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IPSC20 36th Annual Illinois Public Sector Labor Relations Law Conference


Total Credits: 26.25 including 26.25 Illinois

Categories:
Labor Law |  Labor Relations
Speakers:
David Amerson |  Margaret Angelucci |  Carlos S. Arevalo |  William Atwood |  Melissa Auerbach |  Gary Bailey |  James Baird |  Thomas Bradley, Senior Counsel |  Lisa R. Callaway |  Chelsy Castro |  Jeanne Charles |  Nicholas Christen |   55 more....
Duration:
7 Hours 45 Minutes
Product Type:
Classroom
License:
Never expires.

Dates


Description

Program Highlights

  • The Covid-19 Pandemic and Public Sector Labor Relations
  • K - 12 Education
  • Higher Education
  • Law Enforcement
  • Firefighters Forum
  • Health Care
  • Navigating the Maze of Leave
  • IELRA Developments
  • Interest Arbitration
  • Funding and Collective Bargaining
  • Ethics and Civility Across Tribunals
  • Return to Work Privacy and Constitutional Issues
  • Nuts & Bolts of Discipline
  • IPLRA Developments
  • Steering the Process through Unchartered Waters: Remote hearings, bargaining and mediation
  • Nuts & Bolts of Bargaining
  • Sharing and Access to Information
  • Pension Consolidation
  • Ethics - Mental Health
  • Marijuana and the Workplace
  • Police Reform and Labor Relations

Speaker

David Amerson's Profile

David Amerson Related Seminars and Products

Staff Attorney

Policemen's Benevolent & Protective Association of IL


David Amerson is a staff attorney with the Police Benevolent Labor Committee. David is also the Chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section Council, and is an adjunct faculty member with the University of Illinois’ Labor Education Program. Previously, David was the coordinator of AFSCME Retirees - Chapter 31, and Executive Vice-President of the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans. He has also represented federal workers in the legal department of the AFGE, and as a legal advisor to the Graduate Employee Organization (IFT-AFT). Additionally, David provides legal counsel to a number of national non-profits.  He is a graduate of the University of Illinois- College of Law and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.


Margaret Angelucci's Profile

Margaret Angelucci Related Seminars and Products

Shareholder

Asher Gittler & D'Alba Ltd.


Margaret Angelucci is a shareholder with the firm and has been in practice since 1994.  Since then, she has represented the interests of working people in a variety of capacities.  Margaret represents labor unions and individual employees in both the public and private sectors. In the labor context, Margaret’s practice runs the full gamut of the labor-management relationship, including training union staff, union organizing drives, contract negotiations, contract enforcement, grievances, arbitrations, interest arbitrations and unfair labor practice proceedings. 

In her practice, Margaret routinely appears in state and federal courts, and before the Illinois Labor Relations Board, Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, the National Labor Relations Board, the EEOC, the Department of Labor, and various civil service boards. 


Carlos S. Arevalo's Profile

Carlos S. Arevalo Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins, Ltd.


A panelist at the Public Sector Labor Conference for several years, Carlos Arévalo has been practicing law for more than 20 years and has significant experience in representing Illinois public sector clients in the areas of labor and employment law involving benefits, termination, discipline, labor arbitration and collective bargaining, as well as local government law. He also represents clients in state and federal court and in administrative proceedings before the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, Illinois Department of Human Rights, Illinois Labor Relations Board and more. Carlos also represents private sector clients, including profit and non-profit entities as well as individuals. Additionally, Carlos served as a member of the Board of Trustees for McHenry County College. He was president of the McHenry County Bar Association and Stateline SHRM Chapter. Carlos continues to be active in leadership for the Illinois State Bar Association’s labor and employment and local government related committees, frequently speaking on these issues at the state and local level. Carlos is a member of the Leadership Greater McHenry County Class of 2013 and sits on the Regional Board of the Mercy Health System


William Atwood's Profile

William Atwood Related Seminars and Products


On March 30, 2020 the Firefighter’s Pension Investment Fund retained William (Bill) Atwood as its Interim Executive Director. In 1984 Bill joined Investment Counselors Incorporated, an investment management firm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, where he served as Vice President for Business Development. Bill joined the Illinois State Board of Investment (ISBI) in 2003 as its Executive Director.  As Executive Director, Bill functioned as the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of ISBI, which is the fiduciary for $18.1 billion in pension assets for the Illinois State Employees’ Retirement Fund, the Illinois Judicial Retirement Fund, the Illinois General Assembly Retirement Fund, and the Illinois Power Agency. Under Bill’s leadership ISBI consistently exceeded its actuarially assumed rate of return of 7.0%; surpassed its portfolio benchmarks; and out-performed ISBI’s peer group of like-sized public funds. Further, ISBI became a national leader in areas related to diversity and corporate governance. In 2014 Bill was named outstanding Large Public Plan Manager of the Year by Institutional Investor Magazine. After leaving ISBI in 2018, Bill joined the Illinois Finance Authority where he led policy initiatives related to asset transfers and pension fund consolidation.  In 2019, in his role at the Illinois Finance Authority, he assisted in drafting the Report of the Governor Pritzker’s Pension Fund Consolidation Feasibility Task Force and the preparation of SB 1300, which created the Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund.


Melissa Auerbach's Profile

Melissa Auerbach Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Dowd, Bloch, Bennett, Cervone, Auerbach & Yokich, LLP


Gary Bailey's Profile

Gary Bailey Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council


Gary Bailey has served as a labor attorney for the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council for over 25 years. He is involved in negotiations, grievance arbitrations and interest arbitrations on behalf of sworn peace officers and law enforcement personnel across the State of Illinois. Mr. Bailey is an active member of the American Bar Association’s Section of Labor and Employment Law and was elected in 2017 to the Section Council, which serves as the governing board. He served as Co-Chairman of the State and Local Government Bargaining and Employment Law Committee from 2009-2012 and presently serves as Union Co-Chair for the Sub-Committee on Interest Arbitration. Mr. Bailey received his undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and his Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he is a member of the Senior Partner Council. He was inducted as a fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers in 2008. 




Lisa R. Callaway's Profile

Lisa R. Callaway Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Engler Callaway Baasten & Sraga LLC


Chelsy Castro's Profile

Chelsy Castro Related Seminars and Products

CEO and Founder

Castro Jacobs Psychotherapy and Consulting


Chelsy Castro, JD, MA, AM, LCSW
Chelsy Castro is CEO and Founder of Castro Jacobs Psychotherapy and Consulting (CJPC), a firm specializing in lawyer well-being. An attorney turned psychotherapist and performance strategist, Chelsy counsels individuals and the organizations they work for on how to achieve their goals in healthy and productive ways. Chelsy’s publications and trainings focus on science-based skills and strategies for improving performance and increasing well-being in high-pressure professions. After practicing law as a multilingual attorney in the field of international regulatory compliance, Chelsy later earned her clinical degree at the University of Chicago and shifted her focus to lawyer well-being. Prior to launching CJPC, Chelsy designed, developed, and managed clinical programs for the legal profession, and provided evidence-based psychotherapy and training for lawyers, judges, and law students.


Jeanne Charles's Profile

Jeanne Charles Related Seminars and Products

Arbitrator & Mediator and FSIP Member

National Academy of Arbitrators


 

Jeanne Charles is a native of Chicago but resides in Florida with a national ADR practice including arbitration, mediation and fact-finding predominately in the areas of workplace disputes. She earned her Juris Doctorate (JD) degree from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. She currently serves as a labor arbitrator on various panels in Chicago, Miami and New York in addition to the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the US Anti-Doping Agency and Major League Baseball (MLB). Ms. Charles is also a Special Magistrate for the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC) and is listed with the American Arbitration Association, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, and National Mediation Board. In September 2021, Ms. Charles was appointed by President Joseph R. Biden to the Federal Labor Relations Authority Federal Service Impasses Panel (Panel). The Panel is an independent entity within the Federal Labor Relations Authority. The Panel’s Chairman and Members serve on a part-time basis and aid in resolving negotiation impasses between federal agencies and labor organizations. Ms. Charles is an adjunct professor at Penn State University’s School of Labor and Employment Relations where she teaches a graduate course in Human Resources and Employment Relations. She also serves as an adjunct professor for the University of Arizona Law School teaching advanced negotiations. Ms. Charles speaks regularly in various venues that include the American Bar Association, American Arbitration Association, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and nation-wide bar association events. She is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators and a Fellow with the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. More detailed information can be found at www.JCharles@JCharlesADR.com.


Nicholas Christen's Profile

Nicholas Christen Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel & Director of Field and Organizing

Illinois Federation of Teachers


Robb Craddock's Profile

Robb Craddock Related Seminars and Products

Executive Director

University of Illinois


At the University, Mr. Craddock serves as chief spokesperson and is responsible for the administration of twenty (20) different labor agreements covering university employees.  Mr. Craddock represents the University’s Chancellor in grievance matters. Prior to working for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Robb Craddock served as the Deputy Director of Labor Relations for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services from September 2008 through January 2015. In that role, he successfully handled labor relations matters on behalf of the Office of the Governor.  Mr. Craddock represented the largest employer in the State of Illinois.  His tenure as the State of Illinois’ chief labor negotiator exposed him to multiple labor unions including American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Service Employees International Union, Teamsters and various trade unions.  In 2019, Robb Craddock returned to Illinois Department of Central Management Services in conjunction with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to serve as Chief Labor Relations Negotiator and Executive Branch Labor Relations Advisor.  While in that capacity, he successfully negotiated an agreement with AFSCME Council 31; ending a four (4) year labor dispute.  In October 2013, Mr. Craddock accepted on behalf of the Illinois Department of Central Management Services the James Baird Leadership Award for 2013 presented by the Illinois Public Employer Labor Relations Association (IPELRA).  This annual award recognizes leadership and achievement in Illinois public sector labor relations.  Robb is an at-Large Member of the IPELRA Board of Directors, and a member of the Legislative Advocacy Committee. Mr. Craddock received his Master of Public Administration with a graduate certification in Public Sector Labor Relations from the University of Illinois at Springfield.  Mr. Craddock received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Western Illinois University.


Jules I. Crystal's Profile

Jules I. Crystal Related Seminars and Products

Jules I. Crystal


Jules I. Crystal is an attorney and has been a labor and employment arbitrator and mediator for 10 years. His primary expertise is in the labor and employment arena, having participated in  a wide variety of mediations, including those involving alleged wrongful termination, employment discrimination and sex harassment, alleged violations of labor and employment agreements, non-compete agreements, whistle-blowing statutes and the Fair Labor Standards Act. He is a member of the Association of Attorney Mediators, the Chicago Bar Association – Labor and Employment Law Section and the American Bar Association – Labor and Employment Law Section: Committee on Alternative Dispute Resolution in Labor and Employment, Development of the Law Under the National Labor Relations Act and the Litigation Section: Committee on Employment and Labor Relations. He is also an adjunct professor, teaching courses on Labor Law, Privacy in the Workplace, Labor Arbitration and Mediation, and the Collective Bargaining Process. He is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Mr. Crystal earned a B.A from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.


Tamara Cummings's Profile

Tamara Cummings Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council


Tamara Cummings serves as General Counsel to the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, a large public sector union representing law enforcement bargaining units. She has held that position since January, 2010.  She has worked as an attorney for the Labor Council since 2003, and in this capacity she has represented law enforcement officers and civilian employees in all areas of labor and employment relations.  She has acted as lead counsel in contract negotiations, grievance arbitrations, interest arbitrations, discipline hearings and various court cases in circuit and appellate courts throughout the State of Illinois. Tamara has been responsible for organizing picket lines and civic protests.  Tamara oversees member and employee training and is the chief speaker at Labor Council Critical Incident Seminars which have been held across the State and attended by union members, State’s Attorneys, Chiefs of Police and County Sheriffs. Tamara is also actively involved in the legislative process, working closely with lobbyists to analyze and draft legislation. She has testified on numerous occasions both in support of and in opposition to various pieces of legislation that impact the membership. Tamara is a fellow of the American Bar Association’s College of Labor & Employment Lawyers. The College of Labor & Employment Lawyers is a non-profit professional association honoring the leading lawyers nationwide in the practice of Labor and Employment Law. Prior to joining the Labor Council, Tamara worked for the Law Offices of Joseph V.  Roddy where she primarily defended and represented Chicago Police Officers in administrative, criminal and civil matters. She tried cases in the Cook County Law, Municipal and Criminal Divisions as well as in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.  She also prepared and argued appeals before the Illinois Appellate Courts, and the United States Court of Appeals, both the Seventh and Eighth Circuits. Tamara received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago and her Juris Doctor degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri


Bryan Diemer's Profile

Bryan Diemer Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

IUOE Local 150


Bryan Diemer is an attorney with the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, AFL-CIO.  Bryan received a law degree with honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law, as well as a master’s degree in labor and industrial relations and a bachelor’s degree in economics-- both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Throughout his career, he has represented labor unions and related Taft-Hartley benefit funds in federal and state court, as well as administrative agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board and the Illinois Labor Relations Board.  Bryan has also negotiated many public and private sector collective bargaining agreements and arbitrated many grievances arising under those collective bargaining agreements. 


Mr Stanley B. Eisenhammer's Profile

Mr Stanley B. Eisenhammer Related Seminars and Products

Hodges, Loizzi, Eisenhammer, Rodick & Kohn LLP


Stanley B. Eisenhammer is a partner with Hodges, Loizzi, Eisenhammer, Rodick & Kohn LLP. He concentrates his practice in all phases of school law, including labor relations, employment discrimination, and student rights. He is a former board member and president of the Board of Education of Township High School District 214, and he has served as a trustee on the Board of Trustees of the Village of Arlington Heights. Mr. Eisenhammer is a member of the Advisory Committee to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. He is a speaker and lecturer on school law at the national conventions of the National School Boards Association, American Association of School Administrators, and the American Bar Association. He graduated from Washington University and received his law degree from the University of Illinois.


Josh File, JD's Profile

Josh File, JD Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Katz, Friedman, Eisentein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca P.C.


Joshua File joined the Labor and Employment practice of Katz, Friedman in 2011. Prior to becoming an associate, Josh worked as a law clerk with the firm in both the Workers' Compensation and Labor and Employment practices throughout his three years of law school.

Josh earned his Juris Doctor from DePaul University, College of Law in 2011, where he graduated with a certificate in Business Law and was the recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Litigation Strategies. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs from Indiana University in 2007, where he graduated with a major in Legal Studies and a minor in Business Management.

Josh is a member of the Illinois Bar and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Illinoi, the United States District Courts for the Northern District and Central Districts of Illinois, and the United States Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.  He is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago Bar Association, the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance, and he also serves on the Advisory Board for the IIT Chicago-Kent Law School's Institute for Law in the Workplace.


Laura Finnegan's Profile

Laura Finnegan Related Seminars and Products

Baum Sigman Auerbach & Neuman Ltd.


Jane Flanagan's Profile

Jane Flanagan Related Seminars and Products

Chicago-Kent College of Law


Jane Flanagan is a Deputy General Counsel in the Office of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. She recently completed a Leadership in Government Fellowship with the Open Society Foundations and, during this time, was also a Visiting Scholar at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. Jane is the founder and former Chief of the Workplace Rights Bureau in the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and also previously served as counsel to Maryland’s Commissioner of Labor and Industry. Jane began her career representing employees in private practice.


Larry Frank's Profile

Larry Frank Related Seminars and Products

Illinois Education Association, NEA


Mr. Frank worked as a band director in IL public schools for 3 years and at Illinois State University for 10 years.  After completing his PhD, he served as Executive Director of the Coalition for Education Rights Under the Constitution, a partnership of about 80 Illinois public school districts and Illinois organizations that brought the suit The Committee v Edgar which challenged the Illinois system of school funding.  He then worked in Research for the Illinois Education Association as a school funding and tax law consultant and finished his career at the IEA as Director of Educational Policy and Research.


Felicia Frazier's Profile

Felicia Frazier Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Odelson, Sterk, Murphey, Frazier & McGrath, Ltd.


Felicia L. Frazier is a managing partner at Odelson & Sterk, Ltd. where she provides experienced counsel in the areas of school, municipal, and labor law. A graduate of Illinois State University with a degree in psychology, she earned her Juris Doctorate from John Marshall Law School. Previously, Ms. Frazier served as Assistant State’s Attorney with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. As a trial attorney, she prosecuted hundreds of cases in both bench and jury trials. In addition, she provided domestic battery training for Area 4 Police Headquarters personnel. Ms. Frazier presently serves as general counsel to numerous school districts, as well as village attorney for multiple municipalities. Her public sector experience includes personnel issues, labor and employment matters, and contract negotiations. She represents employers in state and local labor board hearings, as well as grievance and arbitration hearings. Ms. Frazier has served as a speaker at school and municipal conferences on topics including employee discipline, discharge, pension related issues, and social media. She has also conducted training programs for a variety of employers on labor and employment law issues. Ms. Frazier is a member of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys and the Illinois State Bar Association. She is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Along with her husband and two children, Ms. Frazier volunteers at homeless shelters and food pantries.


Michael Frisch's Profile

Michael Frisch Related Seminars and Products

Senior Advisor & Legal Counsel

City of Chicago


Michael Frisch ("Mike") is Senior Advisor and Legal Counsel to Mayor Lightfoot. After the 2019 election, Mike led the transition related to the City's Law Department and labor-related issues. After arriving at City Hall, Mike became responsible for legal policy, labor issues, and various special projects. Mike began working for now-Mayor Lightfoot during law school while he was a summer associate at Mayer Brown LLP.  Mike clerked for Judge Robert Dow in 2010 and 2011. Mike left Mayer Brown in 2015 to serve as a trial attorney with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, where he led numerous high-profile matters including the CFTC's litigation against Kraft Foods for market manipulation. 


Angela Fyans-Jimenez's Profile

Angela Fyans-Jimenez Related Seminars and Products

City of Bloomington


As of January 2020, Angela Fyans went in-house at the City of Bloomington as Deputy Corporation Counsel. Prior to that she was a shareholder/partner at the law firm of Sorling Northrup. Angela Fyans-Jimenez joined Sorling Northrup in 2014. From 2001 to 2003, she was an Assistant State’s Attorney at the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s office. From 2003 to 2013, she worked as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Springfield, Illinois, where she was involved in municipal ordinance prosecution, labor and employment, litigation, transactional work, real estate and zoning, and general civil litigation in state, federal and appellate courts. She served as advisory counsel to several City Departments and commissions. She is also licensed in Utah, where she practiced family law, criminal defense, bankruptcy law and immigration law.

Ms. Fyans-Jimenez has spent a large part of her legal career representing local government; local government directors, managers and supervisors; local police departments and their officers; and city commissions. She has defended these individuals and entities in administrative, arbitration proceedings and in state and federal courts. She has advised the aforementioned on issues that arise on a daily basis. Examples of issues include union contract and employment issues as well as real estate, zoning, commission practice and procedure; statutory compliance, code prosecution and litigation strategies. She is also well versed in issues involving the Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act.

She is a certified Hearing Officer, certified Mediator, and a certified Arbitrator. Ms. Fyans-Jimenez also has considerable experience with contract preparation and business transactions, including the negotiation of real estate, entertainment and performance contracts on behalf of clients. 


Mr. Steven Greenhouse's Profile

Mr. Steven Greenhouse Related Seminars and Products

Author, Journalist

New York Times (formerly)


Steven Greenhouse was a reporter for The New York Times from 1983 to 2014 and covered labor and the workplace for nineteen years there. He also served as a business and economics reporter and a diplomatic and foreign correspondent. He has been honored with the Society of Professional Journalists Deadline Club award, a New York Press Club award, a Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Reporting, and the Hillman Prize for Book Journalism for his last book, The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker.


TIMOTHY E. GUARE's Profile

TIMOTHY E. GUARE Related Seminars and Products

Hodges, Loizzi, Eisenhammer, Rodick & Kohn LLP


Angie Cowan Hamada, JD's Profile

Angie Cowan Hamada, JD Related Seminars and Products

Regional Director, Region 13

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)


Angie Cowan Hamada is the Regional Director of Region 13 of the National Labor Relations Board. Prior to starting as Regional Director in July 2022, Director Hamada was a shareholder at Allison, Slutsky & Kennedy based in Chicago where she represented unions and employees in labor and employment law matters before state and federal agencies, courts, as well as in arbitration, mediation and negotiations.  She was also previously a Commissioner on the Cook County Human Rights Commission and Chaired that Commission. She graduated from Chicago Kent Law School in 2005 with a certificate in Labor and Employment Law. Director Hamada was previously the program co-chair of the ABA’s Developing Labor Law Section, and is an editor of the treatise The Developing Labor Law: The Board, the Courts and the National Labor Relations Act.  

 


Marisel Hernandez, JD's Profile

Marisel Hernandez, JD Related Seminars and Products

Jacobs, Burns, Orlove & Hernandez


Marisel always knew she wanted to help others who lacked the know-how to navigate a system or faced language barriers. Growing up in the South Bronx as the product of two parents from Puerto Rico, by age nine Marisel was already serving as an interpreter for her neighbors, which quickly led to also serving as their advocate. So it was a natural fit after her graduation from Fordham University and then New York University School of Law to continue that advocacy for others. She worked at the National Labor Relations Board in New York and Chicago and at the Chicago office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission prior to joining the Firm in 1988.

In her 35+ years as an attorney, Marisel has represented public and private labor clients in a variety of industries including retail, health care, food processing, construction, education and transit. In addition, she represents several Chicago public pension funds, on a variety of issues in state and federal court and before administrative agencies such as the EEOC and the Illinois Department of Human Rights. She provides advice and handles personnel matters. She advises union clients on a daily basis regarding contract interpretation, grievances, arbitrations, unfair labor practices, organizing and representation matters. Marisel negotiates agreements on behalf of employee benefit funds with service providers and assists with the negotiation of investment and investment-related contracts.

Marisel has tried jury cases in federal court on behalf of individual plaintiffs in employment discrimination matters and has been first chair at trials involving the Fair Labor Standards Act. She also handles individual and class action cases under the Family & Medical Leave Act and collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Marisel is fluent in Spanish. She is a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, the Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois, and the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, and she is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Since March 2008, Marisel has been recognized as one of the Women Leading Lawyers in Union Labor Law.

Marisel has held various civic positions with the City of Chicago. Presently, she is the Chairwoman of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. She also sits on the board of both IIT Kent Law School Institute for Law and the Workplace and the Center for Conflict Resolution.

Education

  • B.A., Fordham University, 1979
  • M.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1981
  • J.D., New York University School of Law, 1982


Brad Jansen, Deputy General Counsel, Labor & Employment's Profile

Brad Jansen, Deputy General Counsel, Labor & Employment Related Seminars and Products

Chicago Transit Authority


Brad Jansen is Deputy General Counsel, Labor & Employment for the Chicago Transit Authority, where he has worked since 1996. Mr. Jansen manages labor relations with 17 unions representing 10,000 employees. He represents the CTA in negotiations, interest arbitrations, and grievance arbitrations. He advises executive management on labor and employment matters, including wage and hour issues, FMLA and ADA compliance, and EEO policies. Mr. Jansen frequently develops and conducts management training programs. He and his section attorneys also represent the CTA in state and federal courts, the EEOC, the Illinois Human Rights Commission and other agencies. Mr. Jansen is an adjunct professor at Roosevelt University, where he teaches labor and employment law. He received his B.A. in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago and his J.D. from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.


Alice Johnson's Profile

Alice Johnson Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

Cook County College Teachers Union -Local 1600



Keith A. Karlson's Profile

Keith A. Karlson Related Seminars and Products

Metropolitan Alliance of Police


Helen J. Kim's Profile

Helen J. Kim Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

Illinois Labor Relations Board


Jill Leka's Profile

Jill Leka Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Clark Baird Smith LLP


JILL LEKA is a strategic business partner helping employers solve their thorniest labor and employment law issues. Jill focuses on traditional labor matters as well as those involving employment litigation and the public (including educational) sector.  In that role, she also proactively counsels public, not for profit and private sector clients to position them for success. She represents employers in grievance and interest arbitrations, unfair labor practices and Union representation proceedings, disciplinary, pension/PEDA/PSEBA, constitutional and discrimination litigation, as well as conducts complex investigations. Jill has successfully negotiated hundreds of collective bargaining agreements.  Jill also advises not for profits and educational institutions, including institutions of higher learning in all legal matters, including serving as General Counsel and all issues associated therewith.  Prior to starting CBS LLP with her colleagues, she practiced at Seyfarth Shaw LLP from 1993 until 2010, where her legal focus closely resembled that at CBS LLP. 

From 1988 to 1993, Jill served as Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Springfield, Illinois.  As Assistant Corporation Counsel, Jill represented and advised City of Springfield officials on all aspects of municipal, labor, employment, law enforcement, discipline, discrimination and benefit issues.  She also represented the City in grievance arbitration, interest arbitration, labor board and disciplinary proceedings and state and federal court litigation.  In addition, Jill negotiated all the City’s collective bargaining agreements (29) covering over a thousand employees, including agreements for police, fire, clerical, professional, and maintenance and craft employees.

In 1987 and 1988, Jill was Labor Relations Counsel for the State of Illinois Department of Central Management Services.  In that capacity, she participated in collective bargaining negotiations for contracts covering 40,000 employees on behalf of the State of Illinois, represented state agencies in arbitration and labor board proceedings and advised state agencies on disciplinary matters, contract administration and other employment-related issues.

Jill currently serves as General Counsel for the National Public Employer Labor Relations Association and as a member of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) Human and Civil Rights and ADR Committees. She is a past chair of the Labor & Employment Law Section of the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA), and previously served on the ISBA Employee Benefits Council, the Professional Women’s Council, and as President of the Central Illinois Women’s Bar Association.  Jill also served as the Chairperson of the City of Springfield Liquor Commission. In addition, Jill is an author of “Much Smarter Bargaining” (NPELRA 2017), “Freedom of Speech in the Public Workplace” (CABA 1998), “Illinois Statutes Affecting Public Employee Relations” (IPELRA 1995), and “Survey of Employment Law” (1993 Southern Illinois University Law Journal).  She has conducted numerous training programs on a variety of subjects and is a frequent speaker on various labor and employment topics.


Martin H. Malin's Profile

Martin H. Malin Related Seminars and Products

Professor of Law Emeritus

Chicago-Kent College of Law


Martin H. Malin jointed the Chicago-Kent faculty in 1980 and taught  Labor Law, Employment Discrimination, Public Sector Employees, ADR in the Workplace, and Contracts. He assumed emeritus status on June 1, 2021. He received his B.A. from Michigan State University's James Madison College and his J.D. from George Washington University, where he was an editor of the law review and elected to the Order of the Coif. Prior to Chicago-Kent, he served as law clerk to United States District Judge Robert E. DeMascio in Detroit and on the faculty of Ohio State University.

In 1996, Malin founded Chicago-Kent’s Institute for Law and the Workplace.  He served as director until his retirement in 2021.  He built the Institute into an intellectual home for the labor and employment law community in Chicago and nationally.  On March 10, 2022, the University renamed the Institute in his honor.  It is now known as the Martin H. Malin Institute for Law and the Workplace.

Malin is a former national chair of the Labor Relations and Employment Law Section of the Association of American Law Schools, a former Secretary of the ABA Section on Labor and Employment Law, a former member of the Executive Committee of The Labor Law Group, and a former member of the Board of Governors and vice president of the National Academy of Arbitrators and a former member of the Board of Governors of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. During 1984 and 1985, Malin served as consultant to the Illinois State, Local and Educational Labor Relations Boards and drafted the boards' regulations implementing the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. From 2004 to 2008, he served as reporter to the Neutrality Project of the Association of Labor Relations Agencies, which produced a mini-treatise on labor board and mediation agency impartiality. In October 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Malin as a member of the Federal Service Impasses Panel (FSIP), which resolves impasses in collective bargaining between federal agencies and unions that represent their employees. Obama reappointed Malin in 2014. He served until May 2017 when he and the other Obama appointees were removed by President Trump. In 2021, President Joseph Biden appointed Malin as Chairman of FSIP. In 2016, the ABA presented Malin with the Arvid Anderson Award for lifetime contributions to public sector labor law.

Malin has written extensively on all aspects of labor and employment law. He has published more than 80 articles and seven books, including Public Sector Employment (West 2004, 4th ed. 2022), the leading casebook on the law governing public employees, and Labor Law in the Contemporary Workplace (West 2009, 3rd ed. 2019), a leading casebook on labor law. He has ranked in the top 10 percent of authors in the Social Science Research Network database in terms of downloads of his work

He has a B.A. from Michigan State University and a J.D. from George Washington University.


Ralph Martire's Profile

Ralph Martire Related Seminars and Products

Center for Tax and Budget Accountability; Roosevelt University


Ralph Martire is executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability (“CTBA”), a bipartisan 501(c)(3) think tank committed to ensuring that state, federal and local workforce, education, fiscal, economic and budget policies are fair and just, and promote opportunity for all, regardless of race, ethnicity or income class. He is also the Rubloff Professor of Public Policy at Roosevelt University. During his time at CTBA, Ralph has helped obtain numerous legislative successes (including passage of the Evidence Based Model of Education Funding in FY2018, a state Earned Income Tax Credit, creation of a bipartisan legislative task force to integrate workforce and economic development policies, passage of the 2011 Temporary Tax Increases, corporate accountability legislation that, among other things, requires public reporting of economic development benefits created through receipt of tax breaks and other subsidies, decoupling Illinois tax policy from both the federal bonus depreciation rules and the federal repeal of the estate tax). In 2018, Ralph was appointed to serve on the legislatively established “Professional Review Panel,” charged with monitoring the implementation of Illinois’ new evidence-based school funding formula. He was also appointed to the Transition Team of Governor-elect J.B. Pritzker.  In 2011-2013, Ralph served as a full voting commissioner on the Congressionally-established “Equity and Excellence in Education Commission,” which was housed in the Federal Department of Education’s Civil Rights Division. In addition to his professorship at Roosevelt University, he has taught fiscal policy seminars and education finance courses for various universities and the International Fulbright Scholar Program. Ralph has received numerous awards for his work on education policy reform, including: being named River Forest’s Co-Villager of the Year by the Wednesday Journal for his work promoting equity in District 90; the 2007 Champion of Freedom Award, presented by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition to individuals whose professional work embodies Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, commitment to equal educational opportunities; and the Ben C. Hubbard Leadership Award given by Illinois State University to individuals who have greatly benefited education in Illinois. He also received the Adlai Stevenson Award for Public Service presented by the American Society for Public Administration to honor one individual with a connection to the Chicago area that has made outstanding contributions to government and public administration over an extended period of time. Ralph is also a regular columnist on education, fiscal and economic policy for the State Journal Register, the Daily Herald, and The News Gazette. He received his B.A. in History with highest honors from Indiana University, and his J.D. from the University of Michigan.


Susan M. Matta's Profile

Susan M. Matta Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Asher Gittler & D'Alba Ltd.


Susan is a shareholder with Allison, Slutsky & Kennedy, P.C.  Her union career began in 1995, when she entered the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute’s Apprenticeship Program, and later became a staff union organizer at UFCW Local 951, where she worked on NLRB election campaigns and corporate pressure campaigns.  After graduating from law school, Susan served as a Law Fellow with Service Employees International Union on a corporate pressure campaign against a local hospital chain, where she represented individuals who were sued for medical debt.  Susan then served as the General Counsel for Service Employees International Union, Local 73 for almost ten years, where she represented both public and private employees.  As in-house General Counsel, Susan gained invaluable and extensive knowledge of the institutional concerns and needs of unions, conducted numerous trainings for both staff and members, and gained extensive experience representing the union in negotiations, arbitrations, State and Federal Court, and before the National Labor Relations Board, Illinois Labor Relations Board, Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, Illinois Department of Human Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.   

In 2013, Susan transitioned to private practice with Carmell Charone Widmer Moss & Barr, where she became a partner and focused on representing firefighter clients.  She is also experienced at representing firefighter unions in contract negotiations, contract enforcement, interest arbitration, unfair labor practice proceedings, and court litigation.  In 2022, she joined Allison, Slutsky & Kennedy, P.C., where she continues to represent public and private sector clients.


Anthony L. McGee's Profile

Anthony L. McGee Related Seminars and Products

Teamsters Local 700


Anthony McGee has served Teamsters Local 700 as a business agent since 2010. Before joining the Teamsters full-time, Anthony was a rank-and-file member with the Cook County Department of Corrections. While serving as a union steward, Anthony’s natural leadership style and ability to communicate members’ interests at the bargaining table was recognized, and he transitioned into the role of business agent for Local 700. As a business agent, Anthony has experience representing members throughout Local 700’s public employee membership from law enforcement, fire fighters, public works, county and municipal clerks and more. In addition to serving members as a union representative, he has extensive experience in negotiating successful contracts for members from start to finish. Anthony was elected as Vice President of Local 700 in 2019, and had previously served as Trustee for a five-year term.


Thomas Melody's Profile

Thomas Melody Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Klein Thorpe & Jenkins Ltd.


Thomas M. Melody graduated from Loyola University of Chicago in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law in 1994.

Mr. Melody is an equity shareholder in the law firm of Klein, Thorpe and Jenkins, Ltd., and his experience includes the general practice of school and municipal law, with a focus on labor and employment law. He has negotiated many collective bargaining agreements, and represents employers in all facets of labor and employment law, including contract administration, grievance arbitration, and statutory compliance. Mr. Melody has represented numerous public sector employers in both State and federal courts, as well as before State and federal administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Department of Employment Security, the Illinois Labor Relations Board, and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. He has also handled numerous matters before local Civil Service Commissions and Fire and Police Commissions.

Mr. Melody is the co-author of the “Formal Dismissal and Suspension Procedures Under Illinois Tenure Law,” Illinois School Law, IICLE, and he is also one of the authors of the “Handbook on Practice and Procedure in Police and Fire Disciplinary Matters”, and “Home Rule vs. Non-Home Rule (What’s Best For Your Municipality?)”, both of which were published by the Illinois Municipal League. Mr. Melody has also written numerous articles on school law and labor law issues.

Mr. Melody is a frequent speaker on labor and employment law issues, as well as school and municipal law issues. Mr. Melody’s most recent presentations include “9-1-1 Dispatch System Consolidation” at the 2016 IML Conference, “Employee Use of Social Media” at the Will County Police Chiefs Annual Conference and “Negotiating Through a Public Safety Consolidation” at the 2016 IPELRA Conference. In addition, Mr. Melody has provided seminars on municipal labor law for the Illinois Metro Managers Association, the Illinois Municipal League, Chicago Kent Annual Illinois Public Sector Labor Relations Law Conference and Northern Illinois University’s Center for Governmental Studies.


Martha Merrill's Profile

Martha Merrill Related Seminars and Products

AFSCME Council 31


Martha Merrill currently serves as the Director of Research and Employee Benefits for AFSCME Council 31.  Mrs. Merrill has worked as a union researcher for over 15 years, focused on areas related to collective bargaining and benefit administration, in addition to research and analysis related to pension funding and public finance. She has her MPA from the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.


Scott Miller's Profile

Scott Miller Related Seminars and Products

Attorney

AFSCME Council 31


Scott Miller has been a staff attorney with AFSCME Council 31 since 2001. Prior to that, Scott was the Chief Legal Counsel of the Illinois Department of Labor. He is also an adjunct lecturer at the University of Illinois - Chicago, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs.


Melissa Mlynski's Profile

Melissa Mlynski Related Seminars and Products

Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources

University of Illinois Springfield


Melissa Mlynski is the Associate Vice Chancellor of Human Resources at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS), a position she has held since December of 2016.  In this role she oversees all aspects of Human Resources for UIS, including Labor and Employee Relations. She has served as the lead negotiator for the university during bargaining with the union that represents tenured/tenure track faculty as well as negotiating other union contracts on behalf of the university. For ten years, she served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at UIS teaching graduate courses in labor and administrative law.  Previously, Ms. Mlynski was the Executive Director of the Illinois Labor Relations Board from June of 2012 through December of 2016.  She has extensive experience representing public employers in collective bargaining, labor arbitrations and cases before the Illinois Labor Relations Board, including more than 10 years as labor relations counsel for the Department of Central Management Services.  Ms. Mlynski also worked in private practice representing public employers in labor and employment law matters.  Ms. Mlynski received her B.A. in English from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and her J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law.   


Mr. Laurence Msall's Profile

Mr. Laurence Msall Related Seminars and Products

President

The Civic Federation


Laurence Msall is the President of the Civic Federation. Msall joined the 125-year-old tax policy and government research organization in January of 2002. Before joining the Civic Federation, Msall was the Senior Advisor for Economic Development for Illinois Governor George H. Ryan. Msall was responsible for the oversight of eleven of the state’s economic development and infrastructure-related agencies including the Departments of Commerce and Community Affairs, Revenue, Transportation, and the state’s housing and other development authorities. Appointed as Senior Advisor in February 1999, Msall worked closely with the Governor and his staff on issues related to business climate, tax and transportation policy. Before joining the Governor’s staff in 1999, Msall served as the Vice President of the Commercial Club of Chicago. In addition to his work with the Commercial Club, Laurence Msall served as Secretary to the Commercial Club Foundation and Vice President of the Civic Committee. He has worked with the CEOs of some of Chicago’s largest corporations and service firms promoting regional economic development strategies related to airport capacity, urban redevelopment, and special projects including the Chicago Bears stadium, technology development, and the reorganization of the United Way of Chicago. Prior to joining the Commercial Club staff in 1990, Msall served as Assistant to the Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs with primary responsibility for policy development. From 1984-1988, Laurence Msall represented the Department and Governor Jim Thompson’s office on economic development and business issues before the Illinois General Assembly, serving as DCCA’s chief legislative liaison. Laurence Msall is a licensed attorney and 1992 graduate of Loyola University School of Law, Evening Division, where he was named to the Dean’s List of Distinguished Students in 1990, 1991 and 1992. He was a recipient of the 1992 Loyola Leadership and Service Award. Msall holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he was the 1984 recipient of the Umbeck Prize for the Outstanding Sociology Student. Msall is a member of the Board of Directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, the Chicago Civic Consulting Alliance, the Cook County Health and Hospitals System Nominating Committee and the Kennedy Forum of Illinois. He also serves on the Advisory Board of the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs and NPR Illinois Issues. He is an active volunteer with PADS Homeless Shelter and L’arche Chicago and is a member of the Board of Trustees of Knox College.


Jill P. O'Brien's Profile

Jill P. O'Brien Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Laner Muchin, Ltd.


Jill O’Brien is an Equity Partner at Laner Muchin, Ltd. She is a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee and the firm’s Hiring Chairperson. Throughout her 30 years of practice with Laner Muchin, Ltd., her practice has focused on the representation of public and private sector employers in a wide variety of labor relations and employment matters, including collective bargaining negotiations, grievance handling, mediation and interest arbitration hearings. She also defends employers in employment disputes and labor proceedings in court and before agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Illinois Department of Human Rights, Illinois Human Rights Commission, Chicago Human Rights Commission, the Illinois Department of Labor, and the National Labor Relations Board. She also counsels employers and offers management training programs concerning day-to-day labor and employment and human resource issues such as terminations, disciplinary issues, leaves of absence, policy issues, wage and hour issues. She received a B.S. in law enforcement administration from Western Illinois University and a J.D. from John Marshall Law School.


Trisha A. Olson's Profile

Trisha A. Olson Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

Illinois State Board of Education


Over the past 20 years, Trisha Olson has worked in Chicagoland schools as a paraprofessional, teacher, school board attorney and parent advocate.  While in law school, Trisha was the research assistant for the President of the ACLU, Nadine Strossen, and interned at Mayerson & Associates, New York City’s preeminent parent-advocacy law firm for individuals with autism.  Since law school, Trisha has represented both boards of education and families on a diverse range of topics, including special education, student rights, bargaining, personnel matters and board governance.  She has counseled the Illinois State Board of Education for four years, serving as its chief legal officer since July 2019.


Karl Ottosen's Profile

Karl Ottosen Related Seminars and Products

Managing Partner

Ottosen DiNolfo Hasenbalg & Castaldo, Ltd.


Karl R. Ottosen is Managing Partner and Shareholder of Ottosen DiNolfo Hasenbalg & Castaldo, Ltd. Hehas over 28 years of experience representing governmental bodies, private corporations, and individuals in a variety of labor and employment law issues. Mr. Ottosen frequently negotiates contracts with unions representing bargaining units in law enforcement, fire protection, education, public works, and other public services, as well as with private sector manufacturing units. Mr. Ottosen is regularly selected to speak at seminars and workshops on labor, employment, and local government law issues. His topics include issues in finance, litigation, anti-discrimination compliance, supervisor training, sexual harassment, violence in the workplace, and other general labor and employment concerns. He received a B.S. from Western Illinois University and a J.D. from University of Illinois College of Law.


Robert Paszta's Profile

Robert Paszta Related Seminars and Products

Associate General Counsel

International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, AFL-CIO


Rob Paszta presently serves as Associate General Counsel for the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150, AFL-CIO.  After serving in the United States Air Force, Rob began his career as a law clerk for Local 150 and extern for Region 13 of the NLRB.  In 2010, Rob joined the Labor Relations department at CSX Transportation where he handled grievances, arbitrations, and contract negotiations. Rob returned to Local 150 in 2014. Among other duties, Rob has litigated several cases on behalf of Local 150 against various public bodies for their violations of the Open Meetings and Freedom of Information Acts. Rob is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and earned his J.D. degree at Chicago-Kent College of Law.


Thomas Pleines Related Seminars and Products

Police Benevolent Labor Committee


Thomas J. Pleines is an attorney at the Law Office of Thomas J. Pleines. He was the Chicago Metro Counsel for the Policemen’s Benevolent Labor Committee with the Policemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association of Illinois until 2018. He has several years of experience dealing with the City of Chicago in administrative hearings, the Circuit, Appellate and Supreme Courts of Illinois. He have negotiated collective bargaining agreements on behalf of Chicago Police Officers with the City of Chicago. Mr. Pleines was General Counsel for the Fraternal Order of Police, Chicago Lodge #7 from 1993 to 2011 and has over 35 reported decisions of the Illinois Appellate Court, the Supreme Court of Illinois, Federal District Court for Illinois and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Pleines received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Northern Illinois University and his J.D. from John Marshall Law School.


Sarah L. Pratt Related Seminars and Products

Illinois Attorney General's Office


Sarah L. Pratt presently serves as Public Access Counselor for Illinois Attorney General's Office. She began her career as an assistant attorney general in general law and has worked as a litigator and supervisor in positions including Bureau Chief of Workers’ Compensation and Bureau Chief of General Law in Springfield. In 2003 Ms. Pratt joined the private sector where she practiced workers’ compensation and employment defense litigation. She returned to the AG’s Office in 2011; after leading the Public Access Bureau for two years she was appointed Public Access Counselor. Among other duties, Sarah provides training and is a frequent speaker on the Open Meetings and Freedom of Information Acts. Ms. Pratt is a graduate of Illinois College with a B.A. in English and French and earned her J.D. degree at the University of Illinois.


Brian E. Reynolds's Profile

Brian E. Reynolds Related Seminars and Products

Arbitrator


Brian E. Reynolds has been a labor arbitrator, based in Springfield, Illinois, since 2004.  From 1985 until 2003, Mr. Reynolds served as Executive Director of the Illinois Labor Relations Board.  Prior to joining the Board, he served as a labor attorney for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services and as an attorney for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office and the Illinois Commerce Commission.  Mr. Reynolds received his J.D. degree from the University of Illinois in 1978 and his B.A. in Economics from the University of  Dayton in 1975.


Thomas H. Riley Jr.'s Profile

Thomas H. Riley Jr. Related Seminars and Products

University of Illinois System


Thomas H. Riley, Jr. is the Executive Director of Labor and Employee Relations and Special Counsel for the University of Illinois System.  For over 30 years Mr. Riley has counseled and represented private and public-sector employers on all aspects of labor and employment law issues, including substantial experience handling complex labor matters in higher education. At the University of Illinois, Mr. Riley oversees negotiations, administration and strategy for the university’s 50 collective bargaining agreements across the three campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield covering many of the approximately 25,000 employees in a wide range of bargaining units such as service and clerical, health care professionals, trades, police, nurses, faculty and graduate student unions.  He counsels university administration to align human resource, budgetary and operational goals and routinely directs and advises on a multitude of labor issues, such as bargaining unit formation, compliance, strikes and picketing, retaliation, interest arbitration, labor litigation and agency matters including unfair labor practice claims and union organizing, arbitration and mediation, and preventive strategies. Prior to joining the University of Illinois 20 years ago, Mr. Riley was a partner in the Chicago office of a national law firm representing management in workplace law and related litigation.  In private practice he counseled and defended employers on a wide range of issues, including complaints of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge and other claims arising under federal, state and local laws regarding employment, civil rights, employee safety and labor.  Mr. Riley has published and presented on labor issues, appeared on television and has been quoted in media such as the Washington Post and BNA Daily Labor Report.  Mr. Riley is on the Board of Advisors for the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions.  He is admitted to practice in Illinois and Louisiana, and before numerous federal district courts, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. 


Sylvia Rios's Profile

Sylvia Rios Related Seminars and Products

Illinois Education Association, NEA


Sylvia Rios is General Counsel of the Illinois Education Association (IEA). Ms. Rios provides advice and representation to IEA on a variety of labor, employment, and education law matters and oversees its legal department. Before becoming IEA General Counsel, she held the position Associate General Counsel for seven years.  Prior to joining IEA, Ms. Rios served as Assistant Attorney General in the Illinois Attorney General Office’s Employment Unit defending state agencies and employees in state and federal employment discrimination matters. She also has worked as a Staff Attorney with the Illinois Labor Relations Board and began her legal career as an Associate with the union-side law firm Jacobs, Burns, Orlove and Hernandez.


Bianca Saviano's Profile

Bianca Saviano Related Seminars and Products

Teamsters Local 700


Bianca Saviano currently serves as Deputy General Counsel for Teamsters Local 700. In her position, she represents the Union and its members in collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations, before the Illinois Labor Relations Board, before various other administrative forums and in State and Federal Court. She additionally provides her Clients counsel on a variety of labor and employment matters. Before working at Teamsters Local 700, Bianca worked as an Associate Attorney at Illinois Advocates, LLC. Bianca holds a B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.


Robert Scherschligt's Profile

Robert Scherschligt Related Seminars and Products

Teamsters Local Union No. 916


Robert J. Scherschligt is Legal Counsel for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local Union No. 916 in Springfield, Illinois. His current practice consists of negotiating collective bargaining agreements, and representing the Union in disciplinary matters, grievances, mediations, and arbitrations. Prior to joining the Teamsters, Bob served as Sangamon County’s Chief Public Defender from November 2010 until January 2020. He has more than 27 years of litigation experience at the county, state, and federal levels. Bob received his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Millikin University and his Juris Doctorate degree from Creighton University’s School of Law. He is a registered certified public accountant and is licensed to practice law in the states of Illinois and Missouri. In addition, he is admitted to practice law before the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois and the Seventh Circuit United States Court of Appeals.


Mr. Brian D. Schwartz's Profile

Mr. Brian D. Schwartz Related Seminars and Products

Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel

Illinois Principals Association


Brian Schwartz is the Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel to the Illinois Principals Association and has practiced law for over 22 years. He is the author of three books: The Law of Homeschooling (2008), Finding Middle Ground in K-12 Education (2009) and Illinois Law in the School Office (2015). He has also written numerous book chapters, law review articles and scholarly publications. Brian previously served on the national board of directors of the Education Law Association and is the past chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Education Law Section Council. He is a member of the Illinois and National Council of School Attorneys. Brian has presented nationally on a variety education-related issues.


Melissa Sobota's Profile

Melissa Sobota Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Franczek P.C.


Melissa concentrates her practice in both labor and employment law. Her labor experience includes collective bargaining for schools and higher education institutions, municipalities, and county employers. She has experience handling union certification petitions, severance petitions, as well as litigating unfair labor practice charges and grievances before the Illinois Labor Relations Board and Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. She has also advised employers on medical and insurance benefit plan issues in relation to contract negotiations and employee disputes.

Her employment practice includes the defense of employers against discrimination cases filed state court, the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission. She has also defended employers before the City of Chicago Commission on Human Relations, the Illinois Department of Labor, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, and the Illinois Labor Relations Board.

Her higher education practice includes negotiating collective bargaining agreements, as well as handling grievance arbitrations, unfair labor practice charges, and representation petitions before the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board and National Labor Relations Board on behalf of colleges and universities.

Prior to private practice, Melissa worked with the corporation counsel of the City of Chicago in the Labor Division and defended the City in grievance arbitrations regarding contract disputes, discipline, and medical and benefits plans.

Melissa is a member of the American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section), the Illinois State Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section), and the Illinois Public Employer Labor Relations Association.


Kimberly Stevens's Profile

Kimberly Stevens Related Seminars and Products

Executive Director

Illinois Labor Relations Board


Kimberly Stevens is the Executive Director of the Illinois Labor Relations Board. Prior to her current position with the Labor Board, Ms. Stevens was most recently Deputy General Counsel at the Illinois State Board of Education. Ms. Stevens has also worked for the Illinois Labor Relations Board as an Administrative Law Judge, and she previously served as labor relations counsel for the Department of Central Management Services, representing the State of Illinois in contract negotiations, arbitration hearings, and cases before the ILRB. Ms. Stevens began her legal career at the Illinois Attorney General’s office in the civil trials bureau, where she was responsible for government defense litigation in State and federal courts as well as administrative matters before State merit boards and commissions. Ms. Stevens received her Bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in history, political science, and humanities from Valparaiso University and her Juris Doctor degree magna cum laude from the Valparaiso University School of Law.



Ellen Maureen Strizak's Profile

Ellen Maureen Strizak Related Seminars and Products

General Counsel

Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board


Ellen Maureen Strizak is the General Counsel of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. She began working for the Illinois Educational Labor Relations as a Board Writer in 2002. Ms. Strizak was Staff Counsel for the Illinois Labor Relations Board from 2006 until 2010. She returned to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board in 2010 as Associate General Counsel and became General Counsel in 2019. Ms. Strizak received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of Iowa and her J.D. from the John Marshall Law School. Prior to law school, Ms. Strizak organized tenants as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in Austin, Texas.


Chuck Sullivan's Profile

Chuck Sullivan Related Seminars and Products

President

Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois


Chuck is President of the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois.  He has served in that role since January of 2020.  The AFFI represents over 15,000 firefighters and paramedics in 225 locals across the state.

Prior to becoming the President, he served as the AFFI Central District Legislative Representative from 2008-2020.  During that time, he worked extensively on legislation and rules within Article 4 of the Illinois Pension Statute that affects Downstate and Suburban Firefighters. Chuck Sullivan was appointed to the Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund Board on January 31, 2020. Chuck has served as Chairperson of the Board of Trustees since the Board’s inception.

Chuck has an Associate’s degree in Fire Science and a Bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University. He was a firefighter with the City of Champaign from 1995 until his retirement in March of 2022 at the rank of Battalion Chief.  In addition he is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served in Desert Storm.


Robin Ward's Profile

Robin Ward Related Seminars and Products

Retired

Village of Arlington Heights


Robin Ward was In-House Counsel at the Village of Arlington Heights. Prior to her recent retirement, she had been with the Village since 1988. Ms. Ward was part of the collective bargaining team for the village’s negotiations with its police and fire unions. She worked in the Legal Department of the Village of Skokie for 2 1/2 years before joining the State Labor Relations Board at its beginning operations. After working at the State Board for 3 1/2 years, she went to work for the Village of Arlington Heights. Ms. Ward is a graduate of Indiana University with a degree in political science and De Paul University College of Law.


Torrick Ward's Profile

Torrick Ward Related Seminars and Products

Deputy Director of Labor Relations

Cook County Human Resources, Labor Division


Torrick Ward is the Deputy Director of Labor Relations for Cook County, Illinois.  Prior to serving as Deputy Director, Mr. Ward served as the acting director of the Department of Human Rights and Ethics for Cook County and the Senior Labor Counsel for Cook County Labor Relations.  Besides holding positions at Cook County, Mr. Ward worked as an Assistant Corporation Counsel, Senior Counsel and Deputy Director of Compliance at the City of Chicago.  Mr. Ward  has practiced in the areas of Labor and Employment, Civil Rights and Corporate Compliance since 1998.


John J. Weathers's Profile

John J. Weathers Related Seminars and Products

Commissioner

Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service


John Weathers is Commissioner of Mediation in the Peoria, Illinois field service area of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). Mr. Weathers joined the FMCS in 2016 after working as labor counsel for the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council (ILFOPLC) in Springfield, IL for over six years. While with the ILFOPLC he negotiated and administered numerous collective bargaining agreements, presented cases in grievance and interest arbitration, and handled various court and labor board issues. Prior to his employment with the ILFOPLC, Mr. Weathers worked for the State of Illinois Department of Central Management Services (CMS) for nearly four years. His duties at CMS included grievance arbitration, unfair labor practices charges filed against state employees and agencies and negotiation of collective bargaining agreements.. Prior to practicing labor law Mr. Weathers was an State of Illinois Assistant Attorney General focused on defending the State in Federal and State Courts against various constitutional claims. Mr. Weathers received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Illinois and his law degree from the Kent College of Law at the Illinois Institute of Technology.


Dennis L. Weedman Office of General Counsel's Profile

Dennis L. Weedman Office of General Counsel Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Illinois State University


Dennis L. Weedman is a partner in the Collinsville office of Robbins Schwartz. He represents school districts, community colleges, county boards and other units of local government in labor negotiations and employment related matters, including complaints and charges of discrimination, wrongful termination litigation, claims of sexual harassment, civil rights violations and unfair labor practice charges. He also advises clients on the handling of grievances, as well as represents public entities in labor arbitration hearings. Mr. Weedman also counsels clients in all areas of personnel management, as well as in the areas of board governance, general education law and student rights and responsibilities. Mr. Weedman has served on the Illinois State Bar Association's Labor and Employment Section and is a frequent presenter for the Illinois Association of School Boards and at statewide conferences, including the Chicago-Kent School of Law Public Sector Labor Relations Conference. Prior to joining Robbins Schwartz, Mr. Weedman served as an Administrative Law Judge with the Illinois Labor Relations Board and was Labor Relations Counsel for the Illinois Department of Central Management Services. Mr. Weedman received his B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law.


Richard White Related Seminars and Products


Richard White’s experience spans a forty-two-year career substantially spent as a public servant with supervisory and executive level experience in law enforcement and public retirement systems. Richard worked in the criminal justice system and private security for forty years which included thirty-four years as a sworn law enforcement officer.  He retired from the Orange County (CA) Sheriff-Coroner Department with a public sector pension. During his law enforcement career, Mr. White served nine years as a member of the Board of Trustees on the Orange County (CA) Employees’ Retirement System and served four one-year terms as President of the Board of Directors of the State Association of County Retirement Systems. Following retirement, Mr. White served as a Retirement Administrator for the Mendocino County Employees’ Retirement Association. In June 2020, Mr. White was named interim Executive Director of the Illinois Police Officers’ Pension Investment Fund. Richard earned a Master of Science degree in human resources and organizational development from the University of San Francisco.


Steve A. Yokich, JD's Profile

Steve A. Yokich, JD Related Seminars and Products

Partner

Dowd, Bloch, Bennett, Cervone, Auerbach & Yokich, LLP


Stephen A. Yokich graduated from Northwestern University in 1978 and cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981. He clerked for the Honorable George Clifton Edwards, the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 1981 to 1982. Stephen served as the General Counsel for Labor for the Education and Labor Committee of the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1994 and as Associate General Counsel for the International Union, UAW in the UAW’s Washington D.C. office from 1995 to 1998. He currently holds a part-time position as Associate General Counsel for the UAW. Stephen represents private and public sector labor unions in cases before state and federal labor relations boards and in state and federal trial and appellate courts. This representation encompasses the enforcement of union contracts and the defense of cases involving allegations of discrimination, breach of the duty of fair representation and state law torts. He represents unions in cases with the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration and with State occupational safety and health agencies. He also represents individuals and classes of individuals in suits under the civil rights acts, in suits involving the wage and hour laws and in suits involving retiree health and pension benefits. Stephen is admitted to the bar of the State of Illinois and to the Northern, Central and Southern Districts of Illinois and the Northern District of Indiana. He is also admitted to the bar of the United States Supreme Court and to the United State Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and the Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Circuits.


Daniel Zapata's Profile

Daniel Zapata Related Seminars and Products

SEIU Local 73


Daniel Zapata is General Counsel for the Service Employees International Union, Local 73. SEIU Local 73 represents 29,000 workers, primarily public and publicly-funded employees, throughout Illinois and Northwest Indiana. Mr. Zapata represents Local 73 at arbitration hearings, at court, at the different labor boards, and other administrative agencies. Mr. Zapata is a 2013 graduate of Chicago-Kent College of Law.