with immediate access to new developments and best practices in employment. Aaron is also a member of the Northeast Human Resources Association (NEHRA) and co-chair of NEHRA's diversity scholarship committee. Aaron is also the founder of PSG Global Solutions, which provides offshore recruiting solutions to staffing firms and HR departments. Prior to establishing PSG, Aaron founded a successful executive search firm in Boston. Aaron is a lifelong Boston-area resident, having grown up in Sharon and graduated from Tufts University.

Melissa James is the Strategic Partnerships Lead at IBIS. Over the past 10 years, she has successfully helped early stage companies grow revenue and scale their internal capacity. She is a seasoned HR professional with experience in strategic partnership development, a passion for increasing diversity and inclusion, and a proven strategist for effective diversity recruitment initiatives.

Melissa is also the author of  “When Are You Going To Get A Real Career: A Guide to Designing a Career You Would Be Proud Of!”,  a roadmap for millennials starting out in their career and experienced executives crafting their next move. Shared stories and experiences provide insightful knowledge and steps for anyone navigating different aspects of their career.

She is also the recipient of the U.S. Presidential Service Award, the UMass Distinguished Young Alumni Award, and the 2015 Pursuer Award from the African Youth Excellence organization for her relentless commitment to the community. Born and raised in Boston, Melissa graduated with honors from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a bachelors in journalism and legal studies. In 2019, Melissa was presented with the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Pine Manor College.

A retired military officer with over 24 years of service in both the U.S. Air Force and Army special operations communities, he has led some of our Nation’s most elite counter-terrorism forces during combat operations in Panama, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Bob is the owner and CEO of Signal 88 of New England, providing a full-suite of world-class and industry-leading security services for residential, commercial, retail and institutional customers. An accomplished communicator, Bob’s articles have been published in newspapers and journals nationwide and he is a regular analyst on television and radio stations across the country, providing expert commentary on America’s national security issues. He holds a B.S. in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Masters-in-Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Committed HR professional, partnering with senior business leaders and employees to align people strategy with business goals; fosters a “culture of care” and creates positive employee engagement through open communication, coaching and consulting. Thrives in rapid-change, high growth environment. Specialties include: Employee Relations, Coaching, Change Management, On-boarding, Training & Development, Compensation and Benefits Implementation. 

George has 25 years’ experience practicing in the field of U.S. immigration and nationality law. He advises diverse U.S. and multinational companies seeking to hire foreign professionals, scientists, business persons and artists and represents them in all procedures to obtain temporary or permanent immigration status before relevant U.S. government agencies.  

In Fragomen‘s Boston office, George manages a team of associate attorneys, paralegals and client service professionals working with clients in a wide variety of industries including technology, manufacturing, retail, finance, consulting services, academia and non-profit, of all sizes, ranging from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies.

In addition to providing immigration representation and account management services to corporate clients, George has extensive experience advising companies on immigration-related compliance, including representing clients in government investigations, and in assisting clients in Congressional advocacy for H-1B and H-2B visa programs.

Shilpa Pherwani, the principal of IBIS and a leading expert in diversity and inclusion, has been guiding global organizations for over 12 years on leveraging diversity as a business advantage. An organizational psychologist by training, she partners with organizations to effect sustainable organizational change by conducting cultural assessments, developing comprehensive strategic diversity action plans, and designing compelling and interactive classroom-based and online training.

Shilpa collaborates with key stakeholders to strategically plan, implement, and measure diversity initiatives. Shilpa has worked with global organizations to guide management and executives on being effective across cultural and geographical boundaries. She delivers outcome driven and systemic consultation to diversity committees, senior members of HR and business leaders. Shilpa’s clients include Aetna, Barclaycard US, Boeing, Campbell Soup, Framingham State University, Grainger, Genzyme, Microsoft, Nestle, Progress Software, Sun Life Financial, State Street Bank, Texas Health Resources, Thrivent Financial of Lutherans, Tredegar Corporation, and Williams Sonoma.

Shilpa Pherwani graduated from Kanpur University (India). She received her Master’s from Springfield College in Industrial/Organizational Psychology where her focus was on Organizational Development.

As President and owner of ClearRock, Laura guides the strategic direction, evolution and growth of ClearRock’s three practice areas. She values the unique strengths of each member of her team and cultivates an environment of inclusivity, collaboration and transparency. Laura continues to strengthen ClearRock’s unparalleled reputation by remaining focused on delivery excellence, implementing infrastructure and expanding capabilities that allow ClearRock to grow, while remaining high-touch and relationship-focused. Laura has an unwavering belief that the cornerstone of success in business and in life is human connection.

With over 20 years of experience in talent management and talent acquisition, Laura is a trusted advisor to leaders across many industries as they navigate sensitive and complex business challenges. She is a sounding board and thoughtful listener who understands the needs of her clients, thereby employing an integrated approach that respects both the individual and the organization. Whether the goal is to improve hiring outcomes, manage staff reductions, build leadership capabilities or handle employee separations with care, Laura is a true partner in creating positive outcomes and optimizing talent.

Anne is an Associate at Fragomen’s Boston office, where she counsels clients on a variety of employment-based visa categories.

Anne has experience representing foreign nationals and employers in a range of immigrant and nonimmigrant matters, including H, L, O, TN, J, K and E filings and all stages of the PERM process. She applies her legal research and writing skills to develop and implement strategies to solve complex immigration issues for clients.

Anne also has experience drafting legal briefs and assisting clients with other complex processes, such as responses to Requests for Evidence, Notices of Intent to Deny, PERM audits and Motions for Reconsideration.

Anne has provided pro bono legal services through Catholic Charities.

She speaks English and Spanish.

Piper Sheer directs the activities of AEW's Human Resources Group. She has more than 27 years of broad-based human resources experience. Prior to joining AEW in April 2018, Ms. Sheer served as the Managing Director for the Global Human Resources Group at State Street Bank. Prior to that, she spent 15 years in Human Resources at IDG. Ms. Sheer is a graduate of University of Vermont (B.A.).

Melissa’s position at Hays Companies draws on her career as a registered nurse, during which time she has actively been involved in developing and overseeing case management, utilization review, quality assurance/improvement, and disease management strategies for insurance plans, vendors, and employers. Melissa is a patient advocate who has created win-win solutions for groups and employees, balancing the needs of the individual with the fiscal responsibilities of the group. In her role at Hays Companies, Melissa partners with employers to understand the impact of health on their productivity, absenteeism, health plan costs, and ultimately profitability. She works with clients in strategically designing and implementing health related programs to support individual health and well-being as well as organizational growth and development. 

Jennifer Voss is the Managing Director of FlexProfessionals, a niche recruiting and staffing service, specializing in part-time and full-time-flex professionals. She oversees all Boston operations, including business development, sales, account management, and recruiting. During her nearly 4 years in this role, Jennifer lead the Boston team in year-over-year 3-digit growth, a key contributor to the company's winning a spot on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list for the 4th year in a row.

Prior to FlexProfessionals, Jennifer was General Manager, New Markets at reacHIRE, spearheading growth into new markets. There, she initiated sales to several large Fortune 500 corporations. Prior to this, Jennifer filled a key role at Veritude, a Fidelity-owned staffing firm, focused on making sure the company was aware of, reacted to and anticipated the ongoing changes in the temporary staffing business. 

Overall, Jennifer has more than fifteen years experience in the staffing and consulting industries, specializing in business growth, entrepreneurial marketing, and sales. Jennifer graduated from Williams College with a BA in Economics and received her MBA from Harvard Business School. She lives outside of Boston with her husband and two children. An active member of the community, Jennifer has held leadership positions in her children’s school PTAs, Minuteman National Park and several Harvard Business School alumni organizations.

Michelle Waters-Ekanem is the Director of Diversity and Civil Rights for the Department of Environmental Protection [MassDEP] in Boston, MA. MassDEP is the state agency responsible for safeguarding the environment through research, policy, compliance, enforcement, and public participation. Ms. Waters-Ekanem is responsible for Governor Charles Baker’s equal opportunity mandate, Executive Order 529.

Michelle’s experience includes working with protected group members based on disability, race, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, and religion.  Through this experience, she utilizes an inclusive process that has assisted in increasing hiring opportunities for diverse applicants and challenging to fill positions.

Michelle’s expertise includes strategic planning, coaching, organizational assessments, facilitation, cultural competency, mediation, and investigations.  She also manages MassDEP’s Internship Program to equally accommodate internships for women and men of different backgrounds, and to assist with succession planning.

Ms. Waters-Ekanem is the recipient of many awards of distinction, including the Massachusetts Equity Award, the Dow Landrum Award for legal services to underrepresented groups, the National Lawyers Guild Award, and the Diversity Coalition Award. In her diversity work, she commonly says: “You have to do more than offer a seat at the table. Making sure that everyone is included at the table is the true art of cultural dining.”

Michael has spent the past two decades working with leaders, both corporate and public, as they transition to new roles, negotiate the future of their organizations, and craft their legacy as leaders. A recognized expert in his field, he ranked among Thinkers50’s top fifty management influencers globally in 2019. He is the author of the international bestseller The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, the globally acknowledged handbook for leadership and career transitions, which recently earned the accolade of Amazon’s Top 100 Leadership Books. He is Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change Management at the IMD Business School in Switzerland and previously served on the faculty at INSEAD and Harvard University, where he earned his PhD in Decision Sciences.

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.

Kerry Unflat is the Chief People Officer at Zipari, a Consumer Experience Platform built specifically for health insurance. Previously, Kerry served as Chief Human Resources Officer at HealthcareSource, where she transformed their human capital function and developed people infrastructure to support business operations and prepare the organization for future growth. She also led the human resources operations for a major media organization with more than 1,000 employees and has overseen HR, administrative, and finance functions for the Harvard University Police Department. 

In her two decades of HR experience, Kerry has developed and improved talent acquisition and retention processes, crafted new employee orientation programs, implemented HR solutions for leadership to improve operations, and developed compensation strategies and organizational philosophies, among other achievements