Having served as the Director of Human Resources for several prominent hotels nationwide, Ms. Ross is an accomplished human resources practitioner with over 15 years of experience in the field. Throughout her career, she has been responsible for directing all aspects of the human resource function including training, benefits administration, recruitment and labor relations. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Bentley College.

Elizabeth Ortiz has served as the Director of Human Resources for several of New York's most notable restaurants including The Rainbow Room, The Russian Tea Room, Tavern on the Green, and most recently, Windows on the World. Prior to her New York City experience, Ms. Ortiz was employed overseas in Greece and Japan, where she gained an expertise in immigration matters, expatriate procedures and cross-cultural development programs. She has extensive experience in all aspects of human resource management including: administration, labor relations, employee relations, crisis management, recruiting and staffing, and compensation and benefits. Ms. Ortiz holds a Master’s degree in Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from William Paterson University. Ms. Ortiz is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality.

James Connor has directed the human resource function at several manufacturers throughout the Northeast. In his roles as Director of Human Resources, Human Resource Manager, and Manager at unionized and non-unionized facilities of all sizes, Mr. Connor has established a proven track record for effective and efficient utilization of human resources in single and multi-facility, multi-product businesses with domestic and international customers. Mr. Connor has developed management tools and processes tailored to the manufacturing environment for critical issues such as payroll and pension administration, employee relations, safety and environmental, and labor relations. In addition to managing traditional human resource functions, Mr. Connor has taken an active role in process improvement, including leading waste reduction, quality improvement, and cycle time reduction initiatives resulting in improved efficiency and significant cost reductions. He has managed employee relations for professional and line employees and has trained hundreds of employees on total quality management, kaizen, financials, and team-based work. Mr. Connor has successfully navigated companies through significant work practice change, right-sizing of operations, transitions from public to private ownership, and union decertification. In addition to serving in the United States Air Force, Mr. Connor received his Bachelor of Science in Management from Park College, Parkville, Missouri. He is a member of the American Society for Training and Development and the Society for Human Resource Management.

Kathleen Pyne has performed several roles in the function of Human Resources during her career as human resources professional for leading hotel companies, as well as organizations in the public sector in the Northeast. Most recently she executed the role of Director of Human Resources for the Millenium Hilton. During her tenure at the Millenium Hilton, Ms. Pyne demonstrated her expertise in labor relations; management and organization development, as well as instructional design. She was instrumental in the successful execution of the closing and reopening phases of this four star luxury hotel during the aftermath of September 11th. Ms. Pyne demonstrated leadership, counseling and crisis management skills during this period. The closing phase included but was not limited to the following: provided benefits administration and outplacement services for current and displaced associates, managed safety and health training and services to current associates and liased with local and federal agencies regarding employment services, worker's compensation issues and safety issues. The reopening phase included developing the critical path for the hotel. The critical path included but was not limited to working directly with the DOL and Worker's Compensation consultants to develop the infrastructure for the safety and health programs mandated by OSHA and the DOL for the hotel's reopening; designing and implementing the recruitment strategy for executive through associate levels; and coordinating and executing the training and development plans and programs. Ms. Pyne has experience in OFCCP audits, namely the compensation analysis component; development of business plans; and has utilized elements of organizational development to address organizational challenges. Her leadership abilities include the role of Human Resources Cluster lead for Hilton Hotels for the New York City properties. During this time she developed best practices and retention tools. Ms. Pyne has a Masters of Arts in Organizational Psychology from Teacher's College, Columbia University and is a member of the Society of Human Resources Management.

Rita Rufo has twelve years of Human Resources experience with a strong emphasis on labor relations, training, benefits administration, and succession planning. Ms. Rufo has served as the Human Resources Director for several hotels in the Boston area, including The Regal Bostonian Hotel and The Harvard hotels. Throughout her career, she has been responsible for as many as 900 employees, in addition to training managers and new supervisors in Employee Relations. Ms. Rufo also has experiencing developing New Employee handbooks and orientation programs. Ms. Rufo has an Associates Degree in Business from Aquinas Junior College and is a member of the Greater Boston Hotel Human Resources Director Association and the Modern Language Association.

Cheryl Terrill has extensive human resources experience gained in a variety of different settings, including Heald College, American Red Cross and Hilton Hotels. Ms. Terrill has served in a variety of different roles in these organizations, such as Director of Career Services, Chairman of Volunteers and Quality Training Manager. She has experience in human resource administration, employee relations, quality control, and recruiting and staffing. Ms. Terrill holds a Bachelor's degree from Champlain College.