Professional Mentoring Event
Spring 2016 Mentor Bios
Andy Covell
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Andy has been in the HR field for over 12 years and has progressively worked his way through the different HR functions. He started his HR career as a Safety & Compliance Manager for large hospitality company. He then was promoted into a Benefits Manager position where he was responsible for managing the entire benefits function for 1,300 employees. After spending 3 years in San Diego, he was once again promoted to Employment Manager in Cambridge, MA where he spent a quick 10 months before moving back to So. Cal and working in Los Angeles for a large unionized hotel.
After a short tenure in LA, he relocated back to San Diego as a Human Resources Manager and overseeing the HR function for 5 different companies under the same ownership. Following that position, he tried a different environment and went into Department of Defense Contracting. He spent nearly 5 years in the DoD arena and supporting the HR function of an IT company and a tactical training company. Andy has recently changed industries once again and I am now the Human Resources Director for a property management company called Garden Communities. Throughout his career, Andy has been exposed to all facets of the HR function and he feels he has a great amount of knowledge, experience, and wisdom to pass on to the new and upcoming professionals. |
Peter Kane
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Peter Kane has more than 38 years of progressive experience as a Human Resources professional. After graduating from the Business school at SDSU in 1973, Peter joined Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation, and subsequently worked for a variety of companies in both the public and private sectors, profit & non-profit. His vast experience includes work in agriculture, aerospace manufacturing, healthcare, biotechnology, and academic life science organizations. His last corporate role was the Director of Human Resources for the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in La Jolla, California. In 2009, Peter started his own HR consulting business and is proud to list a number of great San Diego companies in his portfolio of current clients, including Organovo, eMolecules, Slacker Radio, 30 KFC restaurants, Foursquare Properties, Kleege Industries, Sightlines in Guilford, CT, and more. He is the founder and former board member of the Biotech Employee Development Coalition (BEDC); he was a member of the board of directors of the San Diego Society for Human Resources Management (SDSHRM) for 7 years and now serves on their Membership Committee. He has also been a member of the national Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) since 1976, the San Diego HR Forum, the San Diego HR Roundtable, Senior Human Resources Executives (SHaRE), and the Compensation and Benefits Association of San Diego (CBASD). In addition, he served for 7 years on the Board of Directors of the San Diego Center for Children and continues to support their operations through fundraising activities. Peter is married to Maureen, his wife of 44 years. They have two children, Jennifer and Christian, and four grandchildren. They live in the Bay Park area of San Diego, CA. When not with his grandkids, Peter spends his spare time cycling, both on the road and in the mountains, and gardening.
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Sarah Hall
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Sarah is a Certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) with a Bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and sits on the San Diego SHRM Board as Secretary. She specializes in the areas of employment law and compliance, recruitment, training and development, benefits, workers’ compensation, payroll, and employee relations. Sarah’s current employment as a Human Resources Generalist with Proven Recruiting began in 2007. During her tenure with Proven Recruiting, Sarah has designed policies and procedures, organized and lead meetings and trainings. She has participated in a mentorship program previously and with her 5 years’ experience as a Human Resources Generalist she will be able to share some good insight.
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Brett Pugliesi
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Brett Pugliesi is the Head of People Operations at Reflexion Health, a tech start-up in downtown San Diego and is responsible for all HR activities. Prior to joining Reflexion Health, Brett served as the HR Director at Superior Mobile Medics for 8 years before the company was acquired by Quest Diagnostics in November of 2015. Brett holds a Bachelors of Science in Business and Management from the University of Redlands. In his spare time he enjoys long distance cycling, traveling, and going to the beach with his golden retriever.
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Nina Woodard
President and Chief ‘N’ Sights Officer|Nina E Woodard & Associates |
Ms. Woodard serves currently as the President and Chief ‘N’ Sights Officer for Nina E. Woodard & Associates. She launched this company upon her return to the US at the end of third quarter 2008. Using customized executive coaching and strategic business consulting strategies, Ms. Woodard strives to heighten confidence in business leaders as they move into the Indian and other foreign market places, help them increase their understanding of the cultural nuances influencing business in India and to engage in more meaningful and productive communications with India colleagues all for the purpose of increasing business results. In addition to her consulting practice, Ms. Woodard is a Lecturer at Cal State San Marcos and Adjunct Faculty in Extended Education at Brandman Universities.
Nina’s career has encompassed 32 years in the field of banking. Her rich Human Resources background includes leadership roles in practical day to day activity as well as significant change initiatives, including M and A work and establishing a shared services center for finance. She has worked across North, Central and South America, in the Middle East and in Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan. These experiences have given her a truly global business perspective. In all of her roles she worked as an HR Strategic Business Partner with the line managers she supported. Ms. Woodard currently serves as the mentor and business coach for Husys Consulting in India. She serves as a member of the advisory team for World HR Congress and Asia Pacific HR Congress. She is the Immediate Past President for San Diego SHRM and a member of the Finance Committee for Saint Thomas More, Church. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Management and an MBA and is certified a Senior Professional in Human Resources and a Global Professional in Human Resources by Society for Human Resource Management. |
Jennifer Maynard
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Jennifer joined the HR Team at Innovative Employee Solutions (IES) in 2007. She previously held a role at IES as the National Accounts Manager from 1998-2000.
Innovative Employee Solutions (IES) is well-established woman-owned company operating in San Diego for over 40 years. IES provides contractor payrolling services working with clients to employee over 3,000 employees nationwide each year. IES has earned a reputation for workplace excellence, client trust, and employee loyalty. IES has received local and national recognition for being a top woman-owned business, closely-held company, and one of San Diego’s Best Places to Work for eight (8) consecutive years. IES was awarded the ASA Care Award and the San Diego’s Breaking Away Award for its corporate social responsibility initiative offering over 800 volunteer hours to the San Diego community in 2015. Jennifer’s primary responsibility is managing the IES Health and Welfare Plan for staff and our contract employees. Over the last few years, Jennifer has become well versed at the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and in 2015, Jennifer served on a cross-functional team to implement a new benefits administration system to meet the needs of our clients and employees with multi-layered benefits packages. Additionally, Jennifer acts as a resource to IES in areas that include compliance, benefits management, talent management, employee relations and process improvement. As an HR professional, Jennifer’s role is to support the company with strategic thinking and long term planning. Prior to IES, Jennifer’s career focused on marketing and event planning as the Director of Marketing and Membership at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC. She led the efforts on attracting and retaining the club membership and developed marketing studies and programs designed to boost junior membership at this unique city club. Jennifer holds a B.A. in Communications/Public Relations with a minor in Spanish from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She is a Certified Staffing Professional (CSP) through the American Staffing Association and a member of SHRM and San Diego Human Resources Forum. Jennifer is married with 2 daughters and loves living in San Diego. |
Tania Fiero
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As the vice president of human resources, Tania leads human resources, information technology and the legal department at Innovative Employee Solutions (IES). Her expertise with issues surrounding joint employment and the Affordable Care Act has positioned IES as a leader in their industry. She is also an advocate for the temporary staffing industry and for companies to embrace contingent workers in their staffing strategy and into their culture.
Her efforts to promote a great culture for employees has resulted in multiple local and national awards including San Diego Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work” for the last nine years (2005 to 2016), the KUSI “Breaking Away Award of Excellence” (2015) and the American Staffing Association’s “Care Award” (2014, 2015). Tania is certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) through the Human Resources Certification Institution (HRCI) and holds a SHRM-CP certification through SHRM. She served on the Board of Directors for the National Human Resources Association (NHRA) of San Diego for three years in the President’s office, and served on the board as Immediate Past President and Advisor for the newly formed San Diego HR Forum. In addition, Tania is a member of the National Chapter of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), was named San Diego's HR Professional of the Year in 2011, and was recognized by the SDHR Forum Board of Directors at the 2016 HR Executive of the Year event. Tania’s colleagues describe her as incredibly authentic, strategic and fun. An ultra-runner, she can be found spending her weekends with her husband and two kids running or hiking the beautiful trails in San Diego. |
Christa J. Schott
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Christa J. Schott started her own consulting company right out of college in the field of Labor Compliance focusing on government contracts and enforcing prevailing wage labor law. Over the past thirteen years, her company Alliant Consulting has grown to be one of the largest and most well respected Labor Compliance providers in California. Ms. Schott oversees all company contracts, Human Resources and legal responsibilities for three company offices located in San Diego, Redlands and Lancaster. She is active with the SDSU community and currently serves on the School of Business Management Advisory Board. In her personal life, Christa plays ice hockey and is an avid pilot. She lives in downtown San Diego with her husband Michael.
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Monty Bell
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Monty Bell has over 20 years of Executive level HR experience and 10 years as a CFO/COO. Monty currently leads a team of HR, HRIS, Safety & Risk, and Payroll experts at CP Global, a multistate manufacturing company with international sales channels, as their Director of Human Resources & Risk Management. A passionate and engaging broad-based "out of the box" Leader with extensive experience in Human Resources, Risk Management, Coaching, Organizational Development, and Finance. Monty’s passion is using analytics to drive key organizational changes through its talent. Accustomed to leading large teams in challenging circumstances, Monty currently volunteers as the Business Liaison for the San Diego County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and is the Director of Finance for the San Diego HR Forum. In his spare time he serves as a volunteer and instructor for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and Sheriff’s Search and Rescue.
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Alicia Wadsworth
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As Vice President of Human Resources for Plaza Home Mortgage Ms. Wadsworth is responsible for ensuring Plaza’s human resources and training strategies are in compliance with applicable labor laws, regulations and agency standards. She oversees human resources, leadership development, training, culture, compensation, associate relations, succession planning, associate engagement, policies and procedures as well as Plaza’s workforce. Before joining Plaza in late 2013, Ms. Wadsworth held the position of Vice President of Human Resources and Risk Management for Pristine Environments. Ms. Wadsworth has a degree in business management from the University of Phoenix.
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Connie Chovan
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Connie Chovan is a SDSU School of Business alumni and SDSU Alumni Association Lifetime Member and she is looking forward to contributing as a Professional Mentor to the SDSU SHRM chapter members.
Connie is proud to be part of the Recruitment team and Executive Recruiter at Sharp HealthCare, San Diego's Healthcare Leader and the largest private employer in San Diego County. She has earned the prestigious SHRM-CP and PHR, Human Resources professional certifications and credentials. Connie offers 20 years of full life-cycle recruiting experience in Executive Search, IT and Healthcare business operations functions, exceling at identifying qualified, engaged and passionate professionals who seek to make a difference in the work they do day in, day out at her employer of choice Sharp HealthCare, San Diego's HealthCare leader. |
Daniel Del Castillo
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An accomplished bilingual HR professional with private, public and non-profit background, Daniel leverages vast experience working with diverse teams in fast-paced environments. Excelling in establishing effective and cooperative work relationships, Daniel guides C-suite professionals in implementing HR strategies and solutions with a seamless delivery resulting in a positive impact on the bottom line. Daniel’s development and implementation of human resource programs includes high-growth strategies in the non-profit and for profit sectors, establishing him as a versatile and seasoned HR leader. Daniel’s bilingual skills are exceptional and can provide a competitive advantage in today’s culturally diverse workforce.
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Sean Ring
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Sean Ring is a native of the high mountains of Colorado and has called San Diego home since 2007. Sean is an avid surfer and world traveler, constantly striving to gain knowledge, perspective and experience from all corners of the globe and from all walks of life. Sean earned a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Business from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2005. Professionally, Sean has held a variety of sales focused roles across multiple industries, specializing in a consultative sales approach. Experience in several industries has given him a wealth of unique experiences and a deep understanding into multiple industry verticals. Sean has earned his CCWP accreditation from Staffing Industry Analysts and was also recognized as a top millennial in the staffing industry by Staffing Industry Review Magazine. Sean is currently Vice Chair for the ASA Corporate Social Responsibility Committee.
Currently, Sean works as Business Development Manager for Innovative Employee Solutions, Inc., a San Diego based B2B service provider of Employer of Record Payrolling services for their clients nationwide and internationally. Sean serves as Director of Membership for the San Diego Human Resources Forum and is also the chair of the IES Cares program for community outreach, coordinating a dedicated team of volunteer advocates in partnering with local San Diego non-profits like the SD Humane Society, SD Food Bank, and Junior Achievement of San Diego County. Behind Sean’s leadership the IES employee team volunteered more than 800 hours in 2016 across 6 non-profit organizations with an employee base of only 27 people. Sean is highly motivated to make the world a better place and constantly thrives on new experiences and learning from others. Sean has three simple mantras in life and in business:
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Marika Lemmons
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Marika Lemmons is a Compensation Analyst at ESET North America, headquartered in San Diego. She graduated from University of Washington - Foster School of Business with a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management. She began her career in the HR Rotation Program at ON Semiconductor, and completed her Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) certificate in February 2016.
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Marie Huerta
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Marie Huerta is a Senior Human Resources Representative at Cubic Transportations Systems, Inc. in San Diego, California. She received a B.S. in Business Administration (Management) with distinction in May 2014 from San Diego State University (SDSU). Marie is passionate about Human Resources and has acquired valuable experience in Human Resources, including in the areas of employee relations, compensation, benefits, HRIS systems, performance review, worker compensation, international assignments, and much more. She has been a long-standing member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and acted as the Executive Secretary for the SDSU chapter during her undergraduate years.
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Priscilla Santos
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Priscilla is a human resources professional, with a primary focus in talent acquisition. She served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Personnel and Administrative Specialist, and discovered a passion for Human Resources, as she transitioned to the civilian workforce. She is a San Diego State University alumni, and earned a B.S. Business Administration, Human Resource Management, in 2013. Upon graduating, Priscilla proceeded to work in corporate recruiting for companies such as SeaWorld Ent., and joined the Talent Acquisition team at Pechanga Resort and Casino in 2014.
Priscilla enjoys rooting for the New England Patriots, and spending quality time with her husband and son. |
Melody Nelson
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Melody Nelson has worked in Human Resources for over 15 years. She has always been an HR generalist and specializes in talent management including workforce planning, recruiting, performance management, employee development and employee engagement. She also has significant experience managing employee relations, benefits, compensation and compliance issues. She has worked in a variety of industries including: Commercial and Residential Real Estate, Software and Hospitality. She works currently as the Vice President of Human Resources for Burger Lounge, a fast-casual multi-unit restaurant company headquartered in San Diego, CA.
She has a BA in Psychology from San Diego State University and a MA in Organizational Behavior from Alliant International University (formerly CA School of Professional Psychology). Melody is currently studying for the SHRM- SCP and is a member of CA Chamber of Commerce, SHRM and SHRM- San Diego. Melody lives with her 19-year old son, Milo and two dogs, Jax and Franky. |
Gracie Riesgo
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Gracie Riesgo, PHR, SHRM-CP, graduated from SDSU in 1988 and has been working in the Human Resources field for the last 20 years. She also completed the Human Resources Certification program through the SDSU Extended Studies. She’s had the opportunity to build her human resources career by working for two of San Diego’s premier health care providers, Sharp HealthCare and Scripps Health. She currently works at Sharp HealthCare in the Recruitment department as a Talent Acquisition Specialist.
Gracie is married to Ramon Riesgo, SDSU ’90. They are SDSU Alumni Lifetime Members and are can always be counted on to be supporting the Aztec basketball teams. |
Patricia Rosiles
Human Resources Generalist | WESTliving |
Patricia Rosiles graduated from SDSU in December 2014 and majored in Business Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management. After completing Prof. Dean’s Human Resources Management course, she took an interest in Human Resources and joined SDSU SHRM where she held an officer position as SD SHRM Liaison. SDSU SHRM has offered her the opportunity to have a group of friends who are exceptional HR professionals and who continue to motivate her years after graduation. She is grateful for the continued support and still remains an active SDSU SHRM alum member! Patricia was hired as an HR Administrator for a senior living management company named WESTliving after graduating from SDSU. She received her SHRM-CP certification last December and is now an HR Generalist for WESTliving. Beside her career endeavors, Patricia enjoys traveling, exploring new hiking trails and spending time with friends and family.
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David Shon
Talent Acquisition Specialist | Sharp HealthCare |
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Karla Boudreaux
Senior HR Manager | ESET North America |
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Michelle Deitrich
Senior Department HR Officer | County of San Diego |
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Casie Martinez
Personnel Services Supervisor | Cajon Valley Union School District |
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Andrew Welt
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