NEW ORLEANS MARRIOTT
NEW ORLEANS, LA
APRIL 2-5, 2023
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NEW ORLEANS MARRIOTT
NEW ORLEANS, LA
APRIL 2-5, 2023
Monday • April 3, 2023
10:30 AM -
11:30 AM
Salon A-C
Finding and keeping great employees is one of the most important aspects for the service industry. But what if things go wrong? Join this session and you will learn:
As a first-generation HVAC guy, Aaron Ruddick started with no industry knowledge, experience, or vision of what was instore for the future. Aaron found a home with a small family-owned company. In 2001 along with his 2 brothers, Aaron launched Reliable Comfort Heating and Air Conditioning and the future was set. Over the past 20 years through the highs and lows and a dedication to reading, learning, and applying best practices Aaron and his brothers built a company that was based on service, dedicated to excellence, and focused on teamwork. Aaron is married to the Wonderful Angie and has 4 girls. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, outdoors, live theater and sports.
Monday • April 3, 2023
10:30 AM -
11:30 AM
Balcony I-K
HVAC professionals pride themselves on delivering great value to their customers. But most companies rely on hope and lack the insight into how the system is performing. This session dives into the value of procedures and technical feedback tools that can change hope into proof.
Join this session to learn:
• How to confirm your team’s efforts and that the newly installed systems are performing.
• How to use third-party verified data to prove your value to the customer.
• How to boost customer satisfaction and revenue.
Wes Davis serves as the Director of Technical Services for the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, supervising the contractor accreditation program. He wrote Bob’s House and served as committee secretary on three ANSI-recognized standards Before joining ACCA, Wes was a licensed HVAC contractor in Hilton Head, South Carolina and served in the US Army.
Jim Bergman is the president of measureQuick and Manifold Cloud Systems. He has over 40 years’ experience in the HVAC industry as a technician, instructor, company owner, salesperson, technical writer, and design engineer.
“I have spent my career creating and sustaining both a vision and long-term goals in each job, project, or product that I have worked on. Team building, passion, relentless will, and a unique set of life experiences have been the key to achieving my goals and to inspiring smart people to do fantastic things.”
Monday • April 3, 2023
10:30 AM -
11:30 AM
Balcony L-N
Often misunderstood and the current drivers behind the Great Resignation, the Gen-Z’s (Ages 25 and under) have expectations in the workplace that are value-driven and aligned with their personal morals. This session will help you:
Derrek Hofrichter brings his experience as a business owner, communications professional, and athlete into his coaching and training. Having founded and grown a successful fitness coaching business, he understands how to inspire and motivate teams to reach their goals. A frequent public speaker, his coaching and training style reflects this communications background by his ability to break things down into easily understood pieces and bring new insight into topics.
Monday • April 3, 2023
1:15 PM -
2:15 PM
Salon A-C
Contractors rave about ACCA’s MIX Group® Program and how it has transformed the profitability and efficiency of their companies. Would it help you to connect with other non-competing contractors to share ideas, best practices and seek recommendations? In this session you will:
Learn the value of MIX Groups®
Learn the preparation you need to do before joining a group
Hear what to expect in a group, including some of the most popular activities groups engage in and areas they focus on
After attending this session, be sure to attend the ACCA MIX Group® MIXer, sponsored by Heartland Home Services, later in the evening where you can meet with MIX Group® members and potentially join or form a group.
Matt Grizzard is ACCA’s Director of Membership and MIX Group Coordinator. He is by nature an ‘arranger’ and passionate about helping others connect and grow. He has over 20 years of trade association experience and more than ten years facilitating peer groups like ACCA MIX Groups®. He started his career as the manager of an independently owned True Value Hardware store where he developed his love for the trades.
Monday • April 3, 2023
1:15 PM -
2:15 PM
Balcony L-N
Years of declining job applicants has led to creative solutions. Business must creatively overcome the great resignation, record low unemployment, and more. In this session, you will learn:
Branka Minic is the CEO of Building Talent Foundation (BTF). Prior to her executive role at BTF, she was the president of Future Work Consulting, advising donors and global entities on the latest research, best practices and policies for addressing youth unemployment. Branka has spent her career as an expert in the staffing industry, developing and her research deals with best practices to reduce youth unemployment, and specifically the protocols for implementing successful workplace mentoring and apprenticeship programs.
Joe Strada, owner of Strada Electric & Security, began working at the young age of 14. Joe never attended college, but all of his life he dedicated himself to his trade and providing high-quality customer service. Joe began developing his commitment to excellence at the age of 19. In 2003, he co-founded the company known today as Strada Services. From hard work and teamwork, Joe Strada has successfully transformed Strada Electric into a company that has provided over 10 years of electrical service to the state of Florida.
Monday • April 3, 2023
1:15 PM -
2:15 PM
Balcony I-K
The employment market is changing towards more of a life/work balance where time to enjoy life outside of work features heavily. If you are not adapting to offering what the younger market desires, then you will be left behind. Younger owners are leading the charge for change. In this session, you will learn:
For Scott Nelson Jr., business and family have always been linked. He and his father, Scott Nelson, run not one but two Allenhurst-based ventures together: Oceanside Service, an HVAC company, and Air Doctors, which specializes in air duct cleaning. The duo’s longstanding success as partners stems from a mutual ability to keep business and personal life separate.
Scott Nelson is the President of Oceanside Service, Inc. in Allenhurst, NJ. He is also a volunteer fireman. In his free time, he enjoys working on classic cars and spending quality time with his wife and three adult children.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
7:15 AM -
6:00 PM
Foyer
This is where you can always find us. Register, ask questions about ACCA and member services, meet up with other contractors, select your ACCA swag, and more! Gold and Silver members can enjoy a lounge and even more!
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
7:30 AM -
8:30 AM
Balcony I-K
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
7:30 AM -
8:30 AM
Balcony L-N
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
7:30 AM -
8:30 AM
Iberville
Lend your voice to this committee as it delivers the products and services that ACCA offers our members through numerous sources, including internet sales, online training, training and education downloads, and anything else that provides value to membership.
Open to all ACCA Contractors.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
8:45 AM -
9:45 AM
Mardi Gras Ballroom
This popular session returns as ACCA welcomes top manufacturing industry leaders for an interactive discussion of current events affecting manufacturers and the HVACR supply chain. Leading manufacturer representatives join ACCA for a live Q&A session where contractors can ask key questions and address industry representatives directly.
Kyle Gargaro, Moderator
Editor-in-Chief
ACHR News
Kyle Gargaro is the Managing Editor for the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration NEWS. Before that, Kyle was the News and Legislation Editor with the NEWS.
Kyle graduated from Central Michigan University in the spring of 1999 with a major in journalism and a minor in communications. He joined the Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration NEWS (located in Troy, Michigan) in October of 2004 as the News and Legislation Editor. After a year with the NEWS, Kyle took the position of Managing Editor. Before joining the ACHR NEWS, he was Editor-in-Chief of The Clarkston News, a newspaper in metro Detroit.
Director, Product Management & Training
Carrier
Braden Cook serves as the Director, Product Management and Training, Residential HVAC at Carrier. Braden directs the product marketing and lifecycle management for residential heating, cooling, ductless, and VRF products, with a focus on launches in support of 2023 regulatory compliance.
Braden joined Carrier in 2015 as Product Manager for 80% Gas Furnaces and Oil Furnaces. Since 2017, he has held the position of Heating Platform Leader with a primary focus on Fan Energy Rating (FER) and Ultra Low NOx gas furnace launches.
Braden holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Indianapolis and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Purdue University. Braden and his wife, Brittney, live in Westfield, Indiana, and have a two-year-old son and twins, a boy and girl.
Senior Vice President, Environmental Business Development and Program Management Office
Daikin Comfort Technologies
Nathan Walker joined Daikin Comfort Technologies (previously Goodman Manufacturing) in 2002 as a Senior Design Engineer before joining the Marketing and Business Development team and working his way up to Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing and CEO Staff before transitioning to his current position as Senior Vice President of Environmental Business Development and Program Management Office.
Nathan received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville, TN) and a Master of Business Administration at the University of Texas (Austin, TX). Nathan was born and raised in Tennessee, but has been in the Houston, Texas area for the last twenty years. He has been married to Brandy Walker for 23 years, and they have four children ages 19, 17, 14, and 12. Nathan enjoys golf and other outdoor activities.
VP/GM – Commercial HVAC Products
Emerson Commercial & Residential Solutions
Mark Bills is the VP/GM – Commercial HVAC Products at Emerson Commercial & Residential Services. In this role, Mark leads product strategy, engineering development, life cycle management, and channel engagement strategies for the North American Commercial HVAC market segment along with the responsibility of coordinating Emerson’s Commercial HVAC compressor strategies across all World Areas.
Since joining Emerson in 2000, he has held positions of increasing responsibility in the areas of new product engineering, product management, marketing, and sales across Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. In addition to his experience over a broad range of business disciplines, Mark has held strategic leadership positions in North American and Asia Pacific, being based in Hong Kong for four years. Most of his career has been focused on compression and sub-system solutions, but he has also led a team focused on IOT solutions and applications in the North American Cold Chain space.
Mark graduated from the University of Toledo with a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering and later continued his education at the University of Dayton where he obtained a Master’s in Business Administration. He currently sits on the AHRI Leadership Council for the Applied Sector and is a Board member of the Geothermal Exchange.
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
Johnson Controls
Brandon Franks oversees the sales related to residential and commercial, along with the distributor marketing programs for Johnson Controls’ Global Products division. He has over 22 years of HVAC experience and has served in multiple capacities, including territory sales, product management, and national accounts.
Sales Manager Performance Construction
Mitsubishi Electric Cooling and Heating
Chad Gillespie has more than 30 years of experience in the building industry. His experience and knowledge stems from a diverse background including wholesale distribution management, manufacturing, and as a builder.
Chad leads the Performance Construction team, a business development group focusing on driving the adoption of high-performance heat pumps in the new construction space. His team works with builders, architects, and industry professionals to realize the importance of proper HVAC design and sustainable building practices to support the responsible transition to an all-electric built environment. Chad and his team promote a holistic approach supporting advanced code adoption, higher builder standards, and training to support the rapidly changing building industry to better serve the needs of the consumer, and builders, while maintaining a focus on sustainability.
Vice President for Residential Business Development
Rheem Manufacturing
For over a quarter of a century, Randy Roberts has played an active and integral role growing and positioning Rheem’s U.S. Air Conditioning Division for long-term success.
Since 1997, Randy has worked closely with Rheem contractors and distribution partners, helping them succeed and grow their business while also strengthening Rheem’s culture, strategy, and customer and consumer partner engagement. Randy currently oversees Rheem’s Residential Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, and Product Development efforts.
Randy is an alumnus of the University of Alabama earning his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1993, as well as an Executive MBA in 2012. He has served as a board member and President of the Birmingham Golf Association (BGA), where he has been instrumental in Junior Golfer development in the greater Birmingham community. In addition, Randy is also a deacon and active member of Mountain Brook Baptist Church. When not working, Randy enjoys playing golf and pickleball, and watching college sports.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
10:00 AM -
11:00 AM
Salon A-C
Our nation’s veterans sacrifice their youth for this country. When they are ready to enter the civilian workforce, they are often vulnerable to joblessness and homelessness. This session with Anthony and Bill will show you a highly successful new program that:
Sponsored by Trane.
Anthony Maynor has spent his entire career, since before graduating from high school, working in the heating & air conditioning industry. Since then, he has owned and operated a successful HVAC business for 20+ years, receiving multiple industry awards and accreditations.
He has a degree in Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology from Wake Technical Community College.
Anthony has been actively teaching heating and air conditioning certification and continuing education classes through the local community college, HVAC distributors, the U.S. military and state & national contractor trade associations to those in the HVAC service, installation, and inspections fields since 2006.
Bill Timberlake’s career has encompassed project management, facilities maintenance and shipboard power-plant experience. During his 24-year career military service with the U.S. Navy, Bill served in various roles including direct responsibility for Presidential Infrastructure Program construction/renovation projects.
Most recently, Bill was a full-time instructor of Heating & Cooling (HVAC Technology) for 7 years at Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh where he taught numerous classes within the 2-year program.
Bill is also the owner of William Timberlake Residential Engineering that specializes in Residential HVAC Designs to include full compliance of ACCA Manual J, S & D procedures.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
10:00 AM -
11:00 AM
Balcony L-N
What would happen if a valuable team member was gone today? Are you creating the positions for the right people or trying to fit people into preconceived positions? Ultimately – the way define your business shows intrinsic value and compensation where it matters most. In this session, you will learn:
Josh Vanderplate is the CEO & Continuous Improvement Officer at Vertex Mechanical. He is a Certified Working Genius Facilitator, Executive Leadership Mentor, and Strategic Team Developer with a certificate in Executive Leadership from Cornell University. Josh has facilitated significant business transitions and growth through enabling leaders to activate and implement a culture of honor and improvement that most business owners only dream of experiencing. He has led companies in General Contracting as well as HVACR industries.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
10:00 AM -
11:00 AM
Balcony I-K
Consumer buying behavior changes as generations age, technology advances, and macrotrends make their influence known (e.g., covid). With a world wide web of knowledge at their fingertips, homeowners don’t lack information on new products or your social reputation. Beyond their desire for a lower cost solution and a contractor they can trust, what other factors will drive their purchasing decisions in the coming year? In this session we will:
As the founder of nonprofit and for-profit businesses, Cynthia Adams’ focus has consistently been on growing the cleantech industry. She’s raised grant and investor funding, developed product from the first discovery interview to sale, hired great teams to execute on the vision, and won a leadership award at a national conference. Her passion and focus is on growing Pearl Certification, a company she co-founded that is changing the way people improve and sell homes.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
11:15 AM -
12:30 PM
Mardi Gras Ballroom
Join recent ACCA awards winners, some of the industry’s best contractors, for roundtable discussions on a variety of topics. Come prepared with questions and your own ideas. Pick their brains and learn how they took old and new problems, generated ideas to address them, and then introduced profitable solutions. They may lead the table, but YOU lead the discussion.
Sponsored by Federated Insurance.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
12:45 PM -
1:45 PM
Salon A-C
Heat pumps offer a clear path to using “clean” energy, such as renewable energy. The recent Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has plans to incentivize heat pump installations and there are other legislative efforts under development to incentivize manufacturers to produce more heat pumps. However, there are many factors that need to be considered. Join us as Codes & Coffee goes live to discuss issues like:
ACCA Team Members David Bixby & Ed Janowiak will co-present.
Manny Chaves has owned an HVAC business for 45 years. Married to Octavia Chaves for 44 years with two children and four grandchildren, Manny is a US Navy Veteran Graduate of Northeast Institute of Industrial Technology in Boston.
He is currently Chairman of the ACCA Codes Sub-Committee and the longest serving Board member of the Air Conditioning Association of New England (20+ years).
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
12:45 PM -
1:45 PM
Balcony I-K
Every contractor wants, or should want, a strong risk management culture. The foundation of this culture is leadership driving results within the organization. In this discussion you will learn:
Stewart Van Duzer is a first vice president and director of special projects – risk management at Federated Mutual Insurance Company. He attended Maryville College (Tennessee), and graduated in 1983 with a business degree. He was promoted up the ranks of marketing leadership. Stewart is a past chair of the Commercial Lines Team (CLT), Promotion and Implementation Team (PIT), and Product and Pricing Team.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
12:45 PM -
1:45 PM
Balcony L-N
Discover how heating and air conditioning contractors can tap into a little-known government program to gain access to free money from the government. This is not a loan or grant, but simply a rebate of payroll taxes. While unknown to most HVAC contractors, this tax rebate program is designed to reward HVAC contractors financially for maintaining their employees. In this session you will learn:
Brian Anderson is the COO of ERTC.com, the nation’s largest ERTC company. Brian began his career in corporate America, eventually walking away to embrace full-time entrepreneurship. As a serial entrepreneur, he has focused extensively on supporting heating and cooling contractors across the United States with business and financial strategies to grow revenues and increase profits.
Anderson Air LLC is owned and operated by Sean and Dana Anderson. Sean Anderson is a native of Pensacola, FL, having graduated from Escambia High School before serving two tours of duty in the US Army and also graduating from The Florida State University. Anderson Air is a Bryant Factory authorized dealer serving Escambia and Santa Rosa County Florida.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
2:00 PM -
3:00 PM
Salon A-C
Networking is both an art and a skill. But why is it so important? Join Matt and Ben as they help you understand how and why to make connections. In this session, you’ll learn:
Matt Marsiglio is the Director of Academy Operations at Heartland Home Services. Prior to his current position, he served as the Operations Manager for Flame Heating, Cooling and Electrical, located in Warren, MI, for more than 10 years. Matt is an ambassador for the HVAC industry through his work as an instructor at Macomb Community College and is a frequent speaker at ACCA events.
Ben Kelley is an experienced Residential Director with a demonstrated history of working in the environmental services industry. Skilled in purchasing, negotiation, HVAC, management, and customer service, he is a strong operations professional with a bachelor’s degree focused in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration from American University.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
2:00 PM -
3:00 PM
Balcony I-K
The desire to grow is not the same as having a growth mindset. As a previous owner and operator, Chris outlines the traps that can derail your growth and how to dig out or avoid them altogether.
You will learn:
Chris Crew has been in the home services business since the age of 16. He has trained hundreds of front-line employees from office staff to field personnel. He has consulted businesses in plumbing, electrical, and HVAC from various sizes starting with owners in a truck, up to multiple location, multiple trade businesses in how to strategize and execute on their plan. In 2018 Chris joined The Blue Collar Success Group where he continued to share his knowledge and passion of the trades to motivate others to achieve their goals, and he now serves as the President of The Blue Collar Success Group.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
2:00 PM -
3:00 PM
Balcony L-N
A limiting belief is a thought or state of mind that you think is the absolute truth and stops you from doing certain things. These are holding you back. Join Bryan as he helps you:
Bryan Dodge is a speaker, business coach, author, radio host, covering professional development, success habits of the wealthy, team building/ leadership principles, negotiating skills, and much more. The underlying thesis of all of Bryan’s teachings is that “Life is too short not to be happy, and life is too long not to do well.” His company, Dodge Development Inc., has a proven track record of helping businesses and associations overcome adversity, build their organizations and achieve their goals.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
3:00 PM -
6:00 PM
Grand Ballroom
ACCA 2023 connects vendors and sponsors with key leaders who make the purchase decisions for their HVAC companies. When it’s time to make a purchase decision, those face-to-face meetings will make a huge difference—one that pays off for every invested company. Our contractors research in advance, come to the show floor to evaluate their options, and then buy! Contact: sales@acca.org
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
3:00 PM -
4:00 PM
Iberville
The technical materials ACCA offers our members must be developed and maintained by industry experts. Join us to help create and explain new standards as needed and ensure that ANSI-certified products remain qualified/certified.
Open to all ACCA Contractors.
Tuesday • April 4, 2023
6:30 PM -
8:30 PM
Porte Cochère
Join us to celebrate HVACR contractors. Enjoy live music, food, and beverages while meeting up with old friends and making new friends. Laissez les bons temps rouler with Emerson!
Wednesday • April 5, 2023
9:15 AM -
10:15 AM
Salon A-C
Community engagement should play an integral role in your marketing strategy. Passive exposure to your target market will result in brand recognition and growth. In this session you will learn:
Colleen Keyworth is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Online-Access, an HVAC web marketing company located in Michigan. Recognized in the ACHR News’s 2019 ‘Top 40 under 40’ in the HVACR Industry and more recently awarded Service Nation’s “Woman of the Year” award for 2020, Keyworth regularly teaches and trains contractors around the country about how to better use the web to generate business. She has also been on the board of Women in HVACR for the last eight years— currently she serves as the organization’s 2022 President. Keyworth also serves on the board of the Southeast Michigan Air Conditioning Contractors Association.
Wednesday • April 5, 2023
9:15 AM -
10:15 AM
Balcony L-N
Join ACCA’s Employment and Labor Law expert, Brooke Duncan, as he discusses topics you need to know – it could save you millions of dollars in penalties. In this session, you will learn:
Brooke Duncan III advises regional and national clients on a wide range of employment law issues, by partnering with them on their options while helping them stay consistent with their overall business plans. Brooke counsels employers in many industries, including hospitality, maritime, manufacturing, warehousing, education, the non-profit world, and even other law firms. Brooke is ACCA’s Employment and Labor Law expert.
Wednesday • April 5, 2023
9:15 AM -
10:15 AM
Balcony I-K
Are you looking at reports and seeing callbacks increasing? Are the margins off? Do you have a high-tech turnover? Are you stuck on what steps to take to get your team back on track? Invoice Coaching is where it is at! In this course, we will discuss the following:
Kyla Robinson has been an Instructional Designer for 11 years. Currently, she is on the Learning and Development Team at American Residential Services. In her role, she supports the distribution of technical trainings and facilitates trainings on leadership and management. She is passionate about implementing training for the continued success of people, the companies they work for, and the role that they serve.
As the Director of Technical Training for the national network of ARS companies, Dave Borowski carries the responsibilities to build and deliver quality training for more than 4,000 field techs to improve their skill sets.
As the former Director of Technical Training for Direct Energy (Authority Brands), Dave was accountable for all technical ILT (Instructor Led Training), online training, and selected trainings via a dedicated LMS (Learning Management System), where adult students learned at their own pace, but with full visibility and accountability.
Dave has been involved in every aspect of customer service, IAQ, and the HVAC industry during his tenure. Dave served as the Florida Zone Manager for Raytheon for nearly 20 years and VP & General Manager for 15 years at One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating Florida operations with a team of more than 100 and was honored as one of the top retail operations for the Direct Energy group.
Dave’s most recent experiences include training contractors, administrators, and field technicians in navigating EPA, FEMA, DOE, ASHREA, ACCA, and building codes compliance all with a focus on consumer acquisition and retention.
Wednesday • April 5, 2023
11:00 AM -
12:00 PM
Balcony L-N
In today’s world, using data to inform and drive your business is critical, but where do you start? In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn what best-in-class businesses track and measure to get visibility into the areas they need to improve. Knowing these numbers will also allow you to establish benchmarks and set goals to set your company up for success.
Michael Sauer has a passion for seeing businesses succeed. As Scorpion’s Master Business Coach, he has nearly 20 years of experience as a certified speaker, mentor, trainer, professional consultant and business coach. Michael works exclusively with trades businesses to develop customized programs to help them achieve and exceed their respective leadership, management and sales goals.
Wednesday • April 5, 2023
11:00 AM -
12:00 PM
Salon A-C
Understand how successful teams think and grow. Then you can build your team into an efficient and leading performer. Join Bryan, and he will show you:
Bryan Dodge is a speaker, business coach, author, radio host, covering professional development, success habits of the wealthy, team building/ leadership principles, negotiating skills, and much more. The underlying thesis of all of Bryan’s teachings is that “Life is too short not to be happy, and life is too long not to do well.” His company, Dodge Development Inc., has a proven track record of helping businesses and associations overcome adversity, build their organizations and achieve their goals.
Wednesday • April 5, 2023
11:00 AM -
12:00 PM
Balcony I-K
Employers are struggling to fill open positions and retain existing employees they have. Differentiation is key in an increasingly competitive landscape, and a flexible and a competitive benefits package is one way employers can stand out. This presentation will explore how companies can create a benefit design that will attract talented employees, minimize employee turnaround, keep a healthy workforce and create a healthy worker environment.
As an ERA HR & Analytics Consultant, Melissa Wymer works with members to address a wide range of HR issues. She supports ERA members by working ERA’s hotline, facilitating monthly roundtables, creating member legal alerts, training, creating state compliance briefings, data analysis, and handling special projects such as HR check-ups, I-9 audits, HR policy, and employee handbook reviews. Melissa has 9+ years of HR experience. Most recently, Melissa has held various HR roles with her last one as an HR Consultant for Equitas Health (leading healthcare provider for LGBTQIA+ organization in Ohio), where she provided HR-related support to over 500 employees, full cycle recruiting, organizational restructuring, internal and external audits, employee relations, payroll, onboarding, leave management, and credentialing. Her areas of expertise include but are not limited to auditing, diversity, and inclusion initiatives, leave management, policy/procedure development, implementation of HR related software, training and training materials, supporting LGBTQ+ in the workplace, as well as general HR issues. Melissa earned her master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Keller Graduate School of Management and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The Ohio State University. She has her SHRM-CP and earned her Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate through the USF Office of Corporate Training and Professional Education.