2. Awakenings often lead to journeys. My awakening and
subsequent journey came in 2003. I will never forget that
poster at a rustic clinic on the outskirts of Poipet, Cambodia.
Though I couldn’t read Khmer, the drawings communicated the
message—Parents were advised not to sell their children. It was
unimaginable that a campaign was needed to persuade parents
to protect their own daughters from those who were engaged in
sexually exploiting children. Hearing stories of how sex trafficking
was rampant in Southeast Asia, I returned home shaken.
The next phase of my awakening came two years later. This
time, however, I was not halfway around the world; I was in
Snellville, Georgia. On that Sunday morning, I refused to believe
the words of Pastor Buddy Hoffman who claimed sex trafficking
was happening….in Atlanta. “No way! “ I thought, “This is America!
These things don’t happen here.” These things do happen here.
2005 was the same year a study, titled Hidden in Plain View,
was presented to Mayor Shirley Franklin. The report focused
on the commercial sexual exploitation of girls as young as 10.
That report, now a decade old, revealed that nearly 300 girls
were sexually exploited in Georgia every month. The following
year Atlanta entered the fight as Mayor Franklin launched the
Dear John Campaign to bring attention to the problem of child
prostitution in Atlanta.
Those of us who have been awakened to trafficking come
to a disturbing understanding of how adult entertainment,
pornography, poverty and domestic abuse - provide natural
springboards for the sexual exploitation of children. As the
journey progresses we cry for new legislation, harsher penalties
for the traffickers and buyers and the need for educated jury
pools. However, the journey also leads us to some encouraging
discoveries. We discover great organizations who are on the front
lines of this battle. Furthermore, for us in HR, there is also the
discovery that we can use our roles, our skills and our influence
to make a significant difference in the battle to eradicate the
sexual exploitation of children in our city.
If not before walking through the doors of the Oceans Ballroom,
each one of us this morning at Atlanta’s Corporate Awakening
are now on our own personal journey of understanding the tragic
plight of the children, youth and young adults in our city. For
the sake of our children and city, please continue the journey.
Be brave. Join the battle. Engage. Research. Share. Mobilize
coworkers. Give of your time. Create company policies and new
hiring practices that provide safety, hope, healing and solutions.
United, Atlanta’s corporate community can come together, in
force, to partner with the organizations engaged in this fight and
eradicate sex trafficking in Atlanta, Georgia and beyond.
We can do this.
Jack W. Bruce, SHRM-SCP, SPHR
President, SHRM-Atlanta
Supporting SponsorPrinting Sponsor
From the President
of SHRM-Atlanta
An Awakening
BIS Benefits
EasyCare
IDI Gazeley-Brookfield Logistics Properties
Northwestern Benefit
The Benefit Company
The Kroger Company
Wells Fargo Insurance
Sponsors
2
Healing Sponsors
Tina Spencer, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, (Chair), EasyCare
Shawnte Bell, SHRM-CP, PHR, KaVo Kerr Group
Kiley Buckner, SHRM-CP, PHR, IDI Gazeley-Brookfield
Logistics Properties
Kristen Cook, Ricoh Americas Corporation
Rita Harris, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, GreyStone Power Corporation
Patty Dietz-Selke, SHRM-CP, PHR, Troutman Sanders LLP
Drew Scott CFP, CLU, REBC, Wells Fargo Insurance
Host Sponsor Marketing Sponsor
Presenting Sponsor
Core Planning Team
ACA SHRM-Atlanta Volunteer
Leadership Team
Table Hosts
Mary Frances Bowley, Wellspring Living
Jack Bruce, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, (Chair), The Benefit Company &
SHRM-Atlanta President
Lisa Clark, Street Grace
Phyllis Finley, Randstad North America
Debra Potter, Perimeter Church
Heather Stockdale, Georgia Cares
Camila Wright, State of Georgia Office of the Attorney General
SHRM-Atlanta
3625 Piedmont Road
Building Five, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 442.7335
info@shrmatlanta.org
3. 3
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4. 4
Sam Olens
Sam Olens was sworn in as Georgia’s 53rd
Attorney General on January 10, 2011. As
Attorney General, Olens is committed to
serving Georgians by defending the U.S.
and Georgia Constitutions and upholding
the rule of law.
Program Participants
Olens has fought for stronger laws to protect Georgians. In 2011, he worked with
legislators to strengthen the penalties for sex trafficking, making Georgia’s law
one of the toughest in the nation.
Olens currently is chair of the Southern Region of the National Association
of Attorneys General. In addition to co-chairing the Federalism/Preemption
Committee, he serves on the following committees: Energy and Environment,
Substance Abuse, Human Trafficking, Law Enforcement and Prosecutorial
Relations, Internet Safety/Cyber Privacy and Security.
Olens is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the 2015
Charles L. Weltner Freedom of Information Award, the 2013 Emory Law School
Distinguished Alumni Award, the 2008 Tom Bradley Leadership Award by the
National Association of Regional Councils and the 2007 “Excellence in Public
Service Award” by the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute. Georgia
Trend magazine has listed Olens as one of the “100 Most Influential Georgians”
every year since 2005 and he is their 2016 Georgian of the Year. In 2011, the
Cobb Chamber of Commerce honored Olens for his dedication to community
and philanthropic service by naming their annual community service award the
“Sam Olens Business Community Service Award.”
5. 5
Timothy Miller
Timothy Miller is an active performer with both national and
international credits. Operatic roles include Monastatos and
First Armored Man in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Street in
Davis’ X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, Un Messaggero in
Verdi’s Aida, and Parpignol in Puccini’s La Boheme. He has
performed in Paris, Luxembourg, Granada, and Normandy.
He has also appeared in concert performances of Handel’s
Messiah, Bach’s Magnificat, and a concert version of
excerpts from Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier performed
with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Perhaps
most widely recognized for his stirring renditions of
“God Bless America” during the seventh inning stretch
of Atlanta Braves home games, Miller has extended his
exposure well beyond the concert stage. Soloist for the
2011 Georgia Gubernatorial Inauguration Ceremony, and
featured artist in the December 2012 edition of The Atlantan
Magazine “Patrons and Players” rounds out a growing list
of memorable career highlights. This month he makes
his debut with the Georgia Symphony as tenor soloist in
Beethoven’s ninth symphony.
Mary Frances Bowley
Mary Frances Bowley is the Executive Director of Wellspring
Living, an organization fighting childhood sexual abuse and
exploitation since 2001. She has been a leader in bringing the
fight against child sex-trafficking to Atlanta and is a founding
member of the Georgia Statewide Human Trafficking Task
Force. Mary Frances was appointed to the Governor’s
Commission on Domestic Violence in 2010. She was awarded
the Martin Luther King Community Service Award and the
AKA Humanitarian Award. She is also the author of A League
of Dangerous Women, The White Umbrella and Make It
ZERO.
6. 6
Andrew Yewdell
Andrew Yewdell is a member of the government
affairs team at the Council for Global Immigration, a
strategic affiliate of SHRM in Alexandria, Virginia. He
works closely with SHRM’s government affairs team
on international employment policy, including ethical
recruitment and other strategies to combat human
trafficking. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in
Comparative Politics and a Certificate in Near Eastern
Studies from Princeton University.
Dave McCleary
Dave McCleary is a small business owner from Roswell,
Georgia. He is a man with a heart for making a difference
in other people’s lives by getting involved. In 2013 he
was appointed as the Director for the Americas Rotarians
Against Child Slavery. He is the founder of the End Human
Trafficking Movement and was the District 6900 Rotarian
of the year 2013-14 for this effort. He serves on Georgia’s
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council as the Chair for work
group 3 “Deterring Traffickers and Buyers.”
7. Phyllis Finley
Phyllis Finley serves as Executive Vice President, Diversity
& Inclusion, with Randstad North America. With 24 years’
tenure at Randstad, she provides strategic and tactical
leadership for all company-level diversity and corporate
social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, and she also serves as
Randstad North America’s lead public affairs representative.
Her extensive staffing industry expertise and community
service background add value to the development and
execution of Randstad’s numerous community-driven
initiatives and programs. A strong advocate of community
service, she supports efforts to improve the education,
health, economic and overall empowerment of those who
are disadvantaged. In support of these priorities, she proudly
serves as a board member of Friends for Life Foundation.
She also volunteers for Girls Scouts of America and has
served three years as a board member of the Georgia
Chamber of Commerce. She holds a master’s degree in
human resources from the University of Maryland, University
College.
7
Courtney Dow
Courtney Dow is the Founder & Director of NightLight
Atlanta. She is a native of Atlanta and holds a Master’s
in Rehabilitation Counseling. Dow previously worked
at the International Labour Organization, a department
of the United Nations, before joining the NightLight
International team in 2005. Courtney has assisted
victims of sex trafficking from the United States,
Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, India, Uzbekistan,
Ukraine, Turkey, and Uganda. In 2012, she received
Auburn University’s Young Alumni of the Year Award and
was featured in the “Young Influencers List: Fifty change
makers on the rise” in The Catalyst Leader.
8. 8
Cheryl DeLuca Johnson
Cheryl DeLuca Johnson serves as the President and
CEO of Street Grace. She is involved in building
community awarenes, mobilizing churches to the
cause, and supporting those non-profits giving direct
aid to victimized and at-risk children. She is a Licensed
Professional Counselor with a background specializing
in women’s issues, specifically women and addiction.
She has held several positions with Metro Atlanta
Recovery Residences and has served on Drug and
Alcohol Advisory boards, worked with World Hope
International on women’s issues in Sri Lanka, and
volunteered therapeutic services with Red Cross.
Jim Link
SPHR
Jim Link serves as the Chief Human Resource Officer of
Randstad North America where he manages all aspects
of the company’s human capital strategy, including
organizational design and strategy, talent acquisition and
employee relations. He was named HR Executive of the
Year in the 2013 American Business Awards. His vision and
inspiration have transformed the lives of many through
the development of Randstad’s Hire Hope program, an
initiative that helps victims of human trafficking gain
workplace skills and obtain employment. Each year he
travels to Poland as a visiting lecturer on HR strategy and
leadership at the Poznan University of Economics. Prior
to joining Randstad, he held senior-level HR roles with
several Fortune 500 companies including General Electric,
The Pillsbury Company and Porsche Cars North America.
9. Verla Calhoun-Kelley
SHRM-CP, PHR
Verla Calhoun-Kelley is the Director of Human Resources
for a leading Atlanta company. Verla possesses over 16
years of HR experience. She has built her experience by
working as a specialist in different functions of human
resources, such as policies, training, workforce planning,
employee benefits, employee relations, payroll and
other related areas. With her keen sense of business
management, she continues to build strong, positive
relationships throughout the business community. She
has held several volunteer roles within SHRM-Atlanta,
Executive Women International, Executive Women
International Atlanta, Southern Employee Benefits
Conference and within her community.
9
Jack Bruce
SHRM-SCP, SPHR
Jack Bruce, is the Vice President, Strategic Operations
for The Benefit Company, an Atlanta employee benefits
consulting firm. Prior to being appointed as the 2016
President of SHRM-Atlanta, he has served the 2,400 member
organization over the past decade in several volunteer
capacities including as the Executive Vice President of
Programming and as an annual participant in the Gwinnett
County Youth Project.
10. 10
Street Grace is proud to partner with Georgia
Attorney General Sam Olens on the national
Not Buying It initiative.
Together, we are working to create a forum for all 50
states to collaborate and develop strategies that will
combat demand for sex trafficking in the U.S.
To learn more about this initiative, visit our website at
www.streetgrace.org/notbuyingit or
www.NOTBUYINGIT.org
Main Office: (404) 602-0068
Statewide Hotline: 1(844) 8GA-
DMST
Ensuring that child sex trafficking
victims receive quality care and
services in the State of Georgia.
“ICAN
LIVEAND
DREAM
AGAIN”
WellspringLiving.org
SERVING SURVIVORS OF SEX
TRAFFICKING SINCE 2001
HRCI
To keep track of your
recertification activities, please
submit this program immediately
to HRCI. Please refer to the
recertification policies and
procedures located at
www.hrci.org/recertification.
This event has been pre-
approved for 1 general credit if
you submit using the program
ID 278242 and event date of
4/12/2016.
SHRM
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please submit this program
immediately to SHRM. Please
refer to the certification policies
and procedures located at
www.shrm.org/certification.
This event has been pre-
approved for 1 PDC if you submit
using the program ID 16-VYYGN
and event date of 4/12/2016.
Certification Information
11. 11
SHRM-Atlanta Offers Two Upcoming
Opportunities to Dive Deeper
Want to know more about how to implement
the business solutions to Human Trafficking?
SHRM-Atlanta is offering two follow-up opportunities:
Please visit
www.shrmatlanta.org
to learn more
about these events.
Human Trafficking Track
2016 SHRM-Atlanta Symposium
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
The 2016 SHRM-Atlanta One-Day Symposium will feature five tracks:
• HR Boot Camp
• Strategic HR
• Talent Management
• Employee Wellness/Total Rewards
• Human Trafficking
The Human Trafficking track will continue to dive into deeper
conversations and ideas on how organizations and HR leaders can
join together to eradicate trafficking in our great city.
Holly Firestine, SHRM-SCP
A well rounded business leader who has a passion for Human
Resources, Holly brings a unique perspective to strategic human
resource practices. She’s worked with teams in the US, Southeast
Asia, Colombia and Romania and was awarded Global Engagement
Certification in 2015. Now, as a member of the executive team at
Northwestern Benefit Corporation of Georgia, she leads all aspects of
human resources including recruitment & talent acquisition, corporate
culture, integration and onboarding and training and development
among other areas.
JOIN US FOR SHRM-ATLANTA’S
JUNE CHAPTER MEETING
Insight into Creating Shared Value for Companies and Employees
Cobb Galleria Centre | Wednesday, June 8 | 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM | #SHRMATL
Hire Hope: A Bridge to Independence
May Perimeter GEM hosted by Warren Averett
May 4, 2016, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Presented by Phyllis Finley and Mary Frances Bowley
This presentation will introduce human trafficking and provide
attendees with an understanding of the problem. Wellspring Living
will share an expert’s perspective. Learn how we all can become
involved on an individual and corporate business level. Randstad
will feature their Hire Hope - A Bridge to Independence story. Do not
miss out on hearing what this global, HR solutions company is doing
to assist trafficking victims and under-served women to reintegrate
in the economy. Register at www.shrmatlanta.org today.
Phyllis Finley Mary Frances Bowley
Despite what you may hear, creating
corporate financial value and creating
meaningful employee value are not
conflicting priorities. In this storytelling,
TED style talk, Holly Firestine will define
value creation as it relates to companies
and to employees and will explore how the
perspective of value has shifted throughout
the years and across the generations. When
people and corporate strategies align and
connect purpose, values, corporate social
responsibility (CSR), financial growth, and
social connectedness they are rewarded
with higher profits and greater engagement,
talent attraction and retention and
employee well-being.
Register Today at
SHRMAtlanta.org
