Our authorsThe Top HR and Government experts

Like most of us, Wellness Expert and Author, Angela Gaffney, thought life would go on no matter what. She was engrossed in her work, caring for her family of four, and living life to the fullest. Convenience food and diet coke kept her going until her energy tank ran dry each night. She’d wake up and repeat the next day, never realizing along the way that a much bigger story was brewing. And after a two-year struggle with a failing body, Angela was told to go home and prepare for a progressive disease to take her life. Angela had been succeeding, but with great sacrifice. And didn’t even realize it. But that’s not the end of the story . . . If there’s one thing you’ll quickly realize about this dynamic, big hearted keynote speaker it’s that she rarely takes no for an answer; giving up on life was not an option. Angela is the catalyst for healthy transformation! After devoting intense time, education and energy into regaining her own health and becoming a Certified Health Coach; she’s shared these same proven strategies to help hundreds of others lose weight, boost energy, rid the body of pain and regain a zest for life. Everyone wants to feel good, and deserves the right to do so! Are you ready to ignite transformation? Begin with Angela’s signature keynote One Simple Choice where she shares her powerful story of perseverance and uncovers the key strategies that transform lives. Add a VIP Session, Hot Seat Keynote, or private book signing for a little extra sizzle and your team will be ready to chart their course to healthy living! Beyond the keynote, Angela provides Worksite Wellness programs, creating a plan that’s right for you, your team and your budget. Are you ready to ignite transformation? It all begins with One Simple Choice . . .

Cheri Torres is an author and trainer cheritorres.com. She works with leaders to enhance their ability to fuel productive and meaningful engagement, including the art of reinvention. Her most recent bestselling book is Conversations Worth Having. You can download a free Conversation Toolkit and learn more about inspiring creative conversations at ConversationsWorthHaving.today.  For more information on how to have conversations worth having in difficult or crucial situations, visit www.cwh.today. Download the free Conversation Toolkit; read Conversations Worth Having. Coming soon (September): CWH QuickStart Guide for Employee Evaluations and Performance Appraisals, will be available on Amazon and in digital format at www.cwh.today.

Andrea Mein DeWitt is an author, sought-after speaker, and dynamic leadership coach who teaches high-performing leaders to see and step into their power, potential, and truth. She is the CEO of Andrea DeWitt Advisors, where she coaches heart-centered working professionals who are feeling the call to chase a dream, create something new in their lives, or transform something that's no longer working. Andrea's mantra is, "It is only when we dare to look inside ourselves that we find the truth to light our way forward." She encourages her clients to find their courage by stepping out of their comfort zone, which Andrea believes is the portal that will help them maximize their power and potential in both their personal and professional lives. Andrea's career path has taken her through diverse roles, from educator, mentor, and facilitator to speaker, coach, and author. As she moved through each role, she took advantage of the opportunities to learn, gain new skills, and become a better version of herself. After more than 30 years as a successful academic, Andrea bravely shed her cloak of education and took the courageous and transformational leap into the world of coaching. Her own life transitions allowed her to modify, revise, and rewrite her life. These are the skills she transmits to her coaching clients as she inspires them to take control and become the best version of themselves. Her 2022 book, Name, Claim & Reframe: Your Path to a Well-Lived Life, helps readers on a path to self-discovery, enabling them to access their personal power and potential in a way that aligns with their truth through the Name, Claim, and Reframe® (NCR) model. Her new follow-up workbook, Name, Claim & Reframe Workbook: Your Companion Guide to a Well-Lived Life, set to be released on April 30, 2024, offers an in-depth introspective extension for readers to harvest their own insights using NCR®. Andrea holds an M.Ed. in Reading Leadership from UC Berkeley and is a Professional Certified Coach through The Co-Active Training Institute and The International Coaching Federation.

Bill Treasurer is the Chief Encouragement Officer (CEO) of Giant Leap Consulting, Inc. He is the author of international best-seller Courage Goes To Work, which introduced the new management practice of courage building and Leaders Open Doors, which became the #1 leadership training book on Amazon. All royalties from Leaders Open Doors are donated to programs that support kids with special needs. His latest book, A Leadership Kick In The Ass will be released this January. Bill has designed leadership and succession programs for emerging and experienced leaders for NASA, Saks Fifth Avenue, UBS Bank, Walsh Construction, Spanx, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs, and many others. For more information, visit giantleapconsulting.com, billtreasurer.com, or couragebuilding.com/kickass. Bill is also the author of Courage Goes to Work, an international bestselling book that introduces the concept of courage-building. He is also the author of Courageous Leadership: A Program for Using Courage to Transform the Workplace, an off-the-shelf training toolkit that organizations use to build workplace courage. Bill has worked with thousands of executives from top organizations, including NASA, Accenture, CNN, UBS Bank, Spanx, Hugo Boss, Saks Fifth Avenue, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Learn more at www.billtreasurer.com or www.couragebuilding.com.

Leading from within, enables others to do the same. Leadership therefore becomes the shining light to help others on their path to wholeness, great teamwork and positive results. I help leaders develop self- mastery, helping them to become confident in their own inner guidance. I collaborate with leadership experts, managers and HR professionals to help them get their own message and unique services and products to a wide audience. FCIPD Qualified with a BA Hons in Life Long Learning, Diploma and Certifcate in Coaching. Resident Guest HR Columnist for Barclays Connector. Connect with Christina https://linktr.ee/christinalattimer

Brent Ives has 15 years of experience in helping public agencies with organizational challenges and opportunities. He has been a successful engineering manager at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory with extensive experience in employee relations, career growth advocacy and career transition. Through his firm, BHI Management Consulting, he has taught hundreds of courses (many for CSDA) and spoken to many many groups and businesses on strategic planning, best practices for public agencies and organizational health. He works with public agencies every week to individualize strategic plans, training, executive recruiting and consultation in organizational health. Brent is also a 14 year City Councilman and currently the directly elected Mayor the City of Tracy, CA, a city of 85,000 in the central valley and serves as a commissioner of the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE Train) Joint Powers Authority and a Director of the San Joaquin County Council of Governments. Brent can be reached via LinkedIn at: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bhimanagementconsulting

Allison Dretzin is a Human Resources expert with over eight years of experience in both private and public organizations.

Stuart is a performance management specialist with 20 years experience in human resources, both as an HR Director and HR/OD Consultant. He has spent the last 10 years working with organisations to improve their performance management processes and implement online systems. Prior to this, Stuart held in-house HR roles for well-known organisations including Boots, BP, United Biscuits and Sony where he was International HR Director for their Music Publishing division. Stuart holds a BA (hons) in Human Resources Management and is a Chartered Member of the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development).

Allen was born in Avon Park, Florida on November 21, 1980 to a minister and a special needs instructor, both of who taught him the importance of service to ones fellow man. Known for his vision and perspective, he was raised in the agricultural based, rural city of Wauchula, Florida. After graduating from Hardee Senior High School in 1999, Allen went on to received his Bachelors of Arts Degree in Political Science with a concentration in Business Administration from Florida Southern College where he was elected Treasurer of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International, FSC Chapter and soon thereafter, became the organization’s first African-American President. During this time, he was actively involved in community organizing initiatives. These efforts led to the creation of The Community Economic Council, Inc. in which he served as Treasurer and later serving as the organization’s advocate in Washington. The CEC was created to educate and inspire members of the community on the issues surrounding business ownership, trade and commerce. During his tenure at the CEC, Allen would host community forums, town hall meetings and events that were designed to strengthen the communities in the areas of business and home ownership, public-private partnerships, government contracting, financial literacy, trade and commerce. Allen founded the Center for Economic & Policy Development, Inc. (The Center) to facilitate economic growth throughout Central Florida and rural parts of the country. His vision, core philosophies and strong principles are igniting young future leaders from around the country through The Emerging Leaders Initiative, a project placed under The Center. This initiative facilitates his vision of pairing young bright minds with current leaders in the fields of medicine, science, engineering, law, policy and politics.

Cachet Prescott, CPCC, PHR, is a Women’s Career & Business Coach. With purpose-aligned careers by design at the helm of her work, she provides coaching with a Proverbs 31 twist to mid-career professionals and aspiring service-based solopreneurs. She exercises expert prowess in enabling her counterparts to make thoughtful, strategically planned career transitions from career reinvention to returning home or re-entering the workforce to exploring the world of entrepreneurship. Cachet is also a speaker and college instructor who’s published career, entrepreneur and leadership related articles with Blue Star Families, Lead With Giants, Lioness Magazine, Military Spouse Corporate Career Network and Military Spouse Magazine. Outside of her entrepreneurial pursuits, Cachet is a proud military spouse and mother of three little girls.

Caitlyn Alford is a first-generation college graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience. She earned her M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. Since 2019, Caitlyn has been leveraging her expertise as a manager and talent management consultant at Catching Leadership, where she specializes in organizational change, leadership development, visual creativity, and promoting mindfulness in the workplace. Her dedication to fostering growth and innovation within organizations allows her to help clients navigate today's ever-evolving business landscape. Michael Leytem has been a leadership coach and talent management consultant since 2011. He has worked with thousands of organizational leaders to customize talent strategies and leadership solutions that drive personal and organizational growth. As a published academic, with an M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Michael has studied the mental processes and social pressures that influence effective leadership. His life-long passion for leadership, psychology, and mindfulness transcends throughout his work and interactions with others. Michael brings over 13 years of leadership coaching and management consulting experience to the corporate events he hosts.