About Our Conference Presenters
Carla Hallman, SHRM-SCP
Human Resources Manager
Farmington Country Club
Carla Hallman serves as the Human Resources Manager at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she oversees strategic HR operations, workforce planning, and cultural initiatives. She is also the Founder and Principal Consultant of
Mosaic Management Solutions, a consulting practice focused on unlocking leadership and communication potential through values-driven coaching and HR advising. A SHRM-SCP certified professional and proud U.S. military veteran, Carla brings a service-minded,
inclusive approach to her work, blending innovation with empathy to help individuals and teams thrive. Her approach is grounded in real-world leadership, shaped by experience in hospitality and nonprofit sectors, and inspired by a passion for building
human-centered workplaces.
Urs Koenig
Leadership Expert. Bestselling Author. UN Peacekeeper.
Ultra Endurance Champion. Widely Published Professor
When companies need to inspire, engage, and develop their people while at the same time delivering stellar results in today’s hyper competitive and complex business environment, they call URS KOENIG. Urs is a bestselling author and one of the world’s
top thought leaders on humble leadership. His message of Radical Humility in leadership draws on his world-spanning career growing leaders on four continents. Urs’ research-backed Radical Humility Framework is packed with tangible tools and practical
takeaways, leaving audience members with the ultimate actionable blueprint for a new type of leader for a new type of world.
Janet Lawson, IPMA-SCP, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Director
Virginia Department of Human Resource Management
Janet Lawson is a human resource executive with over 31 years of HR leadership experience. She currently serves as the Agency Director for the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management, a role she was appointed to in June 2022. In this role, Janet
oversees all agency operations for the Commonwealth's central human resource agency, which provides comprehensive HR guidance and services to all executive branch agencies; health benefits to over 139,000 employees, retirees, and local governments
and school divisions; and manages Workers' Compensation for the entire state workforce.
Previous positions include Director of Human Resources for Hanover County (12 years); Director of Human Resources for the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (7 years); Human Resource Consultant for Sentara Healthcare (3 years); and Human Resources
Director/Coordinator for Riverside Health System (5 years); Janet began her career in the retail industry working from part-time to Assistant Manager for JCPenney, Hess's and the Disney Store.
Janet received her BSBA in Management from Christopher Newport University, and her MBA in Organizational Management from the College of William and Mary. She holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) Certification, the International Public
Management Association for Human Resources Senior Certified Professional (IPMA-SCP) designation, and the Society for Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) designation.
Keri Smith, SHRM-SCP
Senior Vice President of Human Resources
HHHunt
As Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Keri leads the HHHunt Human Resources function. She has led the Learning and Development function for HHHunt for over 8 years and was the first Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) for our Apartment Living
and Properties Construction teams in 2017. She has led the transformation to incorporate Insights into our everyday language, spearheaded and become a brand ambassador for HHHunt’s team member engagement process, created and implemented the new Contribution
Assessment Tool and guided the HRBP team in their roles. This includes management and oversight of HHHunt University (an internal education platform), belonging and wellness, recognition, and team member relations.
Bruce Waller
Vice President, Corporate Relocation
The Armstrong Company
Texas SHRM Assistant State Director
Bruce Waller is not your ordinary relocation executive. He's a dynamic keynote speaker, best-selling author, and podcast host who brings a wealth of experience and inspiration to every stage he graces.
Currently serving as the Vice President of Corporate Relocation for The Armstrong Company in Dallas, Texas, Bruce specializes in helping HR professionals navigate the complex world of employee relocation and transportation services. With a focus on excellence
and client satisfaction, Bruce ensures seamless relocations for individuals and families across the US and around the globe.
n addition to his corporate role, Bruce is deeply involved in volunteer leadership. As the Assistant State Director of Texas SHRM, he plays a pivotal role in serving and supporting over 20,000 HR professionals across Texas.
Bruce is the author of four influential books, including Find Your Lane, recognized by BookAuthority as one of the Top 100 Career Change Books of All Time. His latest book, Drive with Purpose, has soared to become a #1 New Release Best
Seller. Through his blog, Move to Inspire, Bruce shares valuable insights and inspiration to help individuals find their purpose and achieve their goals.
Velera Wilson
Speaker. Author. Consultant.
Velera Wilson is a global speaker, author, and consultant that helps existing and aspiring leaders address self-doubt and overwhelm so they become clear, confident, high performers that make great impact and advance their career.
Velera doesn't speak theoretically - her expertise has been proven in the real world. With over twenty years of marketing leadership expertise, she's launched products used globally, developed strategies and generated multi-million revenue for industry
giants like AT&T and Fiserv.
It’s with this insight that she founded Positive Identity, a company that partners with organizations to develop confident, skilled, high performing talent through development programs and speaking engagements.
From her award-winning book, You’re Absolutely Worth It, TEDx talk, articles, podcasts, to interviews with media outlets, Velera delivers transformative messages that help people break through limiting beliefs, embrace change, do “it” scared,
and achieve incredible results.
Alex Zea
Senior Principal, HR Digital Transformation Innovation Leader
Mercer
Alex Zea is a leader in HR Technology, Digital HR Strategy, and Transformation at Mercer. She is passionate about integrating technology, strategy, and innovation to transform the way HR operates and delivers value to businesses. Alex has extensive experience
supporting clients through end-to-end digital transformation, ensuring that HR technology aligns with business goals to drive efficiency, enhance employee experience, and enable data-driven decision-making.
As part of Mercer’s HR Digital Transformation practice, Alex not only guides organizations through their digital evolution but also leads Solutions & Innovation, shaping the future of HR Digital Transformation services at Mercer. She leverages her
expertise in the HR technology, service delivery, and digital enablement to help clients maximize the impact of their HR systems.
Alex holds a Master’s in Organizational Behavior from NYU and a Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership from Temple University.
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