39th Annual Federal Sector Labor Relations and Labor Law Conference

Jennifer M. Cassell Related Seminars and Products

Administrative Judge

Merit Systems Protection Board

Jennifer M. Cassell joined the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) as an Administrative Judge in 2020. Prior to coming to the MSPB, Jennifer worked as an Assistant Regional Counsel with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the General Counsel (OGC) for 11 years. Prior to joining OGC, she clerked for Judge Ann Williams on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Jennifer received her J.D. from DePaul University College of Law. She previously taught advanced legal writing at her alma mater.

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 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.

Kent A. Corso Related Seminars and Products

Program Manager, Suicide Prevention & Awareness Psychologist

Customs and Border Protection

Dr. Kent A. Corso is a licensed clinical psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst. While he joined CBP in the spring of 2021, his career as a suicidologist began almost two decades ago, while serving in the U.S. Air Force. Dr. Corso has researched, developed and evaluated suicide prevention programs for state, federal and private organizations. Most recently, he developed an evidence-based suicide prevention and intervention program for medical professionals, administrators, elected officials, community members and other stakeholders. His program has been adopted across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Europe. Dr. Corso has published numerous peer-reviewed research papers on suicide and is a leading expert in novel scientific methods and digital technologies for analyzing suicide.

Todd Dickey Related Seminars and Products

Assistant Professor, Public Administration & International Affairs

Syracuse University

Todd Dickey is an assistant professor of public administration and international affairs at Syracuse University's Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. His research and teaching interests are in the fields of public sector human resource management, labor and employment relations, and workplace conflict management.  His current research explores organizational systems for addressing workplace conflict as well as innovation and change in federal sector civil service institutions and labor relations.  Prior to graduate school, Dickey worked for several years at the Federal Trade Commission.  He holds a Ph.D. in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University, a Master of Arts in political science from Syracuse University, and an A.B. from Vassar College.

Ernie DuBester Related Seminars and Products

Chairman

Federal Labor Relations Authority

Ernest DuBester was designated Chairman by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on January 21, 2021. Chairman DuBester was initially appointed and renominated by President Barack Obama, renominated again by President Donald Trump, and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to all three terms, Chairman DuBester has served as an FLRA Member since August 2009. He also served as FLRA Chairman from January to November of 2013 and for a second time in January of 2017. Chairman DuBester was previously nominated by President William J. Clinton and served as Chairman and Member of the National Mediation Board (NMB) from 1993 to 2001.  Subsequently, he served as a staff mediator with the NMB. Chairman DuBester has over 45 years of experience in labor-management relations. He began his career at the National Labor Relations Board, serving as counsel to former Chairman and Member John Fanning. He also served as a Union attorney with the firm of Highsaw & Mahoney, and as legislative counsel to the AFL-CIO. He previously taught collective bargaining and arbitration at the Catholic University of America School of Law. In addition, Chairman DuBester served as Professor and Director of the Dispute Resolution Program at George Mason University School of Law (now Antonin Scalia Law School). During his time at the Law School, he also worked as an arbitrator and mediator of labor and employment matters, including many federal-sector cases. Chairman DuBester received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, his law degree from the Catholic University of America School of Law, where he was Recent Developments Editor of the Law Review, and his Masters of Law in Labor Law from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Daniel Fine Related Seminars and Products

Administrative Judge

U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board

Dan Fine joined the Merit Systems Protection Board as an Administrative Judge in 2019. His career in government began as staffer on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Most recently, he was a partner at Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP, where he worked on a variety of litigation matters. 

Barbara Haga Related Seminars and Products

President

Federal HR Services, Inc.

Barbara I. Haga is President of Federal HR Services, Inc., a small business established in 2006 to provide HR training, consulting, functional services to Federal agencies.  She also serves as an instructor with the Federal Employment Law Training Group (FELTG). Ms. Haga retired in September 2005 as Head of Organizational Development and Workforce Relations with the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.   In that position she managed the employee and labor relations programs, benefits, the Career Transition Assistance Program and training and development programs for the Center.  Ms. Haga was previously employed by the Department of the Navy. A well-known speaker and trainer, Ms. Haga has made a variety of presentations at professional conferences on a variety of employee relations topics.   She is the author of Federal Sector FMLA: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions published in 2007 (4th ed. 2015) by LRP Publications and she also writes the monthly “Leave Advisor Column” for Cyberfeds.  Her second book, The Federal Manager's Everyday Guide to FMLA, was published in late 2009 (3rd ed. 2017).  She also writes a monthly column for the FELTG newsletter. Ms. Haga is a past National President of the Society of Federal Labor and Employee Relations Professionals (SFLERP), a position that she held from 1991 through 1993 and from 2003 through 2005.  She served on the National SFLERP Board in varying capacities from 1991 through 2011.  The Society awarded her the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Federal Labor-Management Relations Program and Dedicated Service to SFLERP. Ms. Haga is a graduate of the University of Virginia and she received her Master of Public Administration degree from Old Dominion University in May 2006. 

Everett Kelley Related Seminars and Products

National President

American Federation of Government Employees

Everett Kelley is the National President of the American Federation of Government Employees, which is the largest union representing federal and D.C. government employees. He assumed the presidency in February 2020. Everett Kelley has been a member of AFGE since 1981. He worked at the Anniston Army Depot, which he recently retired from after 30 years. Prior to his election as National Vice President, he served as President of Local 1945 from 2002 to 2011. As President of Local 1945, he was responsible for five bargaining units with over 4,500 bargaining unit employees. Under his leadership, the union membership in his Local went from 1,200 in 2002 to well over 2,600 in 2010. As District 5 National Vice President, he was focused on taking the lead in protecting and advancing AFGE member interests. Under his administration the District 5 membership grew from 38,000 to over 51,000 in seven years. A native of Goodwater, Alabama, Kelley moved his family to Sylacauga, Alabama, where he graduated from Sylacauga High School. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army and served our country for 3 years. After his military career, Kelley focused on education. He completed an AA at Central Alabama Community College, he then matriculated to Selma University and earned a Bachelor of Theology and Master of Theology at Rushing Springs School of Theology. Upon graduation, Everett honored his learning experience by serving as professor at Birmingham Estonian Bible college and Rushing Spring School of Theology. Everett continued his education and obtained a Doctorate degree in 2016. Kelley is a board member of Habitat for Humanity Alabama local chapter and served as board member of the Economic Development Council of Calhoun County Alabama, East Alabama Planning Commission, Association of United States Army. He served as the senior pastor of St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church in Lincoln, Alabama for 31 and a half years before retiring in February 2019 and being appointed Pastor Emeritus. 

Kimberly Koch-Hult Related Seminars and Products

Conflict Management and Prevention Center Manager - Forest Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Kimberly Koch-Hult currently serves as the Regional Conflict Management and Prevention Center Manager for the Northern Region of the United States Forest Service. She has been designing and providing virtual dispute resolution services in the role of coach, mediator, facilitator, trainer and program manager for federal, state, local, tribal, educational and not for profit organizations for over 20 years. As a conflict process guide, Kimberly enjoys meeting people exactly where they are and inspiring compassionate conversations.  She frequently presents on generational conflict in social media, complexity systems, the cognitive science of decision making and consciousness. When she is not writing, sculpting or painting, she frequents gardens, libraries, and mountains.

Julie Lenggenhager Related Seminars and Products

Deputy Director of Field Operations and Organizing

National Treasury Employees Union

Julie A. Lenggenhager is the Deputy Director of Field Operations and Organizing at the National Treasury Employees Union, the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees, representing 150,000 workers in 34 departments and agencies.  She works directly underneath the Director of Field Operations and Organizing who is responsible for managing and overseeing NTEU’s eight field offices, organizing and learning and development departments.  Prior to becoming the Deputy Director, she served as an Assistant Counsel in NTEU’s Chicago Field Office for fifteen years where she represented employees at the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Treasury.  Her extensive experience includes arbitrating discipline and contract interpretation matters and representing employees before the EEOC and Merit Systems Protection Board.  Prior to joining NTEU, Julie worked as an Associate Attorney at a private law firm representing private and public sector labor unions and Taft-Hartley health and welfare funds.  She earned her Juris Doctor and a Certificate in Employment Law from Saint Louis University School of Law.  She received her Bachelor of Arts from Illinois Wesleyan University, with a major in Political Science and a minor in Diplomatic Relations.  Julie is licensed to practice law in both Missouri and Illinois.

David Lidow Related Seminars and Products

Administrative Judge

U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board

David R. Lidow is an Administrative Judge with the Merit Systems Protection Board in the Central Regional Office located in Chicago.  The MSPB is an independent, quasi-judicial agency that adjudicates federal employment disputes and whistleblower retaliation claims.   He previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the civil division, representing the United States in employment discrimination cases, claims brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act, civil rights cases, and pursuing fraud claims on behalf of various government programs. 

Mike J. McAuley Related Seminars and Products

National Counsel

National Treasury Employees Union

Carol Miaskoff Related Seminars and Products

Legal Counsel

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Carol R. Miaskoff was appointed Legal Counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Commission or EEOC) on June 24, 2021, having served in an Acting and Associate capacity.  She manages development of the Commission regulations and guidance under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Equal Pay Act, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.  She also provides legal advice to the Commission and works with the Department of Justice to defend the Chair and the Commission in litigation. During her career at the EEOC, Ms. Miaskoff supervised the development of proposed Commission policy on workplace harassment and final Commission guidance on retaliation, criminal background checks, and national origin discrimination.  She served on the EEOC’s equal pay task force and speaks frequently to labor and employment groups about issues ranging from COVID-19 in the workplace, to the use of big data in employment selection. Ms. Miaskoff graduated from Harvard University and from the George Washington University Law School, with high honors.  In the community, Ms. Miaskoff has been active in the Montgomery County, MD, Mental Health Advisory Committee, and guest lectures at a Georgetown University undergraduate class on Women and the Law. 

Daniel C Mullenix Related Seminars and Products

Senior Counsel

IRS, Ofice of Chief Counsel, General Legal Services

Dan Mullenix is appearing on the panel today in his capacity as a trained mediator and Coordinator of the Chicago Federal Executive Board’s Shared Neutrals Alternative Dispute Resolution Program (SNAP). SNAP services are available to federal agencies help resolve a variety of internal workplace disputes – whether used to address interpersonal conflict between two employees, an employee and supervisor, or among a group; or as a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in EEO complaints or grievances. Mr. Mullenix has previously served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law, where he taught an advanced legal writing course focused on labor and employment law.  He received his Juris Doctor, with Honors, from Chicago-Kent College of Law, and his Bachelor of Arts in Classics, Cum Laude, from Washington University in St. Louis. Mr. Mullenix is presently serving as Senior Counsel with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, IRS, Office of Chief Counsel – General Legal Services Division (GLS), in the Area Counsel Chicago office. He provides legal advice and litigates complex cases concerning federal sector personnel and labor-management issues before the Merit Systems Protection Board, Federal Labor Relations Authority, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and before third parties in arbitration. 

Sean Nolon Related Seminars and Products

ADR Counsel

Federal Deposit Insurance Coporation

Sean Nolon serves as the FDIC’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Counsel in the Ethics and ADR Unit of the Legal Division. He advises and assists the Corporation on all ADR activities. Prior to joining the FDIC, Sean was  the Vice Dean for Faculty and a Professor of Law Vermont Law School where he directed the Dispute Resolution program. He teaches and writes in the fields of negotiation, dispute resolution, environmental law, land use, and governance. He has significant experience as a lawyer, ombuds, mediator, negotiator, and facilitator in employment, land use, environmental, public policy and commercial disputes. His scholarship has been cited by the Massachusetts Supreme Court. He is the author and co-author of numerous chapters, books, and articles in the law journals of Florida University, Fordham University, Yeshiva University’s Cardozo Law School, University of Oregon, Idaho University, and Pace University. He has designed and taught courses at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, University of Nevada at Las Vegas, Pepperdine Law School, Northeastern Law School and Dartmouth College. Sean received the Honors Award from the New York State Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section and is licensed to practice law in New York. 

Michael Oswalt Related Seminars and Products

Interim Director - Institute for Law and the Workplace

Chicago-Kent College of Law

Lisa Ramos Related Seminars and Products

Director of Learning and Development

National Treasury Employees Union

Lisa Ramos began working for the National Treasury Employees Union in 1998 as an Assistant Counsel in the Denver Field Office. In 2008 she became a National Counsel overseeing the Denver territory, and in 2021 she became NTEU’s first Director of Learning and Development. As Director of L & D, Lisa is responsible for orientation, training, and development of local Union representatives, elected officials, and staff. Prior to joining NTEU, Lisa worked in Colorado and California in the areas of AIDS Law and Child Welfare, as well as labor and employment law for private and public sector employees. Lisa is a graduate of Wellesley College and the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

Michael Rhoades Related Seminars and Products

EEO AJ

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Judge Michael Rhoades earned his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Judge Rhoades currently serves as an administrative judge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Milwaukee Area Office. Prior to joining the EEOC, he represented parties before administrative and judicial bodies including the EEOC, MSPB, FLRA, and Courts of Appeals. Judge Rhoades was previously an active duty officer with the United States Army. In this capacity he served as a legal advisor on a variety of matters and prosecuted Military Courts-Martial.

Jeff Rosenblum Related Seminars and Products

Chief Human Capital Officer

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Jeff Rosenblum is the Chief Human Capital Officer for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). He came to the FDIC in 2018 as an Assistant General Counsel in the Legal Division. Jeff previously served in various attorney roles in the private sector and the Federal government, including as Deputy General Counsel for the Securities and Exchange Commission and General Counsel for the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. Jeff is also an Adjunct Professor at George Mason Law School and American University’s Graduate School of Public Affairs.

Jeff is a proud alumnus of the University of Maryland and Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and an avid tennis player and fan.

Mary Senoo Related Seminars and Products

Administrative Judge

U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board

Mary Senoo is an Administrative Judge with the Merit Systems Protection Board. Prior to joining the MSPB in 2019, Mary spent nineteen years with the Social Security Administration’s Office of the General Counsel in Chicago.   During most of her career at SSA, her practice focused on employment and labor law, including negotiated contract arbitrations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission litigation and an occasional Merit Systems Protection Board appeal.  She also spent time as a Special Assistant United States Attorney handling Social Security fraud prosecutions in the Northern District of Illinois.  For her last 9 years at SSA, Mary served as Senior Counsel and oversaw the Chicago Region’s EEOC litigation practice and arbitrations.  Mary received her J.D. from Temple University in 1999 after having spent several years living and working in Japan.

Greg A. Weddle Related Seminars and Products

Chicago Acting Regional Director

Federal Labor Relations Authority

Greg Weddle has served as the Acting Regional Director for the Federal Labor Relations Authority’s Chicago Regional Office since May 2021. Prior to that, Mr. Weddle served as the Regional Attorney in Chicago beginning in August 2014. Mr. Weddle joined the FLRA as an attorney in 1996 and had served as Senior Attorney since 2012. Before joining the FLRA, Mr. Weddle worked for the Social Security Administration in Michigan from 1986 to 1993.