About Our Breakout Session Speakers

Jill Moss

ChangeBridge Consulting

Ethics 101

With over a decade of dedicated experience in human resources, organizational development, and strategic leadership, Jill Moss is a distinguished expert in HR ethics and organizational integrity.

Outside her role as COO in the financial services industry, Jill partners with ChangeBridge Consulting, where she shares her wealth of knowledge in human resource management, organizational development, organizational change, and conflict resolution. She has been named a Top 100 COO and featured in the 20 Under 40 list, reflecting a commitment to excellence and ethical standards. Her graduate work in Industrial and Organizational Psychology combines academic skill with practical expertise to address complex ethical issues in the workplace.

Jill is passionate about helping organizations cultivate thriving work cultures where employees are genuinely excited to come to work and find deep purpose in what they do.

Erik Christian

Principal Consultant, HR Fit

Crafting an HR Strategy

Making workplaces better has been Erik’s passion for more than 20 years. That dedication and commitment led him to start HR Fit in 2015. With guiding employers through complex workplace problems and difficult situations comes a great sense of satisfaction — both in his work and his team’s. Working with business leaders has provided what Erik calls the best education he’s ever received, in addition to working in a variety of workplaces across numerous industries. Union and non-union, public and private, local and nationwide… Each of these experiences has bolstered his proficiency in coaching managers and HR professionals and crafting strategies for both individual and organizational success.

Education & Certifications:

Master of Public Administration, University of Illinois Springfield (Springfield, IL)
Bachelor of Science in Public Administration, Augustana College (Rock Island, IL)

Michael Engelhardt

Vice President, Benefits Consulting, Alera Midwest

Keys to Proactively Managing Your Company’s Benefit Plan

Michael specializes in working with mid-market employers to provide their employees with the best benefits at the right cost. He is a problem-solver and provides innovative solutions that deliver his clients with the best outcomes. Michael created a unique approach to addressing his clients healthcare challenges, which leverages the principles of LEAN, to improve efficiencies and drive greater outcomes. Over his 30 years in the industry, his LEANBenefits approach has ensured his clients receive the best return on their investment from their benefit program.

Michael is involved in all aspects of negotiations, plan architecture, contribution strategy, carrier selection, employee communication, and ongoing support. His clients appreciate his high attention to detail, responsiveness to issues or questions, and his ability to provide reliable data to make informed decisions. Michael’s creative and progressive ideas have helped many employers save millions of dollars while maintaining a rich benefit offering.

Allison Gottwald

Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) Specialist

Behavioral Approaches to Employee Motivation and Performance

Allison Gottwald serves in an HR leadership role for a Central Illinois non-profit, leading the organization’s human resource and talent strategy. With a strong foundation in human resource management, Allison specializes in applying Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) principles to foster employee motivation and elevate organizational performance.

She holds a Master of Science in Human Resource Management with a Concentration in Organizational Behavior Management from Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) and a Bachelor of Science in Management and Leadership from Bradley University (Peoria, IL). Allison has contributed to the OBM field through research focused on enhancing employee engagement and optimizing organizational behavior, particularly in challenging contexts like the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing insights from behavioral science theories, Allison’s research explores the nuanced interplay between employee motivation, performance, and organizational success. Committed to creating positive work environments, Allison is dedicated to empowering organizations to achieve sustainable growth through the application of behavioral science principles.

Linea Johnson

Communications and Change Management Professional

Speaking Change

Linea Johnson is a communications and change management professional and a passionate advocate and educator for mental health and disability empowerment. She holds a Master’s degree in Healthcare Leadership from Brown University and a Change Management certificate from Cornell University.

Linea has co-authored the book “Perfect Chaos: A Daughter’s Journey to Survive Bipolar, A Mother’s Struggle to Save Her” (St. Martin’s Press), published multiple articles, and delivered hundreds of keynote presentations, workshops, and training on topics including mental health in the workplace, self-determination for young adults with disabilities, and global mental health. Leveraging her expertise and lived experience, Linea inspires, informs, and collaborates with organizations and individuals who share her vision of a more inclusive and compassionate world.

David Lubben

Attorney, Davis & Campbell

Federal and State Legal Updates That You Need to Know About

David Lubben is a member of Davis & Campbell, emphasizing both employment litigation and commercial litigation in his practice. David has a robust practice representing businesses in tort and contract litigation and commercial disputes. He also represents employers in all aspects of employment disputes, including protecting proprietary information, litigating non-competition agreements, complying with safety and health regulations, advocating on benefits disputes. He regularly handles both class action and individual plaintiff lawsuits in state and federal courts in Illinois and other states.

Michael Maciekowich

National Director, Astron Solutions

Federal and State Legal Updates That You Need to Know About

Michael’s areas of expertise include the development, design, and implementation of executive, physician, and employee base pay systems, short and long-term incentive programs, sales incentive programs, and performance management systems in all industries.

Michael has over 40 years of consulting and industry compensation experience. Prior to Astron, Michael worked for numerous consulting firms such as The Hay Group, Towers Watson, Adams, Nash & Haskell, and the Omni Group. He began his career in 1978 at Zenith Electronics, continuing his career at Honeywell and the American Hospital Association before moving into consulting.

Michael is a sought-after speaker in total rewards program design. He has presented at national ASHHRA (American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration) and WorldatWork conferences, as well as numerous local ASHHRA & SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) chapters. His topics include current trends in compensation program design, design & utilization of gamification strategies in employee engagement, creative performance management program design, customer satisfaction driven rewards systems, and Compensation 101 for Beginners.

Michael is an active member of WorldatWork, the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, and the Society for Human Resource Management. He is also a member of various local & state human resource associations across the country. Michael received a lifetime achievement award from WorldatWork.

Michael received bachelor’s degrees in political science and philosophy from Loyola University of Chicago and a master’s degree in industrial relations, from the Loyola University Chicago Quinlan School of Business.

Jeff Risch

Co-chair of Amundsen Davis LLC’s Labor and Employment Practice Group

Federal and State Legal Updates That You Need to Know About

As Co-chair of Amundsen Davis LLC’s Labor and Employment Practice Group, Jeff oversees a team providing comprehensive counsel to employers across the country. His practice emphasizes all aspects of management side labor and employment litigation in addition to traditional labor matters. His practice focuses heavily on advising employers on how to effectively manage and avoid problems. However, he is also an accomplished litigator, taking several prominent cases successfully through arbitration, trial, and when necessary, appeal. Jeff is a prolific author and speaker. He often creates presentations on trending topics in labor and employment at the request of clients and various educational services. He is also regularly recognized by his peers as one of the leading management-side attorneys in the country.

Derek Story

Director of HR Systems, Training, and Communication at Illinois State University

How AI/Chat Intersect With HR

Derek is currently the Director of HR Systems, Training, and Communication at Illinois State University. During his time at ISU he has been responsible for continuity of HR technology, learning and development for campus, and staff recruiting and orientation.

Before joining Illinois State University, Derek had experience as a professional recruiter at the global staffing firm TEKSystems. He is a two-time Illinois State University alum, having received both his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from ISU. He teaches courses at Illinois State University and Illinois Central College in message design, public speaking, and business information systems. He is also a board member of the Bloomington/Normal Human Resources Council and an active member of the Higher Education User Group for Oracle Technologies and the College and University Professionals Association.