Board of Directors

Gabriela Benitez

Chapter President

Gabriela is a Senior Benefits Advisor at Diversified Insurance Group. Her focus is delivering profitability to clients by identifying, and implementing innovative strategies to reduce employee and employer costs.

Melissa Ceballos, PHR, SHRM-SCP

Past President

Melissa spent 19 years working for a Global Transportation Company in areas of HR, Talent Acquisition, and Management, and made a move to the Financial Services industry in 2016 and is currently the Director of Talent and Business Acquisition for Elevated Retirement Group.

Crystal McFarland, PHR

President Elect / Programs

Crystal has been an HR practitioner for over 18 years with multiple roles in supporting employees and leaders. She is currently employed by WGU and serves as a P&T (HR) Director over the WGU Affiliates. The most rewarding part of being in HR is creating an environment where leaders see HR as a strategic service that they cannot do without and adding value to all things people.

Sheena Blauvelt SHRM-SCP

Past President

Sheena is the Director of HR at USANA where she leads the company in talent acquisition, organizational development, and culture matters. She has over 20 years of experience in the industry and has a passion for helping businesses and its people find ultimate success!

Sarra Idehen, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Director of Certification

Sarra is the owner of Exec-Assist Group and holds her SHRM-SCP and SPHR certifications. She has served on the Salt Lake SHRM board in several capacities and served as president of Image Masters Toastmaster Club.

Chad Gannon

Director of Workforce Readiness

Chad Gannon is currently the Director of Human Resources for Northrop Grumman’s Strategic Deterrent Systems Division. He has responsibility for all staffing activities within the division serving major locations in Utah, Alabama, Colorado, and Nebraska. Mr. Gannon holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Minnesota in Human Resource Development and a Master’s in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis Olin Business School. Mr. Gannon also holds a Six Sigma Green Belt from the American Society for Quality and is a PHR and SHRM-CP certified professional.

Stacey Holscher

Asst. Co-Director of Programs

Stacey Holscher has over 16 years’ experience working in Human Resources and is currently the Operations Manager for Monterey Technologies, Inc. Stacey is PHR certified and has been focused on human resources, talent acquisition, and building exceptional workgroups throughout her career. Stacey has a Masters in Business Administration with a background in Exercise Physiology. In addition to her work with the South Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Women in Business, she also serves as a Planning Commissioner for the City of South Salt Lake, Utah, and is the President for Canvas4ACause, a nonprofit organization.

Jaydee Blackburn, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, PHRca

Director of Programs

Jaydee has been in HR for the last 14+ years and is currently working as the Associate Director of Human Resources for the University of Utah.

Beca Mark

Director of Programs

Beca Mark is the CEO and Founder of Megastar HR, an HR consulting and outsourcing firm located in Sandy, UT. She has worked in the HR industry for over 12 years, most recently as the Vice President of HR for Brighton Hospice. Beca received a Master's in Public Administration with an emphasis in HR Management from Brigham Young University. She is passionate about leading teams and supporting companies changing the world for the better.

April Powell

Committee Director

April is the HR Director for Utah Community Action, providing strategic leadership to the agency. She enjoys contributing to a business by setting & achieving Human Resource goals to increase the success of the business and make the organization a great place to work.

Latonya Howell

Co-Director of Diversity

Latonya Howell has over 15 years of HR experience and is the Vice President of HR for Tafi and Daz 3D. In her role, she provides executive-level leadership and guidance to the organization's HR operations. Latonya holds a Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Services. She's also a member of the National African American Gun Association, a published author, artist, and an SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).

Tyler Corwin

Co-Director of Diversity

Teri Slaugh

Secretary

Teri Slaugh is the Director of Growth at Megastar HR, an HR firm that provides next-level recruitment, compensation analysis, payroll administration, and full-service HR. Teri is responsible for directing sales and leading Megastar HR's strategic growth initiatives. Having spent her career in B2B sales, she has a strong ability to connect with anyone, partnering to find solutions for their biggest pain points. Teri is also very active in the community, serving as Secretary on the Board of Directors for Salt Lake SHRM, Secretary on the Board of Directors for the Dual Immersion Academy, and as the Executive Director/Founder for her non-profit Canvas4aCause.org, which empowers youth through creative expression.

Tara Higbee

Director of SHRM Foundation

Tara Higbee is the VP of Culture and Community at Tranont and has been since 2015. She has a passion for driving culture through service and showing employees the impact they make in the organization and the larger community. She received her MA in HR Management and BS in Travel and Tourism.

Lora Lea Mock

Director of Volunteers

Lora Lee is the president of Professional Recruiters which has specialized in the recruitment of corporate stars globally. The best potential teammates are not looking for new jobs. Professional Recruiters identifies and recruits corporate stars and put them to work for their clients.

Mark Tolman, Esq.

Co-Director of Legal Affairs

Mark is a management-side employment attorney at Parsons Behle & Latimer. Mark has served on the Salt Lake SHRM Board for over a decade, and also serves as the Director of Legal Affairs for the Utah Human Resources State Council (Utah SHRM).

Bob Coursey, Esq. SHRM-SCP, SPHR

Co-Director of Legal Affairs

Bob has been an employment lawyer for over 20 years. He spent his first 10 years of practice at Fisher Phillips, one of the most respected employment law firms in the country, where he defended companies in employment-related litigation. He then spent 11 years at Employers Council, where he focused his practice on keeping employers out of trouble. In 2021, Bob started his own company—Modern Age Employment Law—where he counsels, represents, and trains employers who are looking for a modern approach to their employment law and HR challenges. Bob earned his bachelor’s degree in English from George Mason University in Virginia in 1992. In 1998, he received his law degree, with honors, from Georgia State University College of Law in Atlanta, where he also served on the Law Review. Bob is licensed to practice law in Utah and Georgia. He’s also a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Chris Badger, CPA

Treasurer

Chris has been partner at NOW CFO since 2014. He has extensive experience in external financial reporting, support for Boards and investor relationships.

Jessalyn Marler

Co-Director of Member Engagement

Jessalyn has 11 years of HR Management experience as a previous Director of Management Training and is currently a CX Coach at BambooHR. She is an entrepreneur with experience in start-up operations and business acquisition strategies. She also continues to work with a small exclusive list of clients as a consultant with a huge focus on Management development.

Emily Kranendonk, MHR

Director of Social Media

Emily is the HR Manager for PatientBond. She is the excited for the opportunity of creating an HR department with her current employer. Emily pursued a Master's in Human Resources from USU and comes with 4 years of experience.

Michael Sayre, AIF, CPFA

Director of Sponsorships

Michael is an Advisor with CUI Wealth Management focused on 401(k) plans. His dedication to the HR community has developed through his interaction with outstanding HR professionals in his occupation. He hopes to serve the HR community better through his involvement with the Salt Lake SHRM Board of Directors.

Jason Knight

Director of Membership

Jason is the Principal Benefits Consultant with CUI Benefits based in Midvale, UT and has been in the industry since 2013. He specializes in alternative funding healthcare models like level and self-funding to help small and medium-size employers take control of their medical plan. He has a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Utah. He lives in Sugarhouse with his wife and their four children.

Tim Keegan