2020 Award Finalists & Recipients
Congratulations to the following HRSTARS Award Finalists & Winners!

HR Executive of the Year Medium Sized Company
Sponsored by     

                 Recipient 

 

Kim Pisciotta, PHR, SHRM-CP | Director Human Resources | Gemmy Industries
Kim Pisciotta has a passion for people. That passion has been the guiding force in her 20-plus years of experience in HR. Kim currently serves as the Director of Human Resources with Gemmy Industries, a role she has held since 2008. Prior to that she served as the Manager of Human Resources at Gemmy for eight years. Kim earned her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a Concentration in Human Resources Management from the University of Texas at Dallas. She holds both PHR and SHRM-CP certifications. An active member of the local HR community, Kim has been a member of SHRM since 1998 and DallasHR since 2003. A firm believer in giving back, Kim regularly volunteers within the HR community. She has served on the Board of Directors for both DallasHR and The HRSouthwest Conference. In 2016, she served as the Conference Director for The HRSouthwest Conference’s 75th Anniversary. The past four years, Kim has held a position on the Marketing & Branding Strategic Planning Committee for DallasHR. She has also been a guest speaker at The Art Institute of Dallas, the University of North Texas, and the University of Dallas.

             Finalist

 

Lauren Truelove, PHR, SHRM-CP | Vice President of Administration | Unity Hunt
Lauren Truelove is Vice President of Administration at Unity Hunt, Inc. Lauren is responsible for all administrative functions, including human resources, payroll and benefits administration, office management and reception, stakeholder and company insurance administration, and information technology services. Having worked mostly in the area of human resources, she is very familiar with compensation, staff training, recruitment, risk management, employee and labor relations, employee engagement initiatives, and organizational development. She is particularly experienced in the areas of developing company culture, mediation, and directing administrative functions of complex organizations. Prior to joining Unity Hunt, Inc. Lauren was the Director of Culture and Compliance at Employee Solutions and served in the previous roles of human resources manager, human resources and accounting administrator, accounting assistant, and staffing consultant. Lauren also remains active in her community with various volunteering roles. These include project manager for fundraisers for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, Director of Collin County HR, and a member of the Board of Directors of DallasHR. Previously, Lauren served on the Steering Committee for Leadership Garland Lauren is also a member of the Society of Human Resources Management and the American Staffing Association. Lauren received her Bachelor of Science in family and development studies from the University of North Texas, is a Leadership Garland graduate, and earned her designations of Professional in Human Resources, SHRM-Certified Professional, and Certified Staffing Professional.


 

HR Executive of the Year Mega Sized Company
Sponsored by      

 

                 Recipient

Katy Avila, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP | Vice President Human Resources | Worldwide Express
Katy joined Worldwide Express as the VP of HR, specifically brought in to create an infrastructure, determine the strategic direction, and lead the HR function to a best in class function.  Since joining in June 2016, the company has grown by a staggering 431% in headcount and Katy now leads a team of 25, from one sole HR contributor. Embracing change, Katy is a demonstrated thought leader, strategic business partner, and trusted advisor to senior management. In her role, she strives for continuous improvement, building collaborative relationships, and fostering the unique, fun, and award-winning culture.Prior to Worldwide Express, Katy held roles as the Head of HR with high growth companies in the healthcare and hospitality industries, both privately held and private equity backed. Over the course of her career, she has been the HR lead on 150+ M& A transactions, successfully integrating employees while managing change and protecting the culture. Katy earned her BS from Syracuse University and an MBA from the Univ of North Texas, both degrees in Org Behavior/HR Management. In May 2019, Katy married Victor Avila, spending the year prior planning their dream destination wedding and Dallas reception, and is currently planning their official honeymoon to Greece. Fitness is a top priority for Katy and her husband who have both been in the gym since they were teens and continue to engage in a healthy lifestyle working out 6 days a week. Another key to their healthy lifestyle is a balanced approach to their personal and professional lives which is fostered by frequent travel to Mexico to relax and rejuvenate on the beach. 
 

                 Finalist 


Russell Goin | Chief Human Resources Officer | Rent - A - Center
Russell Goin is a Human Resources Executive with an extensive background of experience in Human Capital Management (HCM) and Talent Management (TM). He takes great pride in leveraging business and technical acumen, strategic planning, change management, and operational excellence to drive company performance through talent. Over the last 20 years, Russell gained experience in various industries including Software Development, BPO and ITO, Hospitality, and Retail. He has consistently served as a change agent and led transformational initiatives, new market entries, cultural change, and mergers and acquisitions. In his current role as SVP, CHRO, Russell leads strategic initiatives that enable an exceptional customer experience through an outstanding employee experience.  In addition to a bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas, Russell has passed the PHR, SPHR and GPHR exams. Russell has been married to Patricia Goin for 20 years and they stay busy with their two boys, Grant (16) and Luke (13).



                   Finalist

Suzanne Myers | Vice President Human Resources | Arcosa, Inc.
Suzanne Myers is the Executive Director of Human Resources for Arcosa, Inc., a manufacturer of infrastructure-related products and services in the construction, energy and transportation industries.  Suzanne’s career began in sales and later transitioned to talent acquisition in 1999 after accepting a role at a reputable national staffing firm.  She spent 4 years in the fast-paced world of staffing before transitioning to RealPage where she developed the in-house talent acquisition team and spent 13 years building a global recruitment function for this hi-tech company during its hyper growth years.  Suzanne was recruited by a former admired leader to join Trinity Industries in September 2015 where she was charged with elevating the capabilities of the talent acquisition function for this heavy industrial manufacturing company.  Within the first two years, she introduced progressive recruitment and brand strategies into the conservative manufacturing industry that significantly improved the performance of talent acquisition and recruitment operations.  In 2018, Suzanne was selected to make the move from Trinity to Arcosa, Inc. where she led several HR projects preparing for the spin-off transaction.  Following the November 1, 2018 transaction date, Suzanne has worn many hats that have helped Arcosa operate as a successful stand-alone company following a successful spin-off from Trinity Industries – including relocating the company headquarters.  Today, Suzanne leads Human Resources for the Corporate functions as well as leads strategic HR Operations for the enterprise.  Suzanne grew up in the St. Louis, MO area and is a graduate of Missouri State University with a degree is Organizational Communications.  She’s also a busy mom of 3 children (ages 16, 14, and 9) and is an avid runner, completing more than 10 half marathons.  

                 Finalist 
 

Jamie Son | Director of Human Resources | Lennox International
Jamie Son joined Lennox International in 2012 and serves as the Director of Human Resources for the North America Commercial business.  Jamie is a strategic business partner to the Sales, Supply Chain, Product Management, and Marketing teams.  Several of her responsibilities include workforce planning and development, succession planning, talent development, and SG&A oversight.  She also serves as a strategic HR resource to the commercial factory HR team. Prior to joining Lennox, Jamie was the Director of Human Resources for over 11 years at Xerox Services (formerly Affiliated Computer Services, Inc.).  Throughout her tenure she held various roles including Chief of Staff to the Chief People Officer, compliance oversight of multiple programs, OFCCP audits, ADA/Interactive process, vendor management and mergers and acquisitions activity. Jamie has been a member of SHRM and DallasHR since 1999.  She is a current member of the DallasHR Board of Trustees for the 2020-2023 term.  She has held several DallasHR leadership positions including the HRSouthwest Conference Director Elect in 2003 and HRSouthwest Conference Director in 2004. She served on the Board of Directors for several years and has recently been appointed as a member of the Strategic Planning Committee.  Jamie is also a member of the Society of Women Engineers and the Dallas Executive Networking Group.  She was a er member of the Texas Diversity Council. Jamie holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Texas.  She enjoys spending time with her husband of 12 years and three kids, Danny (stepson) (16), Drew (10) and Erin (9).  She enjoys traveling, running, cooking, reading, and serving as a volunteer in local communities.


        Finalist

Vanessa Taveras, SHRM - SCP |  Director of Human Resources | Austin  Commercial
Vanessa Taveras is a human resources leader and business partner with over 15 years of progressive experience in human resource management in the areas of talent acquisition, employee engagement strategy, talent and performance management, training and development, total rewards and employment law.  She has a successful track record of transformational leadership, intercultural communication, team building, managing change and creating a dynamic culture of collaboration to achieve workforce excellence. Vanessa effectively balances big picture thinking and strategic planning with business acumen and hands-on execution. Currently, Vanessa is the Director of Human Resources at Austin Commercial, a $1.6 billion commercial construction management company, which is headquartered in Dallas, TX. In this role, she is responsible for developing and executing human resources strategy to attract, develop and retain top talent, while partnering with leadership to ensure alignment with overall business direction and culture.  Vanessa holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies & Business from Long Island University and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the City University of New York. She is also accredited by the Society for Human Resource Management as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Vanessa is fluent in German and speaks Spanish at a conversational level. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, traveling and engaging in various athletic activities.

 

The Recruiting Team of the Year Award
Sponsored By




Congratulations to the 2020 Finalists & Recipients! To find out more about them, and the award, click here.


Recipient


       



Finalist
          

Emerging HR Leader of the Year

Sponsored By

          Recipient

Allison Schrubb, PHR| Human Resources Senior Specialist | Sendero 
Allison Schrubb is the Human Resources Senior Specialist at Sendero, a Dallas headquartered management consulting firm with expertise delivering strategic planning, technology enablement, and organizational effectiveness solutions.  Allison received her bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management from Texas Woman’s University while also working full time as a Human Resources professional. She earned her PHR (Professional in Human Resources) in 2017 and has been a member of DallasHR and SHRM for 5 years. Before coming to Sendero, she was the Human Resources Coordinator for an industrial distributor, where she led payroll processing, administered leave programs, and managed open enrollment and year-end processes.

                 Finalist
                                                           

Mallory Herrin, PHR, SHRM-CP, CPLC | Human Resources Consultant | HerrinHR 
Mallory Herrin is an experienced HR consultant and industry recognized thought leader, serving small and mid-size businesses. As a consultant, she is responsible for guiding the HR function for dozens of clients across a variety of industries throughout the United States. She creates and implements HR strategy for each of her clients across all areas of HR based on forecasting of business needs to support her clients’ short-term and long-term goals and growth plans. As the HR representation of her clients’ executive leadership teams, she handles a variety of HR issues, acts as the point person for formal charges or litigation, leads investigations of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation claims, oversees other HR functional areas such as benefits, payroll, and risk, selects and implements relevant software, and works to streamline processes and improve efficiencies of the overall HR function. Mallory also produces content – such as podcasts, video tutorials, and written articles – both for her own blog and also in collaboration with other industry organizations, such as HR Insider, for distribution to clients and other HR professionals. In addition to holding certifications from both HRCI and SHRM, she is also a Certified Professional Life Coach and has more than 10 years of progressive HR experience.


             

Student HR Leader of the Year


               Recipient 

Orlando "Gabe" Mireles | HR Representative Essilor of America | University North Texas
Originally from Houston Texas, Gabe is a new HR professional getting his career started with Essilor of America. A recent graduate from the University of North Texas, he encountered HR and SHRM as a sophomore in school. Gabriel quickly knew HR was for him and officially joined SHRM to simply learn and network. Little did he know that in 3 years of being a part of UNT SHRM, he would serve as Student Relations Officer, Vice President, and President. Gabriel’s goal has always been to learn, and to create the opportunities for members as SHRM did for him.  He was eager to get into Human Resources once he graduated and is now an HR Representative at Essilor with the same goals: to learn and help others. 


                   Finalist


Nickole Selensky | Human Capital Business Analyst - Deloitte Consulting | University of Texas at Dallas
Nickole Selensky is a Senior at the University of Texas at Dallas expected to graduate in December 2019 with a B.S. in Human Resource Management. She has served in multiple leadership roles based off peer nomination such as Director of Recruitment for two semesters and as President for her last semester. One of her proudest moments of being a leader for SHRM at UTD was at the Annual Student Games hosted at Baylor University where she led the competition team to victory against 9 other Texas student SHRM chapters. While focusing on her education and commitment to SHRM, Nickole has also obtained multiple internships. She has worked at Bombardier Aerospace for 15 months as their HR intern supporting a global network of HR Business Partners and worked on projects such as turnover analysis and creating training and development programs. In the summer of 2019, Nickole worked as a Human Capital Consulting intern for Deloitte’s Human Capital consulting practice, where she assisted one of the leading airline companies based out of Dallas. Nickole is excited to start as a full time Business Analyst for Deloitte’s Human Capital practice in 2020 where she will have the opportunity to travel around the world and assist fortune 500 companies with complex human resource issues.



                   Finalist

Heidi Torres | Safran Electrical & Power Intern | Texas Woman's University 
Heidi Torres is a non-traditional Texas Woman’s University student pursuing her BBA in Human Resource Management. She previously led multiple commission-based sales teams and developed HR skills to become a Human Resources Supervisor. While in the HR role, Heidi wanted to expand her knowledge in the ever-growing field of human resources that led her to enroll at TWU.  She is the caregiver for her father who has Alzheimer’s disease, a wife, and a mother of two fur babies.  Heidi is the TWU Student Chapter SHRM 2019 - 2020 President. She participated in the Texas SHRM Student Conference and learned how to develop TWU SHRM’s first official mission and vision. This action opened the organization to all majors for membership growth and help students prepare for their careers after college. Under Heidi’s leadership, she increased TWU SHRM’s presence by utilizing recruitment techniques at on-campus organization fairs and tripled its membership.  TWU SHRM collaborated with Enactus, another TWU Student Chapter, to host an EVOLVE Workshop.  The workshop helped the Dallas Native American community by reviewing resumes, advised on LinkedIn tips, and mock interviews from a HR perspective. The National Society of Collegiate Scholars inducted Heidi for her stellar grade point average at TWU. In addition to Heidi’s educational responsibilities, she is a member of SHRM National, DallasHR, North Texas SHRM, and the Van Alstyne Chamber of Commerce. She participated in seven DallasHR Round Tables and more than thirteen networking events.

 

                                     Chapter Volunteer Leader of the Year                                 

                   Recipient


Mike Pierce | Vice President Employee Benefits Consultant | Lockton Dunning Benefits
Mike joined Lockton Dunning Benefits in 2019 and brings with him extensive experience as an employee benefits consultant. Mike helps employers build, oversee and promote their employee benefits programs. His strategies and methods have helped countless mid-size to large employers’ lower cost and increase employee satisfaction with their benefits offerings. Mike has a strong commitment to service, a straightforward communication style and a high level of integrity in his leadership roles within his community. His areas of expertise include: Conducting strategic planning sessions with management to develop benefit philosophies and strategies; Reviewing health and welfare programs for financial soundness, administrative functionality, appropriate contribution levels and gaps in plan offerings; Evaluating funding mechanisms for fully insured and self-insured plans and comprehensive review of financial agreements; Assessing market competitiveness and identify cost drivers to assist employers with employee benefits strategy and implementation of communication strategies and administration of benefit plans between the client and the plan’s vendors.


                 Finalist


Allison Lyons, SPHR, SHRM-SCP | Vice President Human Resources | JP Morgan Chase
Allison Lyons, SHRM-SCP is currently an HR Vice-President at JPMorgan Chase in Plano, Texas. Her 24- year HR career has spanned multiple organizations, roles, states, and industries in Healthcare, Financial Services, and Manufacturing. She’s worked at organizations such as Toyota, Mayo Clinic, and Tenet Health to name a few. Allison had led in many facets of HR including Talent & Recruitment, HR Business Partner, Diversity, and Talent Development. Her experience includes leading in JPMorgan Chase’s HR Business Partner Team, Toyota’s Talent Branding and Contingent Workforce efforts, and the growth of a new division from 700-7000 as the National HR Director at Tenet.

Allison received her master’s in HR from the University of North Florida, and her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Marquette University.  Additionally, she has a designation as a SHRM-SCP. Allison is currently a member of DallasHR’s Board of Directors as Education Director and has been on the Education Committee for several years. Allison has been a featured speaker at the 2018 LinkedIn National Conference as well at the National HR Tech Conference. She regularly volunteers her time in the community including at Minnie’s Food Pantry and the North Texas Food Bank. She and her husband have two children, Christian and Brooke.   


                Finalist

 

Lauren Truelove, PHR, SHRM-CP | Vice President of Administration | Unity Hunt
Lauren Truelove is Vice President of Administration at Unity Hunt, Inc. Lauren is responsible for all administrative functions, including human resources, payroll and benefits administration, office management and reception, stakeholder and company insurance administration, and information technology services. Having worked mostly in the area of human resources, she is very familiar with compensation, staff training, recruitment, risk management, employee and labor relations, employee engagement initiatives, and organizational development. She is particularly experienced in the areas of developing company culture, mediation, and directing administrative functions of complex organizations. Prior to joining Unity Hunt, Inc. Lauren was the Director of Culture and Compliance at Employee Solutions and served in the previous roles of human resources manager, human resources and accounting administrator, accounting assistant, and staffing consultant. Lauren also remains active in her community with various volunteering roles. These include project manager for fundraisers for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, Director of Collin County HR, and a member of the Board of Directors of DallasHR. Previously, Lauren served on the Steering Committee for Leadership Garland Lauren is also a member of the Society of Human Resources Management and the American Staffing Association. Lauren received her Bachelor of Science in family and development studies from the University of North Texas, is a Leadership Garland graduate, and earned her designations of Professional in Human Resources, SHRM-Certified Professional, and Certified Staffing Professional. She has recently gone back to school to earn her Master of Jurisprudence in Labor and Employment Law. Lauren lives in Frisco, Texas with her husband Tyler and their two daughters. When Lauren is not working, she enjoys barbecuing and soaking up the sun with her family and friends.


Chapter Volunteer of the Year

Sponsored By

             Recipient


Lisa Harris | Manager Client Relations | Thorn Network 
Lisa grew up in Denton, Texas and graduated from the University of North Texas where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Creative Writing. Lisa has a passion for human resources, specifically recruiting, probably due to her desire to help others. Lisa joined Thorn right out of college as a Recruiter and has spent over 10 years excelling in roles such as recruiting, account management, and sales, with her most recent role being Business Development Manager. In addition to her role at Thorn, Lisa has been very involved professionally with the local SHRM chapter DallasHR, for the last 6 years and is the Director-Elect of the Education Committee in 2020.  Outside of work, Lisa enjoys spending time with her family, watching her son play baseball, watching her daughter cheer competitively, indulging in wine, watching college football (BOOMER SOONER), country dancing, and watching Food Network.


                 Finalist 


Tyra Bremer | Founder and CEO | Thrive Hive Solutions 
Tyra Bremer is a highly-accomplished and dedicated human resources executive with a proven history of achieving strategic change.  
Prior to founding Thrive Hive Solutions, Tyra held an executive position with a private equity backed collision repair organization and multiple executive positions with a Fortune 500 company. Previous to her focused career in human resources, Tyra specialized in meeting the business needs in multi-family and residential real estate, title insurance, auto finance, and the manufacturing industry.  In her role as Vice President of Talent Development for a private equity backed, multi-location operator of collision repair, Tyra overhauled and modernized the corporate training structure, enabling the company’s scalable expansion. Tyra conceptualized, launched, and managed the Apprentice Development Program, an immersive 52-week training course offering first-tier instruction and hands-on experience to aspiring technicians.  Tyra earned the US Department of Labor’s (DoL) apprenticeship certification, making the organization the industry’s first company to receive this honor; to support the program, the DoL awarded the organization a $75,000 grant.

Tyra earned a promotion to the organization’s first-ever female vice president in less than one year for her successful and proactive initiatives. Tyra created and managed the company’s M&A training integration strategy while directing the design, development, and execution of multiple operational and leadership conferences, one of which was cited by the CEO as “the best conference our organization has ever had.” Tyra was selected to represent the organization by conducting interviews with leading industry publications and news outlets, contributing to organization’s listing as a Dallas Business Journal “Best Places to Work” company in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.


                 Finalist


Becky Buttermore, PHR, SHRM-CP, CASP |Channel Development Manager - Senior Living | Oasis
Becky has been with Oasis, a Paychex Company for over 8 years.  Oasis, is a national PEO organization where Becky serves as a Channel Development Manager in the Senior Living vertical.  She has over 10 years’ experience in servicing the Senior Living industry. Prior to joining Oasis, Becky was with a regional PEO where she helped launch the PEO division. Becky is the former President and CEO of a large staffing provider in north Alabama with over 20 years’ experience in the staffing industry. Becky has always been active in SHRM at both the local and national level.  She has served in many different director positions in both Alabama and Colorado.  She remains active in SHRM and Dallas HR. Becky received her BS degree from Samford University in Birmingham, AL and she received her PHR and SHRM, CP designation from the National Society of Human Resource Management and her CASP from the University of North Texas. 

              

 

 

Conference Volunteer Leader of the Year


                 
Recipient  



Kay Bumgarner, PHR, SHRM-CP |Talent Manager | Essilor
Kay earned her Bachelor of Arts in Management from Hope College in Michigan.  She started her career in Human Resources working in Logistics after college and then moved to Essilor of America in 2009 as an HR Generalist.  Since 2009, Kay has held various roles as an HR Generalist, HR Operations Manager, and is now a Talent Manager.  Kay has been a part of the DallasHR organization since 2012 and volunteers for The HRSouthwest Conference; most recently as Education Sessions Committee Director.  She has earned her PHR (Professional in Human Resources) and SHRM-CP (Society for Human Resource Management – Certified Professional) certifications.



                 
Finalist


Brian Hayes, SPHR, SHRM-SCP | Director Human Resources | Disability Rights Texas
Brian Hayes joined Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) in January 2019 and brings more than 23 years of Human Resources management experience in both for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) receiving a Bachelors of Arts in Communication/Public Relations, and holds professional certifications from the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI) as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), as well as, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) as a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). After spending most of his HR career working with manufacturing, oil & gas, petrochemical companies and other public organizations, Brian had the unique opportunity to lead a long-term supported care program in Galveston for residents who had a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury.  Licensed for 32 residents, the 40,000 square foot facility was located one block from the beach in the heart of Galveston Island and offered premiere long-term supported care for survivors of brain and spinal cord injury. Brian has served on the Board of Directors for The HRSouthwest Conference for 5 years, and has been a volunteer for the conference for a total of 7 years.  Prior to moving to Austin in 2019 to join the team at DRTx, Brian lived in the League City, Texas area and served as the Chapter President for Texas Bay Area SHRM for 4 years.  He was recently elected to the Board of Directors for the Austin Human Resource Management Association (AHRMA) as President-Elect for 2020.  AHRMA is the third (3rd) largest HR professional association in the state of Texas.  In his role as President-Elect, Brian will be responsible for managing the Stepping Stones Program, AHRMA’s 2008 SHRM Pinnacle Award-winning leadership development program.

                 Finalist

Krystal Yates, SPHR, SHRM - SCP | Owner | EBR Consulting, LLC
Krystal Yates is a Certified HR professional with a background in both Human Resources and Operations.  Prior to starting EBR, Krystal worked for several small businesses in DFW with responsibility for HR, Operations, Finance, Marketing, & Management.  Additionally, she has been working with job seekers since 2010 assisting in all facets of job hunting including resume writing, networking and interview prep. In September 2018, Krystal published her first book, The Insider's Guide to Your Dream Career. Krystal holds both the SHRM-SCP and SPHR certifications and is a member of the Forbes Coaches Counsel.  She serves on the board of Feral Friends
Community Cat, volunteers with HRSouthwest, and mentors small business owners through SCORE.    



Conference Volunteer of the Year

                    Recipient


Mary Williams, SPHR, SHRM-SCP | HR Manager | Niagara Bottling, LLC
Mary Williams is the Human Resources Manager with Niagara Bottling in Dallas.  Niagara is the nation’s largest bottler of private label water, headquartered in Ontario, California. She has more than 25 years HR experience primarily in the transportation/logistics, distribution and manufacturing fields.  Mary graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Food & Nutrition/Business & Merchandising.  She holds professional certifications from both HRCI as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and from SHRM as a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).  She has volunteered with the HR Southwest Conference for at least eight years --- and has a blast every year! 




                   Finalist


Gina Heppel, PHR, CEBS, SHRM-CP | VP/Associate Director of HR | Southside Bank
Gina Heppel has been a dedicated Human Resources professional for over 20 years working primarily in the banking/finance sector.  Currently she holds the position of Vice President - Associate Human Resources Director with Southside Bank.  She received her Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science from Tarleton State University with a concentration in business.  She is an active member in the Society for Human Resource Management organization.  She has earned her PHR (Professional in Human Resources), SHRM-CP (Society for Human Resource Management – Certified Professional), CEBS (International Foundation of Employee Benefits – Certified Employee Benefit Specialist) and holds Texas State Health and Life Insurance License.    

                   Finalist


Peter Novick, CSP, SHRM-CP | HR Coordinator | RPC Company
Peter has been working in the HR profession for nine years.  He has been active with DallasHR for four years and volunteering for DallasHR Conference for three.  He worked in customer service while in high school and completing his degree at the University of North Texas.  Upon graduating from UNT he joined a medical staffing company, CnStaffing, responsible for on-boarding, screening and maintaining the credentials on all employees.  While working for CnStaffing he was active in the American Staffing Association and the Society of Human Resource Management. 

He completed his ASA CSP and SHRM-CPH certifications.  He was promoted to Administrative Manager directly responsible for Payroll, Billing, Collection and all HR duties for approximately 350 employees.  In 2019 CnStaffing was acquired by Resource Personnel Consultants where he is responsible for employee credentialing and developing HR policies for all RPC employees.   Peter has also volunteered with the North Texas Food Bank, senior centers and his church.  He enjoys traveling, movies, video games and being with friends.