Speakers

   We’ve tapped into NERETA’s nationwide professional network.

Talk about experience!

 

Ken Baker

 CEO of NewAge® Industries/AdvantaPure®

Ken Baker is the CEO of NewAge Industries, a plastic and rubber tubing and hose manufacturer and RFID tag solutions provider located in Southampton, Pennsylvania. The company originated in 1954 and Ken joined in 1985 as the second generation of his family to carry on its successes. NewAge provides solutions to many Fortune 500 companies and services customers worldwide.

Ken has over 25 years of experience in the tubing and hose industry. He is a majority owner of Colex International, NewAge’s sister plant in Leicestershire, England. In 2001, Ken led NewAge in the launch of AdvantaPure, the company’s high purity tubing and hose division, and has since worked to develop several innovative Single Use disposable solutions. He is a co-inventor on five patents in RFID tagging technology for the company’s Verigenics™ RFID division and is a co-founder in the RFID in Healthcare Consortium. Ken is also a board member of the BPSA Bio-Process System Alliance, an industry trade organization.

In 2006, Ken established the company’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), and its employees now own 49% of the company. He is a founding member and Chairman of Pennsylvania Center for Employee Ownership (PCEO), a new organization designed to raise awareness and increase the number of employee owned companies in Pennsylvania. In addition, Ken spends time speaking about ESOPs to other CEOs at local and national events.

Ken invites area high school students to intern at NewAge Industries each summer and is on the Foundation board of Montgomery County Community College. Ken is also a generous contributor to local and national charities.

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Terri Bickert, DNP RN NEA_BC 

System Vice President of Nursing, Geisinger

Dr. Bickert is employed at Geisinger as a System Vice President of Nursing. Dr. Bickert began her career as a diploma nurse at Lancaster General Hospital. She completed progressive education at East Carolina University, Bloomsburg University and ending with a doctorate from Jefferson University. Dr. Bickert served as a critical care nurse for many years before moving into advancing leadership positions. Dr. Bickert has hired and managed many employees, both professional and allied. Years of nursing experience has given Dr. Bickert perspective on healthcare workforce needs.

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Robert Bitner

President & CEO for the Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Performance Excellence (MAAPE)

The Mid-Atlantic Alliance for Performance Excellence (MAAPE) is a Baldrige-based Awards Program that serves Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. MAAPE is a 501c(3) nonprofit corporation that helps organizations from all sectors to improve their performance and outcomes, including productivity, workforce engagement, competitiveness, and customer and stakeholder satisfaction. Bob has served as CEO since January 2011.  Bob has served the organization in a number of different roles: Realizing that Pennsylvania needed a state program to serve as a launch point for organizations that wanted to ramp up to the national program, he was a member of the original group of individuals that brought KAPE into existence.  He served on the original Board of Directors, eventually chairing the Board for two years.  Bob has been actively involved with the larger Baldrige community for more than twenty years serving in a variety of corporate, state, and local Baldrige-based programs.  Prior to his involvement with KAPE and now MAAPE, Bob worked for the Dana Corporation for 18 years, where he led Baldrige related initiatives for the Commercial Vehicle Systems Division.  He was also responsible for transferring best practices across the division, which included plants in the U.S. and Canada.

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Dr, Tracy Brundage,

President, Keystone College

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Daniel Bustillo

Director of the Healthcare Career Advancement Program (H-CAP)

HCAP is a national organization of SEIU unions and healthcare employers who are partnering in support of developing innovative career pathways and quality healthcare career education models. He also serves as a Vice President for the H-CAP Education Association, a related organization comprised of a network of industry-based healthcare training partnerships.  Daniel has extensive experience working with healthcare industry partners and the public workforce system, coordinating a variety of federal and state grants designed to provide upskilling and on-the-job training opportunities for healthcare workers. Previously, he served as Assistant Director, Field Services and Labor Management Consultant at the 1199SEIU Training and Employment Funds in New York City, the largest industry-based healthcare training fund in the country. In these capacities, he worked with healthcare workers, the labor union 1199SEIU, and the major organized voluntary not-for-profit hospitals in New York City, facilitating joint labor management teams on issues related to workforce development and quality/process improvement. initiatives.  Daniel is also a doctoral candidate in Social Policy at Columbia University. His work on group-based disparities has been published in Social Research, Dissent, the Journal of Intergroup Relations, the Hamline Journal of Law and Public Policy and the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare.

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Julene Campion

Vice President of Human Resources, Geisinger

Julene Campion has over 10 years of HR leadership experience in healthcare. She joined Geisinger as Vice President of Human Resources,Talent in 2016 where she focuses on developing integrated and measurable talent attraction and retention programs that directly link to the organization’s strategic plan. Julene earned her masters in Organization Development and Leadership from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Her professional certifications include Senior Professional Human Resources (SPHR), Senior Certified Professional (S-CP) and Strategic Workforce Planning from the Human Capital Institute. Julene is a member of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s Workforce Development Board, co-leader of Network for Excellence in Health Innovation’s Workforce Work-Stream for the Health Care Without Walls initiative and a member of The Democracy Collaborative.

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Ida L. Castro

Vice President for Community Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine 

Ida L. Castro’s career has been characterized by a strong passion for service and for building strategic alliances across diverse groups. She joined Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) in 2008 and has since served as Vice President for Community Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer, where she leads engagement with the community and directs the school’s diversity priorities. She launched GCSOM’s Regional Education Academy for Careers in Health ‐ Higher Education Initiative (REACH‐HEI), a pipeline program for disadvantaged youth. She was appointed Haywood Burns Chair for Civil Rights, CUNY School of Law, and served as the first Latina Commissioner/CEO of the New Jersey State Department of Personnel. President Clinton named her the first Latina Chairwoman/CEO of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, after her service as Director of the Women’s Bureau, Acting Deputy Solicitor and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Worker Compensation at the U.S. Department of Labor.

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Eileen Cipriani

Deputy Secretary for workforce development at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

In her role, she oversees the commonwealth workforce system, which includes 23 local workforce areas. She is also responsible for the Center for Workforce Information and Analysis, the office for labor market information the PA State Workforce Development Board and the commonwealth’s newly established Apprenticeship Training Office.  Eileen was instrumental in the planning, drafting and now implementation of Pennsylvania’s first comprehensive state plan under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. She served as agency facilitator for the stakeholder performance and accountability work group; among her many responsibilities associated with the plan development and implementation.  In her current role, she oversees the implementation of WIOA as the many changes are executed statewide. She coordinates the departments interagency projects that are an effort to facilitate collaboration and reduce duplication in workforce service delivery. Under her leadership the newly created Office of Apprenticeship and Training has greatly expanded, not only the number of apprentices statewide, but the diversity of occupations. She has been instrumental in interagency projects, such as the Next Generation Sector Strategy model to significantly improve the way in which state government addresses business needs and efforts to share interagency resources and data.  In addition to her work as Deputy Secretary, she is also a member of the STEM Advisory Committee, TEAM PA, the PA Interagency Health Equity Team, PA Assistive Technology Council, Aging Council Workforce Workgroup and the Environmental Quality Board.  Prior to her deputy secretary appointment, Eileen was acting director for the State Workers Insurance Fund (SWIF) in Scranton where she was responsible for the management and day-to-day activity of SWIF staff and programs in eight district offices.  She has a Bachelor of Science from Bloomsburg University and a master’s in organizational management from Misericordia University. Eileen lives in West Wyoming, PA with her husband. They have two grown children.

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Glenna Crooks, Ph.D. Sagelife

Glenna Crooks, Ph.D., is a strategist and trusted counsel to government and business leaders.  An Appointee of President Ronald Reagan, she was responsible for a $70 billion portfolio of health programs. At Merck&Co, Inc., her policy group was named best in the Fortune 500. Promoted to global vice-president of Merck’s Vaccine Business, tripled sales to more than a $1 billion in under three years.  As Founder/CEO of Strategic Health Policy International, Inc. she solves tough health care problems and is known as a “one-woman think tank” with a talent for “organizing chaos.”  She is the author of several books, a policy fellow at university centers and the recipient of numerous awards, including the highest award in public health, the Surgeon General’s Medallion. She is a mu shin Zen artist, donating her works to support children’s special needs.

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Dr. Marcine Pickron-Davis

Chief diversity and community relations officer, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) 

Dr. Marcine Pickron-Davis joined the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) on May 1, 2017 as the College’s new chief diversity and community relations officer. She is charged with advancing diversity, inclusion, and community partnerships for both campuses.  Most recently, Dr. Pickron-Davis served as the inaugural chief community engagement and diversity officer at Widener University where she served as a strategic leader to advance the university’s commitment to access, equity, diversity, and inclusion. During her tenure, she raised Widener’s civic engagement profile among the national higher education community, implemented civic engagement initiatives resulting in sustainable partnerships between the university and the Chester community; and led the development of innovative programs and initiatives to promote a culture of inclusion. Dr. Pickron-Davis’ accomplishments resulted in institutional and cultural change in policies and practices at Widener University.  Among her experiences in higher education, Dr. Pickron-Davis has served on Middle States Accreditation Evaluation teams for several institutions and as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement. She also has held faculty appointments in Social Work and Education at Widener, University of Pennsylvania, and Cabrini College and has taught courses on multicultural education, intercultural communication, and community development.  Dr. Pickron-Davis has presented at local, national and international conferences and has published several articles and case studies. Her research and scholarship has focused on university-community partnerships, community-based research, and anchor-based engagement.  Dr. Pickron-Davis is a strong advocate for civic engagement and has served on numerous community boards, including the College Access Center of Delaware County, the Delaware County Habitat for Humanity, and the Delaware County Community Foundation. She currently serves on the boards of the Darlington Community Arts Center, the Chester Charter School of the Arts, the Forum of Executive Women, and the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities Editorial Board. She is a member of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the American Educational Research Association, and a trustee at Calvary United Methodist Church. She is also an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  Prior to her arrival at Widener, Dr. Pickron-Davis served as a Research Associate for Research for Action, a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization working in educational research and reform in public education. She completed her bachelor’s degree from The Pennsylvania State University and her masters of social work degree from Temple University’s School of Social Administration. She earned her doctor of philosophy degree in educational leadership at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Pickron-Davis completed the Institute for Educational Management (IEM) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Engagement Academy for University Leaders, and Leadership Philadelphia, Inc. She is a native of Philadelphia and currently resides with her family in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania.

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Brian Ebersole

Senior Director, Springboard Health, Geisinger

Driven by a commitment to connect the dots between theory and action, ideas and passion, tasks and impact, Brian Ebersole has created a career that focuses on reforming health care systems for the collective good. Joining Geisinger in October 2017, Ebersole serves as the Senior Director of Springboard Health. Springboard is a population health innovation designed to engage and empower an entire community – the city of Scranton – to transform their health by fostering an environment of access, possibility and collaboration, and to build a replicable and sustainable model. Ebersole previously served as Senior Vice President for Mission Delivery at the Wright Center, guiding the development of the largest Teaching Health Center in the country with over 190 resident physicians training in community health centers in seven states. Before joining the Wright Center, he was the Director of the Governor’s Chronic Care Initiative, a primary care practice transformation project that brought together physician offices, insurance companies and the state government to redesign the way patient care is delivered in primary care settings. He also previously served as legislative, policy and special advisor for the secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Ebersole has a B.A. in politics from Ursinus College.

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Lyndsay J. Grady

Director of Workforce Development, Scranton Chamber of Commerce

Lyndsay J. Grady joined The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce in 2016. As a member of the economic development team, Ms. Grady is responsible for the coordination and implementation of joint economic and workforce development strategies. Through The Chamber and its affiliates, including the Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company (SLIBCO), The Scranton Plan and Skills in Scranton, Ms. Grady focuses on the development of workforce strategy and planning, further promoting The Chamber’s overall mission of attracting, sustaining and growing businesses within Lackawanna County.

Ms. Grady is a graduate of Keystone College, La Plume, PA where she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Organizational Leadership. In addition, she is currently pursuing her Master of Professional Studies in Organization Development and Change Management from The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. She is a graduate of the Dale Carnegie program and has completed courses through the International Economic Development Corporation, The Association for Talent Development and several courses in workforce strategy, talent management and organization development.

Prior to her role at The Chamber, Lyndsay led the workforce development organization – Workforce Wayne (now known as Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance) serving first as Workforce Coordinator, then as Director of Workforce Initiatives and ultimately as the Executive Director. During her tenure Ms. Grady developed and launched The Wayne/Pike Technology Training Lab, established nine Community Career & Training Sites and secured Community Education Council designation through the Pennsylvania Department of Education school code. She also serves as an adjunct professor of business at Lackawanna College.

In 2017, Ms. Grady was named Top 20 Under 40 by the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal and was presented with the Keystone College Young Alumna of the Year Award by the Keystone College Alumni Association. She serves on the National Academy Foundation Advisory Board of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Sciences Academy and the Keystone College KC3D Advisory Board.

She is a member of the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association, the National Society for Human Resource Management, Keystone College Alumni Mentoring Network and The Pennsylvania State University’s Blue & White Society

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Dave Gregorio

Heroes to Healthcare

A practitioner of compassionate capitalism with 27 successful years in business and over 20 years leading highly effective organizations in healthcare consumer products, medical device, professional services, revenue cycle and information technology. Having broad exposure to multiple industry segments, Dave began his healthcare career at Johnson and Johnson where he became one of the youngest CIOs within the J&J family of companies leading him to be instrumental in the J&J dot-com investment and integration of Global Healthcare Exchange as the Director of Global Technology Services. There he met and was captivated by Ross Perot and became involved with the Perot Systems Healthcare organization in a Human Capital leadership role focused on designing, deploying and leading the Healthcare Academy. A veteran and college to career development program responsible for hiring hundreds of veterans and transitioning them into successful careers in the various nonclinical roles internationally. Dave successfully repeated the veteran hiring model as the VP of Human Capital with MedSynergies a physician services company providing revenue cycle, human capital and physician engagement services to over ten thousand physicians nationally. Upon finalizing the sale and integration of MedSynergies to Optum in 2016, Dave went on to pursue a “calling” and cofounded ImPowerQ Associates. An organizational development firm with a focus on healthcare employers and healthcare experienced mid-enlisted veteran talent. Through ImPowerQ and with the support of the VA and the DOL Heroes to Healthcare was born on veterans day 2017. At a recent veteran event, a special operations army medic he hired straight out of Afghanistan in 2008, was quoted saying “Considering all that Dave has done for so many veterans, it would take but a short phone call for him to have a literal army on his front lawn in support of him. He loved us when nobody else in the corporate world even wanted to know us. So don’t mess with him!” ImPowerQ creates the much needed positive disruption while being an inspiration to work with. Dave’s belief that love should be a key leadership principle and only through establishing common PURPOSE will organizations unlock the capacity that exists to attain real business success. It is what makes his approach attractive and profound while at the same time being extremely effective and fun. Dave is the recipient of countless awards.  Serves on advisory boards at SMU, UT Dallas, and Midwestern State however what he is most interested in is to empower people to do great things.

 

Matthew Hancock MBA

Consultant at Praxis

Matt Hancock is a Consultant at Praxis, where he assists clients in developing and implementing high-engagement workforce strategies. Matt brings 12 years of domestic and global experience in education, employee ownership and change management to the team. His key competencies include leadership development, building high performance ownership cultures, process improvement, vision, strategy and governance.  Before joining Praxis, Matt served as co-founder and Executive Director of Chicago Tech Academy (ChiTech), Chicago’s first tech-focused high school serving low-income, inner-city students. Under Matt’s leadership, ChiTech achieved some of the city’s strongest test score improvements by building an organizational culture of collaboration, participation and employee empowerment. Prior to co-founding ChiTech, Matt was the Associate Director of the Center for Labor and Community Research (CLCR) in Chicago, where he served as a trusted liaison to constituencies in manufacturing, labor and government. Matt is a past Board member of several non- and for-profit organizations including, most recently, the Freelancers Insurance Company, a for-profit insurer committed to providing affordable, effective health insurance to freelance and contingent workers in New York. Matt earned an MBA in Cooperative Economics from the University of Bologna (Italy), where he studied governance, finance and strategy in the region’s top employee-owned firms, and a BA in history from Skidmore College.

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Rebecca Hall

Associate Director at the 1199 SEIU Training & Employment Funds (TEF)

Training & Employment Funds (TEF) are among the strongest and largest labor-management funds in the nation, providing a range of comprehensive benefits to more than 400,000 members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.  With over 15 years experience in workforce development and training initiatives, Rebecca oversees a department that administers public and private grants as well as collective bargaining funds  aimed at changing the way healthcare is delivered to a person-centered model. She also manages facility-based job upgrade programs, working in partnership with labor and management to align training with current and anticipated industry and workforce needs. Prior to this role, Rebecca oversaw the implementation of pilot training TEF programs throughout New Jersey, New York State, Massachusetts and Maryland/DC.  Under her leadership, over 10,000 workers have been trained in the last five years in programs ranging from short-term skills instruction, such as care coordination, to vocational and occupational training in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and community-based organizations throughout New York City.  Rebecca has also led TEF’s work on Registered Apprenticeship over the last three years that has included both Community Health Worker and Medical Coder occupations.  Rebecca holds a Masters of Labor & Employment Relations (MLER) from Rutgers University.

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Kevin McPhillips

Kevin McPhillips has enjoyed more than 30 years working in both non-profit and private leadership. Before joining the PCEO, McPhillips served as CEO of 1000 Museums, the leading online community destination for museums and exhibitions from around the world. Prior, he was President of The Princeton Companies, handpicked by the Governor’s Office as a model of NJ Business growth, served as President of Direct Group, one of the nation’s largest Direct Marketing firms, and spent 8 years leading non-profit centers for citizens with special needs. His experiences managing and owning businesses taught him that employee ownership and investment IS good business. Kevin

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Stephanie Norling

Managing Director, Communities of Excellence

Stephanie Norling has been Managing Director of Communities of Excellence 2026 since 2014.  After graduating with a BA in Anthropology from Tufts University in 1999, Stephanie joined the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston as a Project Coordinator.  After moving to San Diego in 2001, she worked for 12 years at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, first in the Operations Department and later taking a lead role in the Elephant Department at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.  In 2012 Stephanie graduated from the University of San Diego with a Master’s in Business Administration and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management.   Stephanie is an active member of her community, with volunteering history at Father Joe’s Villages, the House of Denmark, the San Diego Zoo, and many others.  In 2017, Stephanie completed her third year as a National Baldridge Examiner.

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Jane Oates

President, Working Nation

Jane was nominated by President Barack Obama to join Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis’ leadership team at the Department of Labor in April 2009. Confirmed as Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training on June 19, 2009, she led the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) in its mission to design and deliver high-quality training and employment programs for our nation’s workers.  Prior to her appointment, Jane served as Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and Senior Advisor to Governor Jon S. Corzine. Jane served for nearly a decade as Senior Policy Advisor for Massachusetts Senator Edward M. Kennedy.  Jane began her career as a teacher in the Boston and Philadelphia public schools and later as a field researcher at Temple University’s Center for Research in Human Development and Education. She received her BA in Education from Boston College, and an M.Ed in Reading from Arcadia University.

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Todd Oldham, Vice President

Economic and Workforce Development and Career Technical Education VP Office, Monroe Community College, NY

Todd Oldham serves as the Vice President for Economic Development, Workforce and Career Technical Education at Monroe Community College (MCC). As Vice President, he is responsible for leading MCC’s initiatives to support regional workforce development with labor market informed academic and non-credit workforce and career technical education. His roles within workforce and economic development have spanned the university and community college at both public and privately funded institutions in California, Washington State and New York.

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Charles Victor Pollack, Jr., M.A., M.D., FACEP, FAAEM, FAHA, FESC, FCPP

In 2015, Dr. Charles Pollack assumed multiple roles at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Associate Provost for Innovation in Education, Thomas Jefferson University; Director, Jefferson Institute of Emerging Health Professions; Associate Dean for CME and Strategic Partner Alliances, Thomas Jefferson University; and, Professor and Senior Advisor for Interdisciplinary Research and Clinical Trials, Department of Emergency Medicine,
Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.  From 2001-2015, Dr. Pollack was Professor of Emergency Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania and served as Chairman of Emergency Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. From 1992-2001, Dr. Pollack served in various positions in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Maricopa Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, an urban, tertiary care teaching hospital affiliated with the Medical College of the University of Arizona and the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. He was Research Director from 1994 to 2000, and he chaired the department from 1997 to 2001. From 2000 through mid-2001, Dr. Pollack was also Director of Emergency Medicine at Arizona Heart Hospital. He graduated summa cum laude from Emory University in 1980 with bachelor’s degrees in history and chemistry and with a master’s degree in the history of science and medicine, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Dr. Pollack earned his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine and is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha. Dr. Pollack has long been active in teaching and clinical research and is an international leader in emergency medicine. He is the only physician to have received the American College of Emergency Physicians’ highest national awards in both teaching and research; he also received the national teaching award from the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors. He is the only US emergency physician to be elected a Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology. His primary research interests are in the management of thrombosis, both arterial (especially acute coronary syndrome) and venous (deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism), reversal of anticoagulation, infectious disease emergencies, and treatment of pain. Dr. Pollack leads The Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp at Thomas Jefferson University. The Center, which he founded in May 2016, is the only comprehensive academic resource for education, research, and practice around the use of medicinal cannabinoids to be housed in a US health sciences university. Dr. Pollack has written more than 500 original research articles, chapters, and abstracts, and serves on the editorial boards of several journals and on the steering committees of multiple national and international trials. He is the principal investigator on multiple ongoing trials, studies, and registries. Dr. Pollack also lectures widely on many varied topics in emergency medicine. He is a strong advocate for entrepreneurism and innovation in healthcare and is involved in multiple telehealth initiatives. He is a founding Board member of the Hospital Quality Foundation, a non-for-profit education and research organization dedicated to improvement in the quality of care provided to patients in the hospital and at transition back to the outpatient setting.

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Tamara E. Robinson

Regional Director, 1199 SEIU Training and upgrading fund MD/DC

Tamara brings a strong background in (and a passion for) change management and team building through creating structures, processes, and communication habits that support organizational goals and reflect individual values. Tamara began her career working for social justice as a national union organizer for the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME International), and later as a political coordinator. She eventually moved on to work for the Committee of Interns and Residents | SEIU Healthcare (CIR), the largest resident physicians union in the country. As Regional Director at CIR, Tamara developed the skills necessary to help hospital systems in NY, NJ, and DC engage their front-line physicians in shaping the processes, performance, and culture of more than 15 safety net hospitals along the east coast. In 2015, she expanded her work to healthcare professionals of all titles as a lead consultant with the 1199 SEIU/League of Voluntary Hospitals & Homes’ Labor Management Project. She has extensive experience working with technical and professional staff at all levels of an organization to solve complex problems while pursuing a values-driven strategic vision. In 2017, Tamara returned to the Washington DC Metro area to lead the 1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund, as the Maryland/DC Regional Director. She has been able to accomplish a great deal in her first year as the Fund Director, including the establishment of a registered apprenticeship for Patient Care Technicians in the state of Maryland. As one of only a few registered apprenticeships in the healthcare field across the state, the PCT apprenticeship sponsored by the 1199SEIU Training and Upgrading Fund is considered a large program with more than 20 registered apprentices. Tamara holds a B.A. in Sociology from Wellesley College and an M.A. in Labor Studies from the CUNY School of Professional Studies. She is a JS Murphy Diversity in Labor Scholarship recipient and a graduate of the Cornell University ILR School Union Leadership Institute. She serves on the Baltimore Workforce Development Board and the MD Governor’s Workforce Development Board Healthcare Task Force.

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Roy A. Swift, Ph.D. COL, Retired

Executive Director, Workcred

Dr. Roy Swift is currently the executive director of Workcred and served as the chief workforce development officer at the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). His previous position at ANSI was the senior director of personnel credentialing accreditation programs. Prior to ANSI, he was a consultant to educational, certification, licensure and health care organizations. From 1993-1998, he was executive director of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). This appointment followed a 28-year career in the United States Army Medical Department. In his last position, he was chief of the Army Medical Specialist Corps in the Army Surgeon General’s Office with policy responsibility for Army occupational therapists, physical therapists, dietitians, and physician assistants throughout the world.  He has served on many national committees, non-profit Boards of Directors, and federal and state government advisory committees. He has served as chair of the Assembly of Review Committee Chairs of the former Council on Allied Health Education and Accreditation of the American Medical Association; chair of the American Occupational Therapy Association Accreditation Committee (Academic Accreditation); and on the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee for Certification. Dr. Swift recently served on an Institute of Medicine of the National Academies Panel dealing with Provision of Mental Health Counseling Services under TRICARE, and a planning committee for the future of Allied Health Practice.  In addition, Dr. Swift recently chaired an international working group within the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) to recognize personnel certifications among member countries through the development of multilateral recognition arrangements. He is also active on working groups related to personnel credentialing in the International Organizational for Standardization (ISO) in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a guest lecturer at the University of Geneva on credentialing.  Dr. Swift holds a B.S. in occupational therapy from the University of Kansas, an M.S. Ed. from the University of Southern California, and a Ph.D. in continuing and vocational education with an emphasis in continuing competency in the professions from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has also successfully completed the University of Chicago’s three-week management development course.

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Paula Watkins, M.A.S, Assistant Dean for Admissions, Rowan University

Paula Watkins is the Assistant Dean of Admissions for Rowan University – School of Osteopathic Medicine, (RowanSOM) where she is responsible to oversee the medical school admissions process that includes 5000+ applications each year.  She also develops, implements and oversees pipeline programs to increase recruitment and retention with an emphasis on diversity and underrepresented students.   She designed a 6 week summer medical school immersion program RAISE (Recognizing Achievement and Inspiring Student Excellence) to expose high achieving 11^th and 12^th grade students from local South Jersey high schools to osteopathic medicine.  At the completion of its’ first year, the program saw three participants who had a greater awareness of osteopathic medicine, enroll in an accelerated medical program with Rowan University and RowanSOM.  Mrs. Watkins has been recognized nationally for her knowledge of recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds.  She received the Excellence in Diversity Award for Scholarship by Rowan University and she served as Chair of the Council of Osteopathic Medical School Admissions Officers, (COMAO) in June 2004 and June 2012.  She was awarded the Rowan University first Excellence in Diversity Award.  She is a member of the Northeast Diversity Collaborative, (NEDC) a member of the AACOM Diversity Task Force and the AACOM Advisory Council.  She received the Community Service Award from the Woodland Community Development Corporation, (WCDC) for her support of their student initiatives.  She also serves as a site visitor for the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, (COCA). Ms. Watkins holds a B.A. in sociology and a B.A. in technical writing from Alderson Broaddus University, and a Masters’ degree in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University.