David C. Almeda, Ed.D., SPHR
David C. Almeda, Ed.D., SPHR is currently VP of Human Resources at Kronos, Inc.  Previous to joining Kronos, Inc., Dave was Vice President of Global Human Resources at Staples, Inc. - responsible for setting the overall human resources strategy and direction for the Staples global HR team.  Dave also had responsibility for human resources systems and human resources planning and analytics. Dave has a strong record of translating business strategy into profitable operating results and a proven ability to energize, inspire and lead corporate and field based teams.  He earned a BS in Marketing from the University of New Hampshire system and a MS in Human Resources from Rivier College.  In 2009, Dave was awarded a doctoral degree in business and learning from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business and Graduate School of Education.  Dave also has been certified as a both a Global Professional of Human Resources and a Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR) by the Society for Human Resources Management. Dave resides in Nashua, New Hampshire and enjoys spending time with his wife Erin and his two daughters Shannon and Kathleen.

Anne has deep staffing and human resources experience in the Financial Services industry.  Prior to joining Gatti & Associates, Anne worked at Bank of America, and its predecessor banks, where she held a number of leadership roles in the areas of human resources strategy and planning, staffing, executive search and college relations. 

Anne serves as a member of the board of directors of the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre.  She received her B.A. from Assumption College.

Prior to joining Progress, Andrews held the position of vice president of human resources at NEC Technologies, Inc. in Boxborough, Mass. He was vice president of human resources for the Graphic Imaging and Medical Imaging Systems businesses at Polaroid Corporation from 1993 to 1996, and held human resources positions at Digital Equipment Corp. and General Electric Co. since 1980.

Andrews earned a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts.

Chris has a proven track record of driving organizational change to achieve customer-focused results and a better working environment. Since joining NSTAR in 1996, Chris has held positions of increasing responsibility in Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness.

Chris has also worked as an independent consultant specializing in leadership development, coaching and organizational change in the telecommunications, healthcare and utility industries.  Prior to joining NSTAR, Carmody held human resource positions at Talbot's and Bradlees, Inc. 

Chris holds a master's degree in business administration from Anna Maria College, and a bachelor of arts in liberal arts from the College of Holy Cross. Chris and her husband, Robert, reside in Canton, Mass. with their two children.

Vandy Densmore
Vandy Densmore currently serves as the human resources manager for Comcast Cable - Southeastern Massachusetts region. She is responsible for overseeing the daily human resources operations for 900+ employees in various locations. Previously, she held the positions of Human Resources Manager for Caritas Home Care based in Norwood, MA and the Director of Human Resources at the Massachusetts Association for the Blind in Brookline, MA. She holds a Masters Degree in Human Resources Management from Lesley University and a Bachelors Degree in Business Management from Westfield State College. Vandy has been an active member of NEHRA since 1997.

Paul has been in state service for 18 years.  He joined the Massachusetts Division of Human Resources as Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer in 1998.  He previously served as a Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Revenue, Assistant Secretary for the Executive Office of Consumer Affairs and Assistant Budget Director for the Massachusetts Fiscal Affairs Division. He began his career with the Commonwealth in 1990 at the Massachusetts State House as Deputy Budget Director for the House Ways and Means Committee.

In November 2004, Paul was the recipient of the Eugene H. Rooney, Jr. Public Service Award in recognition of his exceptional accomplishments in the area of human resource development and training, and for demonstrating excellence in leadership, innovation and creativity.  This honor is the highest public service award presented by the Governor of the Commonwealth.

Paul holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Syracuse University and a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from Hamline University.

Michael P. Dunford
Mike Dunford is Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Covidien a $10B global medical device and pharmaceutical company with 42,000 employees in 57 countries. 

Prior to this role, he was Vice President of HR Global Processes & Systems Management for Covidien, charged with leading a major HR Transformation at Covidien that included the redesign of HR-related business processes, policies and procedures, and the implementation of a global HRIS.

Prior to Covidien (a spin-off from Tyco International in 2007), Mike held several HR Leadership positions at Tyco Healthcare in both specialist and generalist/business partner roles with responsibilities over compensation, HR systems, recruitment, policy development, organizational design, and employee relations.

Prior to joining Tyco Healthcare Mike worked in both generalist and specialist assignments at Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare for 10 years.

Mike is a retired Marine Corps Reserve Officer, a certified compensation professional, and holds a BS Degree from Boston College and an MS in HR Management from Lesley University. 

Prior to joining Mercer, Tom was a partner with Ernst & Young and Andersen LLP where he led the New England Market Circle's human capital practice and was the co-champion of the people strategy and human resources management practice globally. Formerly, he was managing director with the Hay Group.

Tom has published extensively. He was the lead author of the business best-seller, People, Performance and Pay (Free Press, 1996), and has edited two books on executive compensation, The Hay Guide to Executive Compensation (Pluribus 1989) and his most recent book, prepared for the American College of Healthcare Executives, Executive Compensation: Guidelines for Healthcare Leaders and Trustees (2002).

Tom earned a doctoral degree in philosophy from Northwestern University in public policy and administration, a master's of arts in public administration from the University of New Mexico and a bachelor of arts in education from Arizona State University. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Human Resources Planning Society, World at Work, the Society for Human Resources Management and the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals.

Deborah Hicks
Deborah Hicks is now the Associate Dean/Chief HR Officer at Harvard Medical School.

She was previously the vice president of human resources for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. Deb has over 20 years of HR experience, including leadership roles in human resources development, organization development, human resource operations, training and development, and talent management. She joined Harvard Pilgrim in 1988 and was appointed vice president of human resources in 1999. In this leadership role and as a member of the executive team, she has facilitated organizational change while ensuring the highest level of staff engagement and the overall development of a high-performing workforce. She has also lead efforts in the implementation of consumer directed benefit offerings, and driving choice around a variety of benefit options.  Deb's professional experience has crossed varying industries and organizations in healthcare, retail and social services. She holds a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology/Organizational Management from Antioch University and a Bachelors Degree in English from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She resides in Newton, MA.

Prior to his current role, Jack was the head of Human Resources for MediaTek Wireless Inc., based in Wilmington, MA. Jack was responsible for the delivery of HR programs and services to this key division of the company with offices in the US, Europe and Asia.

Jack has also held a variety of senior level Human Resource roles at EMC corporation based in Hopkinton, MA. Jack worked in the global sales and services function supporting businesses in all geographies. In addition Jack was Vice President of Human Resources at Computervision Corp., after working at Prime Computer in numerous HR functions.

Jack has over 25 years of Human Resources experience and holds a BS in Business Administration from Northeastern University and an MBA from Suffolk University.

Curtis is a results-driven performance consultant who consistently produces innovative organizational development, and talent management strategic solutions that contribute to revenue growth, improved business efficiencies and increased organizational productivity levels. Curtis earned a doctorate of education in Learning Technology from Pepperdine University and has been industry certified as both a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and a Project Management Professional (PMP) for over 5 years.

Dr. Odom's additional accomplishments include: pursuing designation as a Fellow to the Academy of Healthcare Management (FAHM), earning certification from Cornell University as a Certified Diversity Practitioner, as well as recently being awarded admission to the prestigious Wharton School Executive Development Program.

Curtis is a member of the Internal Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI), the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), Phi Delta Kappa International, the Society for Applied Learning Technology and American Mensa. He resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his wife and daughter.

Daniel Klein is a partner in the Wage & Hour Litigation Practice Group of Seyfarth Shaw's Boston office.  Mr. Klein's practice includes the defense of collective and class actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state laws in federal and state courts.   Dan has represented private employers in litigation under the Federal Fair Labor Standards and the Massachusetts wage payment, overtime and tip statutes.  He also has conducted wage and hour audits and provided counseling to numerous employers on compliance with state and federal wage and hour laws.

Since 1998, Dan has served as a member of the Board of Directors of The Resource Partnership, a non-profit organization that assists employers in the hiring of individuals with disabilities.  He received his B.A. (cum laude) from Colgate University, and his J.D. (cum laude) from Boston College Law School.