Board Members
Northwest Human Resource Management Association (NHRMA) is made up of a 14-member board, including representation from the SHRM State Council Directors for Alaska, Oregon, and Washington.
President
Michele Swift Ph.D., SPHR, SHRM-SCP
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Oregon
Dr. Michele Swift is a faculty member at Oregon State University’s College of Business where she is a Senior Instructor and Assistant School Head. As a Senior Instructor, Michele teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in HR Management and has also taught courses in Organizational Behavior and Professional Development. Her research has been published in the Journal of Management, Group & Organization Management, Human Resource Management, Journal of Knowledge Management, and Human Resource Management Review. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder and her Masters in Human Resources and Industrial Relations (MHRIR) from the University of Oregon. Prior to academia, Michele spent over ten years in HR and HR systems consulting.
Michele has been a SHRM professional member since 1993, has been the chapter advisor for the Oregon State SHRM student chapter since 2017, was College Relations for the Lane County Human Resource Association (LCHRA) from 2016 to 2022, and previously served as NHRMA College Relations. She received the SHRM Student Chapter Advisor Impact Award in 2022.
President-Elect Vice President
Past President
Staey Scalf, SHRM-CP
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Washington
Stacey Scalf is the Human Resources Director for Performance Radiator Pacific, LLC in Tacoma, WA. Performance Radiator Pacific, LLC operates 31 locations in 16 states and 4 locations in Canada. Stacey is responsible for the operational and strategic management of activities related to the performance of the human resources function at Performance Radiator Pacific, LLC.
Stacey possesses over 25 years of human resources experience. She has managed every aspect of the employment life cycle in multiple industries including construction, private investigation, transportation, healthcare, petroleum, education, real estate, utilities, hospitality, senior care, and warehousing. Stacey’s expertise also includes talent management, organizational training, compensation and benefits along with leadership coaching, training, and development.
Stacey is passionate about helping businesses make the most of their resources and talent and helping individuals reach their full career potential. In addition to her accomplishments in corporate HR, Stacey has also provided career transition services for clients through one-on-one coaching and group workshops and contracted with start-up businesses to develop their HR infrastructure.
Stacey has been a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) since 2007. She has served on the Board of Directors for the West Sound Human Resource Management Association (WSHRMA), a designated chapter of SHRM, since 2007, in a variety of roles, including President. In 2016, she was named the chapter’s Distinguished Member of the Year. Stacey was the co-chair for the National Human Resources Management Association’s (NHRMA) 80th annual conference in 2018.
Stacey graduated from Lamar University in 1994 with a degree in Computer Information Systems and graduated from Ashford University in 2015 with her Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management. She is married to her wonderful husband Aaron, a retired 20-year veteran of the US Navy Submarine Force. They have raised two beautiful children, Tristan and Ashton, and are now enjoying their new grandson, Granger.
Secretary
Christine Moreland
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Washington
Christine has been in the Human Resources field for 20 years and considers herself a generalist, one with extensive knowledge in many specialized areas of HR.
Currently, Christine is volunteering as USAA/SHRM Foundation Ambassador which she has been doing for the past four years with their Veteran’s Initiative program. She created a partnership with the WA State SHRM and the YesVets during her time as the Workforce Readiness Director and continues to stay involved with the YesVets program and assists in planning events, presenting workshops for their Recognition and Resource Showcase annually and continues to promote the recruiting, hiring, and retention of veterans and military spouses.
She has volunteered on the WA State SHRM Board of Directors for 8 years in the following roles: Diversity Director, Secretary, Executive Assistant, and Workforce Readiness Director. (Served 2 years in each role).
In addition, she has volunteered on her local SHRM Chapter Board of Directors in the following roles: Secretary, Program Development, Workforce Readiness Director, President-Elect, President, Past President, and Webmaster. Christine previously served on the Board in the Communications role.
Treasurer
Sheila M. Harbrige, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
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Alaska
Sheila has worked in the Human Resources profession for over 20 years in several different industries – rural electric, state government, banking, telecommunications, and security/facility services.
Born and raised in Montana, Sheila earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND, and moved to Alaska in 2015.
Sheila’s human resources specialties are employment law, performance management, and employee relations. She is a passionate servant leader and thrives on helping others and seeing them succeed!
Sheila has been an active member of local SHRM Chapters for many years and has served in leadership roles on local and state-level SHRM Boards in North Dakota and Alaska. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the NHRMA Board.
Partnership Director
Dana Clark, SHRM-CP
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Oregon
Dana Clark, SHRM-CP, is an HR Business Partner for Ocean Beach Hospital and Medical Clinics in Ilwaco, Washington. She’s a Lower Columbia Human Resource Management Association (LCHRMA) member, serving as the Communications Director. As an HR professional in a small rural hospital, Dana is always looking for opportunities to give back to the community she lives. She’s been involved in the Big Brother and Big Sister program, Ilwaco Sports Booster Board member, and spearheads Toy and Food Drives every holiday season.
Dana enjoys creating meaningful relationships with her co-workers and striving to improve staff’s working lives. She was previously recognized as Employee of the Quarter for consistently going above and beyond to ensure people are cared for. She’s involved in the Employee Activities Committee, which works to provide a fun, engaging, and equitable atmosphere for staff!
Awards and Recognition Director
Staey Scalf, SHRM-CP
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Washington
Stacey Scalf is the Human Resources Director for Performance Radiator Pacific, LLC in Tacoma, WA. Performance Radiator Pacific, LLC operates 31 locations in 16 states and 4 locations in Canada. Stacey is responsible for the operational and strategic management of activities related to the performance of the human resources function at Performance Radiator Pacific, LLC.
Stacey possesses over 25 years of human resources experience. She has managed every aspect of the employment life cycle in multiple industries including construction, private investigation, transportation, healthcare, petroleum, education, real estate, utilities, hospitality, senior care, and warehousing. Stacey’s expertise also includes talent management, organizational training, compensation and benefits along with leadership coaching, training, and development.
Stacey is passionate about helping businesses make the most of their resources and talent and helping individuals reach their full career potential. In addition to her accomplishments in corporate HR, Stacey has also provided career transition services for clients through one-on-one coaching and group workshops and contracted with start-up businesses to develop their HR infrastructure.
Stacey has been a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) since 2007. She has served on the Board of Directors for the West Sound Human Resource Management Association (WSHRMA), a designated chapter of SHRM, since 2007, in a variety of roles, including President. 2016 she was named the chapter’s Distinguished Member of the Year. Stacey was the co-chair for the National Human Resources Management Association’s (NHRMA) 80th annual conference in 2018.
Stacey graduated from Lamar University in 1994 with a degree in Computer Information Systems and graduated from Ashford University in 2015 with her Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management. She is married to her wonderful husband Aaron, a retired 20-year veteran of the US Navy Submarine Force. They have raised two beautiful children, Tristan and Ashton, and are now enjoying their new grandson, Granger.
College Relations Director
Lizzie Rahm, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
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Washington
Lizzie is a human resources senior manager in her employer's Human Resources Department. Her mission is to continue to recruit top talent and assist current staff in realizing their full potential. Together with the CHRO, she is responsible for recruiting, performance management, and various HR projects supporting the initiatives of Clark Nuber. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management from Western Washington University, as well as her SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications.
She has been active in NHRMA as past student president; additionally, she has served Lake Washington Human Resources Association and Washington State Human Resources Council. Her contributions to the NHRMA Human Resource Leaders of Tomorrow student conference have added to the value of this event to students throughout the region.
Communications Director
Mary M. Rydesky, DBA, SHRM-SCP
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Alaska
Mary has been in the Human Resources field throughout her career spanning Texas and Alaska. As a professional manager of training & an educator, Mary M. Rydesky combines practical experience with theory & research. She has worked in for-profit & not-for-profit, corporate, & small business settings, both centralized and remote.
Mary is a life-long learner. She holds a BA in Communications, Arts, & Education, a Masters in Business Administration with concentrations in Organizational Behavior & Marketing, & a Masters in Information Science. After completing all but dissertation toward a Ph.D. in Management of Engineering & Technology, she pursued a doctorate in Management & Technology/Human Resource Management. Her research topic is trust in the workplace.
She is active in SHRM at student, state, regional, and & national levels and has served on the boards of the Alaska SHRM, Anchorage SHRM, and WBU SHRM student chapter #4483. She has served on the planning committee for NHRMA’s HR Leaders of Tomorrow and aided in creating the virtual conference experience for students.
She heads Transition Management, specializing in change management through training, technology, & communications. She trains & facilitates learning for a wide variety of industries & occupations. Her work in the military community on career management skills has gained national recognition. She teaches in business management programs of Wayland & other local universities. She manages HR for a cybersecurity/IT managed services company and provides contract HR management for small clients in Alaska.
Conference Director
Abbi Lasich, MBA-HRM, PHR, SHRM-CP, MBA-HRM
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Washington
As an Employer Services Consultant, Abbi brings her passion for business, problem-solving, and comprehensive HR expertise to help connect her clients with workplace solutions. She has experience in manufacturing, financial services, and technology industries, where she has been able to make improvements to employee benefits, financial services, and also Human Resource functions.
In addition to her degree in business administration from Columbia College and MBA in HRM from Southern Columbia University, Abbi has earned the Professional Human Resources (PHR®) certification, along with designation as a Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP®).
Abbi currently resides in Southwest Washington with her family. When she isn’t volunteering in her community church events, you can find her golfing or traveling with her daughter all over the world.
Professional Development Director
Stacey Brown SHRM-SCP
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Oregon
Stacey Brown, SHRM-SCP, is currently the HR Manager for Ocean Beach Hospital and Medical Clinics in Ilwaco, Washington. She is just across the river from her hometown of Astoria, Oregon, where she lives and belongs to the Lower Columbia SHRM (LC SHRM), currently serving as President. She has been a member of the chapter since 2008 where she began serving as the Student Relations Coordinator. She has since been Communications Director, College Relations Director, and Diversity Director, and has served as President of the chapter for many years. Stacey was the Oregon SHRM Director in 2017, where she sat on the NHRMA board on behalf of Oregon State. HR is her passion, and her community has embraced that by asking her to do many things HR-related, as she tends to be their go-to for HR advice. Stacey has volunteered countless hours, including training for various organizations, primarily non-profits. She taught the Small Business HR course for several years for the local community college, as well. Stacey is excited to serve on NHRMA board and looks forward to the great work ahead!
Alaska State Council
Ann Kjera, MBA/HR, SHRM-SCP, SPHR
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Alaska
Ann Kjera is a lifelong Alaskan with over 25 years of experience in Human Resources. Now with Ampersand, Ms. Kjera was previously CHRO at the Anchorage Museum. Prior to joining the Museum, she was the Benefits and Programs Administrator for an air cargo carrier. During her career, Ms. Kjera has held a variety of positions in a variety of fields, including social services non-profit executive director, apartment manager, operations manager for a stock brokerage, and she has served on a variety of non-profit boards. Ann has served as the Legislative Affairs Director and past-president of ASHRM (Anchorage Society of Human Resource Management). She served as the Alaska SHRM State Council Director and has held the position of State Council Secretary/Treasurer.
Washington State Human Resource Council
Julie Orchard
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Washington
Julie is currently the Service Area CHRO for Providence Health Care in Spokane and Stevens County. Julie has been part of the HR Department at Providence since 2016. Julie began her love of Human Resources at Frito Lay where she worked for 11 years. She then joined the team at Skils’kin where she held the role as HR Director while serving the mission of advancing people with disabilities. Julie has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Eastern Washington University and received her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in 2008 and her SHRM-CP in November of 2014. She is currently the Past-President of the Washington State SHRM Council and serves on the Leadership Spokane Board of Directors. She also has served on the boards of Inland Northwest Society for Human Resource Managers (INSHRM) and the Inland Northwest Business Alliance (LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce). Julie is a proud graduate of Leadership Spokane and is passionate about servant leadership and serving the needs of Washington State and of the Spokane Community.
Oregon State Council
Sarah Elkinton
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Oregon
Sarah Elkinton is a Sr. Organization and Leadership Development Consultant at Asante Health System in Southern Oregon. She has HR experience in a variety of industries, including grocery retail, wood products manufacturing, food manufacturing, call center, and now health care. She has a B.S. in Psychology and a M.S. in Organizational Training and Development, both from Southern Oregon University. Sarah is passionate about supporting leaders in their development to create work atmospheres that are fun, fair, and thriving! Sarah has served on the Rogue Valley SHRM Board of Directors since 2008 (with one minor break). For the majority of her time on the board, she served as Hospitality and Social Director, bringing the chapter great advancements like online registration and credit card transactions. Since 2019, she has served as President-Elect, President, and Programs Director. She has also served as the Oregon State Membership Director, Director-Elect, and is the 2023 Director.
NHRMA SHRM Field Services Director
Shannon Taylor, SHRM-CP
SHRM Pacific West MCD (Members and Community Director, formerly FSD)
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510-282-6176
The Membership & Customer Community Experience Team acts as a liaison between SHRM and our professional and student members and volunteers by:
- Answering questions about membership, certification and other SHRM strategic initiatives
- Assisting professional and student chapters remain affiliated
- Providing guidance regarding affiliate operations
- Attending state council, regional council and other affiliate meetings
- Participating in state and regional conferences
- Acting as a speaker at chapter meetings, state conferences, and other events as available;
- Promoting SHRM member benefits
- Assisting in the recruitment and retention of members
- Supporting potential chapters in becoming affiliated
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Legal Counsel
The Cicotte Law Firm, PLLC
Christine Zinter
Office: (509) 783-6699
Direct: (509) 591-4682
Christine@CicotteLaw.com
Christine Zinter is an associate with The Cicotte Law Firm. Christine has spent her entire career working in employee benefits. Prior to starting her second career in law, Christine spent 20 years as a Health & Welfare Consultant working for national firms such as Assurant, MetLife, and Aon Consulting before starting her own successful boutique consulting firm.
Christine graduated with honors from St. Louis University’s nationally recognized Health Law Program in 2015, then spent several years as a compliance attorney working for a Fortune 100 pharmacy benefit management company. A Portland native, Christine is happy to return to her Pacific NW roots, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and experience with employee benefit plan rules and regulations, including ERISA, the ACA, state insurance laws and mandates, and multiple other Federal and state regulations that employee benefit plans are subject to.
In addition to her JD, Christine holds a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation from the International Foundation (IFEBP), is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), and the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA). She received her MBA from the University of Washington in 1991.
Christine is admitted to practice in the states of Oregon and Washington. The Cicotte Law Firm’s practice focuses on ERISA welfare plan design and compliance, employee benefits advice, employment law, and federal healthcare program compliance.
