WORKFORCE/HR TRACK
Day 1, Tuesday, February 25th
Conference Track Sponsor
10:30 – 11:20AM
PANEL: Attracting & Retaining Talent in a Rural vs. Urban Setting
Manufacturers across the country have faced difficulties in attracting and retaining talent for the past few years, with rural manufacturers having experienced shrinking working-age populations at a higher rate than urban areas. In this session, Forvis Mazars will tackle the question "what issues in attracting and retaining talent do manufacturers in rural and urban environments face, and how are they addressing them?" Hear directly from a panel of urban and rural manufacturers as they share their thoughts, ideas and successes.
Tim Chitwood, CPA, CFE | Partner, Forvis Mazars
Tim joined Forvis Mazars in 2005 and provides financial reporting and assurance services as well as consulting on complex business transactions and internal controls and has experience with full and partial employee stock ownership plan structures. He currently serves as leader of Forvis Mazars’ transportation and logistics team and as industry leader for the Commercial Products group of the Southern Missouri practice unit with offices in Springfield, Joplin, and Branson, Missouri. Tim works with family and private equity owned businesses ranging from transportation and logistics companies to multinational manufacturers to retail organizations spanning multiple states. This work includes opening balance sheet audits for business combinations, recurring financial statement audits, and accounting for stock-based compensation arrangements. He has served as a reviewer on the external peer review team for multiple national firms. Tim is also a member of the Southern Missouri employee benefit plan audit practice. This responsibility has given him the opportunity to work with many different types of employee benefit plans, including health and welfare plans, 401(k) plans, 403(b), profit sharing, and employee stock ownership plans in various stages of operation of the plan. He participates in all phases of the employee benefit plan practice, including reviewing financial statement audits and providing consulting services relating to compliance with U.S. Department of Labor requirements. He has served as an instructor as part of firmwide internal training programs, assisted with developing a new benchmarking tool for independent grocers, and authored various articles in the industries he serves. Tim has participated in the Great Game Experience to study open book management and the Kellogg Family Enterprise Boards training program and is a graduate in Praxity’s Emerging Leaders Academy. He is a member of Leadership Springfield Class 42. The Springfield Business Journal acknowledged him in 2020 in its “40 under 40” award. He previously served as a mentor in Missouri State University’s College of Business Corporate Mentor Program. Tim is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and Missouri Society of CPAs. He also is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, Inc. Tim currently serves on the board of directors and is treasurer and chair of the finance committee of the Darr Family Foundation. He currently serves on the advisory board of the National Accounting and Finance Council of the American Trucking Association. He previously served as the treasurer of the board of directors of the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch and sat on the organization’s finance committee. Tim is a 2004 cum laude graduate of Missouri State University, Springfield, with a B.S. degree in computer information systems and accounting.
Tiffani Claussen | President & CEO, Amprod, LLC
Tiffani Claussen, a native of Branson, Missouri, is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in finance and business management. A graduate of Missouri Southern, Tiffani began her career in public accounting earning her CPA and has since led finance teams across a range of industries, including Oil & Gas, Non-Profits, and Manufacturing. In 2019, she joined Amprod as CFO, and her dedication and expertise led to her recent promotion to CEO in June. Outside of her professional life, Tiffani is a proud mother of three amazing young adults, an avid reader, and a passionate traveler who loves exploring the natural beauty of the Ozarks.
Krisi Schell | Executive VP of Human Resources, SRC Holdings Corp
Krisi leverages her more than 20 years of experience in business and human resources in her role as head of HR for the SRC Family of Companies, as well as a member of SRC’s Board of Directors. She also directly oversees The Great Game of Business, the company formed to teach other businesses about how SRC engages employees by teaching them financial and business literacy and to think, act, and feel like owners. From an early age, Krisi was drawn to understanding what makes people tick and what drives their decision-making. But Krisi was also raised in an entrepreneurial home and with a strong work ethic. Unlike some of her friends who took jobs in fast food as teenagers, Krisi worked for a florist—which required working for 24 hours straight on the eve of Valentine’s Day. While attending college at Missouri State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology, Krisi went against a counselor’s advice to pursue a minor in human resources. After graduation, she worked in HR functions first at a local energy co-op and then at a software startup that catered to the insurance industry. Krisi learned that serving in an HR role combined her interests in human psychology and business. In 2013, Krisi jumped at the opportunity to join SRC and its employee-owned culture. Within the Springfield community, Krisi also serves on multiple boards, including Burrell Behavioral Health and Multipli Credit Union, both of which respectively provide the associates of SRC access to valuable mental health and financial literacy resources. Krisi is also a member of the Springfield Public Schools Business Curriculum Advisory Board. Outside of work, Krisi enjoys spending time with her two children and walking for hours with her 12-pound Shih Tzu-Poodle mix, Jesse Mae.
Brad Ledford | Managing Director, Forvis Mazars
Brad is the Managing Director for Forvis Mazars Executive Search; an executive search and recruiting service team which focuses on delivering superior results for clients. Brad has over 28 years of experience with the firm, the last 20+ years with Forvis Mazars and 6 years before that as an auditor. His focus has been as a Trusted Recruiter and Advisor, helping a range of clients from small to fortune 500 companies recruit the top talent in Executive, Finance, Accounting, Audit, and Tax. Brad serves a wide range of industries, specializing in Manufacturing, Distribution and Healthcare. Brad has a large client base in this arena and focuses on executive and financial placements. Brad has served on many non-profit boards and industry associations. He is actively involved in community organizations and has served in the past on the IMA Carolinas Council, as President of the IMA and President of the local Greater Greenville Chapter. He also has served as a Loaned Executive for United Way. Brad is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Management Accountant, and he currently is the Chair of the state board of the South Carolina Association of CPAs and serves as an IMA Global Board Director. Brad is a graduate of The University of South Carolina Upstate where he holds a Bachelors with a focus in Accounting.
1:30 – 2:20PM
How EAPs Support Employee Behavioral Health & Workplace Safety
Behavioral health challenges have increased since the pandemic and impact a significant portion of the adult population each year. Have you considered how employee behavioral health at your workplace impacts safety? This presentation will share statistics on behavioral health disorders, discuss the impact of behavioral health disorders on workplace safety, acknowledge the challenge of behavioral health stigma, and demonstrate how employee assistance programs can help.
Objectives:
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Overview of employee assistance programs and their services
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Statistics regarding behavioral health trends in the U.S.
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Statistics on behavioral health impact on injuries/accidents
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Discussion of behavioral health stigma
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Discussion of strategies to support employee mental wellness
Patrick Dotson | Director – Employee Assistance Program, Mercy Health (St. Louis)
Patrick Dotson serves as Director – Employee Assistance Program for Mercy Health (St. Louis, Missouri). He holds a Master of Arts - Counseling degree from Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ) and a Master of Divinity degree from Urshan Graduate School of Theology (Wentzville, MO). He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Missouri and a Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP). Patrick has over ten years of clinical behavioral health and EAP experience, and twenty years serving as a leader in business, academic, community, and religious settings.
3:30 – 4:20PM
A New Labor Landscape and Emerging Employment Issues for 2025
Leave management, workplace training, compliance with state and federal human rights laws, state and federal wage-and-hour laws – these are just a few aspects of labor and employment that HR Professionals must navigate on a daily basis and in addition to their other responsibilities. In this session, Contessa Brundridge will share updates for this everchanging labor landscape. Attendees will learn about new and changing regulations and what emerging employment issues to be aware of in 2025.
Contessa Brundridge | Attorney, Jackson Lewis P.C.
Contessa A. Brundridge is an associate in the St. Louis, Missouri, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She is passionate about preventing workplace disputes, harassment, and litigation through effective partnership with employers on a day-to-day basis. Contessa regularly advises employers regarding all aspects of labor and employment matters including leave management, workplace training efforts, compliance with state and federal human rights laws, and state and federal wage-and-hour laws. When litigation arises, Contessa also rigorously defends employers before state and federal courts, administrative agencies and arbitrators in cases involving wrongful termination, discrimination, and wage and hour matters. Contessa’s practice includes representing employers with respect to labor-management relations matters and best practices at all phases of the collective bargaining process. She has also represented employers in successful discharge grievance arbitrations, several contract interpretation disputes, unfair labor practice charges, contract negotiations and union organizing campaigns for both private and public sector employers. She has represented clients before labor arbitrators, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Illinois Public Labor Relations Board, and the Food and Drug Administration. Contessa also represents clients in all phases of litigation, including jury and bench trials, dispositive motions, discovery, pre-trial strategy, and client counseling and best practices. Her experience includes conducting workplace investigations involving allegations of employee and managerial misconduct, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. She regularly provides workplace training and day-to-day advice and counsel on all aspects of employment law issues for clients. While in law school, Contessa also served as the managing editor of the Journal of Dispute Resolution and was a member of numerous advocacy competition teams, including the National Trial Competition team and the ABA Labor & Employment Competition team. She was also awarded several honors for her scholastic achievement as well as her achievement in litigation and trial advocacy. Recently, Contessa authored a chapter in a labor law treatise regarding Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act.
Day 2, Wednesday, February 26th
9:00 – 9:50AM
From Technical Expert to True Leader: Transforming Your Mid-Level Manufacturing Leaders
Manufacturing companies face a critical challenge: developing technically skilled employees into effective leaders. When this transition fails, organizations lose between $32,500-$212,500 per replacement, according to McKinsey research. Yet traditional leadership development approaches often fall short in today's manufacturing environments, where technical expertise and people leadership must work in harmony.
In this high-impact session, participants will discover:
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How to identify and overcome the unique challenges technical experts face in leadership roles
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Practical frameworks for building trust while maintaining production standards
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Specific tools for developing an ownership mindset in mid-level leaders
Attendees will leave with concrete and immediately applicable concepts for leveling-up existing leaders and next generation leaders.
Perfect for manufacturing executives, HR leaders, and anyone responsible for leadership development in manufacturing environments.
Ryan Nelson | Founder, Circle of 5
Ryan Nelson brings over three decades of leadership development experience across non-profit, customer service industry, and manufacturing sectors. His exposure to manufacturing leadership began 30 years ago, learning from a mentor who rose from pushing a broom to company president—demonstrating that great leaders serve their teams, not just manage them. In today's rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape, Ryan is transforming leadership development through innovative approaches that bridge the gap between technical expertise and effective people leadership. As founder of Circle of 5, he helps organizations build strong leaders, unite teams, and create lasting cultural change that meets the demands of modern manufacturing environments.
10:30 – 11:20AM
Walking in the Weeds: Developing Effective Workplace Drug Policies
Determining what drug testing types, policies and procedures are right for your company can be a challenging task. What tests are absolutely necessary? Which ones are not but would still be good to have? What are the legal requirements around company drug policies?
In this session, John Throckmorton from Tomo Drug Testing will answer these questions, and any additional ones the audience may have, to ensure you can develop the most effective drug policies for your workplace.
Attendees will:
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Be able to identify steps for development and implementation of a drug and alcohol testing policy
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Know recent trends in controlled substance use and misuse
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Understand options in drug and alcohol testing methodology
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Learn an employer’s responsibility for compliance with state and federal regulations, as applicable
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Be able to define training requirements for employees and supervisors
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Recognize the potential impact and benefits of a Drug-Free Workplace
John Throckmorton | Senior Training Consultant, Tomo Drug Testing
John Throckmorton is a Senior Training Consultant with Tomo Drug Testing. He has been with Tomo since December 2000, serving as a collection technician, field manager, breath alcohol and drug collection trainer, operations manager and account executive. Often referred to as “JT”, John has assisted businesses with the development and implementation of substance misuse testing programs as well as program reviews for compliance with State and Federal regulations. As a Senior Training Consultant, John annually conducts over 100 educational training seminars and webinars. John is a graduate of Baptist Bible College where he met Carol, his wife of 44 years. They have two grown children and three grandchildren. John has been involved in public speaking for over 45 years.