Join the Massachusetts State Council for our first statewide Legislative Conference. With so many HR and employment related laws changing in the Commonwealth, it’s important to invest some time to keep up-to-date and to learn how to make your voice heard in the debate on HR legislation.

AGENDA

8:00 - Registration

8:30 - Welcome & Introduction, Mike Spinale, State Director, Massachusetts State Council of SHRM

8:45 - Washington Outlook and HR Policy Update

Lisa Horn, Vice President, Policy Engagement, Society of HR Management (SHRM)

Who is in and who is out of the 2019 Congress after the mid-session elections and what this means for HR;  Congressional and Presidential Initiatives; Immigration Outlook for key workplace issues, including immigration, workforce development, workplace flexibility and leave and workplace equity;  Expected  Agency Action and Obstacles for 2019

9:45 - US Supreme Court Review: 2018 Decisions Impacting Employers and Cases to Watch

Michael Harper, Professor of Law, Boston University Law School

The 2018 Term for SCOTUS began on the first Monday of October.  With new judges on the bench and RBG’s recent illness, many are curious about the impact of these changes on the outcome of controversial cases.   The Court has already heard several cases on workplace issues, and many are on the current docket.

10:30 - Coffee break

10:45 - State Legislative Outlook (Panel Discussion)

Moderated by Debra Najjar, Director, Government Affairs, Massachusetts State Council of SHRM

Panelists:

Brad MacDougall, Associated Industries of Massachusetts

Scott Moore, Esq., Principal Advisor, EMS Resource Advisors

11:45 - Advocacy, the SHRM A-Team and Reaching Your Legislators

Meredith Nethercutt, Director, Member Advocacy, SHRM

Learn about the SHRM Advocacy Team (A-Team) in Massachusetts, and how SHRM members can proactively participate in the legislative process to influence legislation before a bill becomes law. 

12:00 - Lunch with Rosalin Acosta, Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development

Massachusetts Family Leave Listening Session

Secretary Acosta will discuss Massachusetts’ new family leave law and listen to your opinions and suggestions as they work on the draft regulations.

1:30 - State House Tour Orientation

2:00 - State House Tours

3:45 - New Massachusetts Laws Impacting the Workplace (Panel Discussion)

Moderated by Debra Najjar, Director, Government Affairs, Massachusetts State Council of SHRM

Panelists:

Lori Bourgoin, Senior Vice President, Field Operaitons, AIM HR Solutions

Kathy Murphy, Esq., Attorney, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Mullane LLP

Sarah Spatafore, Esq., Attorney, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Mullane LLP

Anissa Zabriskie, Human Resources Manager, Dow Chemical

Massachusetts has been at the forefront of progressive legislation impacting the workplace.  Several significant new laws became effective or were adopted in 2018 which impact the workplace.   Our panel will discuss the laws as well as their impact on the workplace, and challenges for employers implementing these laws when they have workplaces in multiple states.  

4:30 - Networking Reception

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For more information on our speakers, click on the picture slideshow below!

Rosalin Acosta

Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Rosalin Acosta - Secretary of Labor & Workforce Development

Prior to joining the Baker-Polito Administration, Secretary Acosta spent over thirty years in the banking industry and is known for her ability to drive positive performance outcomes aligned with a company’s mission. She has been named one of Boston’s Most Influential Women from the Women of the Harvard Club, El Planeta’s Top 100 Most Influential Hispanics in Massachusetts, and Get Konnected’s 100 Most Influential People of Color in Boston, to name a few.

Involved in many civic and community endeavors, Secretary Acosta is a recognized leader, public speaker and cultural ambassador on matters of diversity, motivating youth and Latino Leadership. The common strands that run through her life and career are leadership, mentorship, passion and success. Her work in her previous roles as Board member of The Boston Foundation, Board Overseer at Boston Children’s Hospital where she was a founding member of Milagros Para Niño’s, and Corporate Advisory Board member for the Boston Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) has touched the lives of many.

In addition to her non-profit work, Secretary Acosta was a Director and Planning Member of the Merrimack Valley Workforce Investment Board and was appointed a Northern Essex Community College Trustee by Governor Baker. Born in Cuba, she earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wesleyan University in Connecticut where she was a member of the Women’s Varsity Ice Hockey Team. She is the proud mother of five children.

Lisa Horn

Vice President, Policy Engagement

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

@SHRMLobbystLisa

Lisa Horn - SHRM

As Vice President Policy Engagement, Lisa Horn oversees SHRM’s public policy activities on Capitol Hill on issues important to the HR profession. She is responsible for implementing direct lobbying and member advocacy campaigns to influence HR public policy. As a respected Washington Insider, Lisa leads several employer coalition efforts on key workplace issues.

Since joining SHRM in 2004, Lisa has served as the organization’s chief lobbyist on public policy issues on Capitol Hill that impact the human resource profession. Prior to joining SHRM, Lisa worked for the U.S. House of Representatives as a staff member to two different Members of Congress. A native Nebraskan, Lisa began her career as a senatorial aide in the Nebraska Legislature, while completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Michael C. Harper

Professor, Boston University School of Law

Michael Harper - Boston University School of Law

Professor Michael Harper is a leading authority in the areas of labor law, employment law, and employment discrimination law. Professor Harper has been engaged by the study of these fields since joining the faculty in 1978.

Professor Harper has co-authored several major casebooks, both in Employment Discrimination and Employment Law and in Labor Law. Professor Harper is the author of many law review articles and book chapters on a broad variety of labor and employment law topics, including age discrimination in employment, the scope of bargaining, consumer boycotts, and the allocation of decision making authority between federal and state courts and between the Labor Board and private arbitrators. He has published in a wide array of journals, including the Harvard Law Review, the Yale Law Journal, the Virginia Law Review, the Pennsylvania Law Review, and the Michigan Law Review.

Bradley MacDougall

Vice President of Government Affairs

Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM)

@BradMacDougall ‏

Bradley MacDougall - AIM

Brad MacDougall leads AIM’s taxation and employment law public policy practice. A former Congressional aide, he advises senior executives on a variety of legislative and regulatory issues such as intellectual property and trade secrets, regulatory reform, the state budget and economic development. AIM is the state's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan association of Massachusetts' employers. AIM's mission is to promote the wellbeing of 4,500 Massachusetts employers and their employees and the prosperity of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by improving the economic climate by proactively advocating fair and equitable public policy, and by providing relevant, reliable information and excellent services.

Scott Moore, Esq.

Principal Advisor

EMS Resource Advisors, LLC

@scottmooreems

Scott Moore, Esq. - EMS Resource Advisors, LLC

Scott A. Moore, Esq. Scott is graduate of Suffolk Law School, and a Massachusetts licensed attorney. He possesses certifications as both a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) and the Society for Human Resources Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP). He is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA), the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA), the Northeast Human Resource Association (NEHRA), and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). In addition, Scott is an active member of the American Ambulance Association and has been a Site Reviewer for the Commission for the Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) for many years. Scott has held executive positions at several ambulance services in Massachusetts. Scott is still an active EMT and continues to respond to emergencies as a Call Fire Fighter in his home town.

Kathryn Murphy, Esq.

Partner

Murphy, Hesse, Toomey and Lehane, LLP

Kathryn Murphy, Esq. - Murphy, Hesse, Toomey and Lehane, LLP

Kathryn Murphy practices in the employment and labor law areas. She has many years of experience representing employers in matters involving employment discrimination, wage and hour, contracts, whistleblowing, and other employment-related concerns. Ms. Murphy’s practice also focuses upon working proactively with employers to address matters before legal disputes arise. She provides training, day-to-day counseling in employment areas, development of policies and procedures, conducts employer investigations and provides other advisory services.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Murphy worked for several years with the Office of the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, initially as a financial investigator in the Public Protection area, and later as an Assistant Attorney General in the Fair Labor Division where she handled criminal and administrative enforcement of labor laws including wage and hour matters.

Lori Bourgoin

Senior Vice President, Field Operations

AIM HR Solutions

Lori Bourgoin - AIM HR Solutions

Lori Bourgoin is a member of the AIM HR Solutions leadership team, responsible for field HR operations as well as a variety of educational programs. Lori identifies, develops and produces educational programs and services aimed at emerging HR trends and ongoing regulatory changes that impact the HR discipline. Before joining AIM HR Solutions, Lori held Leadership positions in both mid to large sized companies. She has worked in the Retail, Manufacturing, Distribution, and Insurance industry sectors. Lori is also the current Immediate Past State Director of the Massachusetts State Council of SHRM (MassSHRM).

Sarah Spatafore, Esq.

Attorney

Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP

Sarah Spatafore, Esq. - Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP

Sarah C. Spatafore practices primarily in the labor and employment area, representing both public and private clients. Sarah spends a large portion of her practice on education issues. She currently represents several public schools, regional school districts, and educational collaboratives throughout the state on general education matters, including collective bargaining, employee relations, employee discipline, policies, and student issues. She has represented clients before a number of courts and administrative tribunals at both the state and federal level. She regularly conducts seminars and training programs on unlawful harassment, preventing discrimination, and a variety of other labor and employment issues. Sarah has completed all the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination-certified “Train-the-Trainer” courses. Sarah graduated from Bates College. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Spatafore spent a year working on a presidential campaign and then served as a presidential appointee at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Washington, D.C.  She received her Juris Doctor, with Honors, from Boston College Law School.

Anissa Zabriskie, SHRM-CP

Human Resources Manager

Dow Chemical

@anissaz_iss

Anissa Zabriskie, SHRM-CP - Dow Chemical

Anissa Zabriskie is an accomplished strategic business partner with 20+ years’ management experience marked by outstanding leadership abilities and expertise of all aspects of human resources. Talent for identifying organizational needs and implementing effective programs to maximize results supporting various client groups such as Manufacturing, Sales, Marketing, Engineering and Biotech. Influential with exceptional ability to brainstorm and guide high-level “think tanks” and focus groups that notably impact HR function and drive phenomenal organizational change; ability to gain consensus and buy-in at all levels in the organization.

Anissa is an author, speaker, and certified life coach that helps people understand their value and self-worth, create thriving cultures and shift mindset for growth. As a trained speaker and licensed facilitator in navigating conflict and impactful communication, she has traveled throughout the US, Singapore, UK and Sweden conducting one-on-one coaching, group workshops, and training sessions. An avid pet lover, Anissa lives in the Boston area with her husband, cat, and dog. Anissa also serves as the Diversity and Inclusion Director for the Massachusetts State Council of SHRM.