Lisa Huddleston
Director, Talent Development & HR
Lisa Huddleston, sHRBP, CIR, PRC is the Talent Development & HR Director at BHC, a civil engineering and surveying firm headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. As a leader in Human Resources, Lisa has spent 20+ years leading teams and creating strategic partnerships with executives in international engineering corporations, including two large engineering, procurement and construction companies in Kansas City. Lisa is a certified recruiter, receiving certifications from AIRS, CIR and PRC. She managed multiple recruitment consulting offices in the Midwest, facilitating training on performance management, succession planning, retention and more. Lisa has been active in the community within leadership roles, they include serving as an ambassador for two city Chambers of Commerce, an ElevateHER AEC mentor and President of Century Club which raised funding for scholarships. At BHC she leads Talent Development, Human Resources, Internal Communications, administrative staff and business functions at the leadership level. Some of her proudest accomplishments are building a strong team of leaders and the company's two internship programs.
Tadd Lucian
Manager, Talent Acquisition
As a Talent Acquisition Manager at Black & Veatch, Tadd leads an award-winning Early Careers Recruitment team. Tadd has been with Black & Veatch since 2016 and has 8 years of human resources and recruitment experience in the construction and engineering industry. Tadd graduated from Pittsburg State University with a bachelor's degree in communication and marketing and a master's degree in human resource development. He lives with his wife in Lenexa, Kansas.
Lauren Bertram
Director, Talent Acquisition + TeamKC Board Co-Chair
Lauren Bertram is the Talent Acquisition Director at Burns & McDonnell with over 16 years of recruitment experience in a variety of industries including healthcare, information technology, engineering, architecture, construction and environmental consulting.
She loves all things recruitment, candidate/employee experience, data analytics, STEM outreach and Diversity & Inclusion. Lauren leads an amazingly talented team of 30 employee-owners who share a like-minded passion for bringing the best talent to Burns & Mac!
Lauren is a Kansas City native who graduated from Baker University with a BS in Management and Marketing. She lives in Brookside and loves everything our city offers her and her family. She is grateful to be a part of the TeamKC board and excited for KC’s continued bright future!
Anna Knoblock
Director, Talent Acquisition
Anna Knoblock is the Talent Acquisition Director at Children's Mercy. Anna has over 20 years of recruitment experience across several industries including healthcare, technology, and sales.
Anna is focused on attracting top talent and fostering a culture employees want to be a part of. The mission of Children's Mercy fuels her passion for the work she does every day.
Anna graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business. She lives in Overland Park with her husband and two boys. In her spare time, you can catch her at one of many area sports fields watching her boys do what they love.
Krista Gartelos
Manager, Talent Acquisition
Krista has been in Talent Acquisition for 10 years and has recruited nationwide for all levels of roles, most recently focusing on adding talent to a national dairy cooperative. These roles range from member services, supply chain, finance, IT, manufacturing and human resources.
At Dairy Farmers of America, Krista is responsible for full cycle recruiting focused on adding talent to DFA’s corporate office and 90+ additional locations, both domestic and international. Krista also manages DFA’s internship and college recruiting programs. She is passionate about connecting talented candidates with a variety of job opportunities at DFA.
Krista graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in Management: Human Resources. Prior to joining DFA, she worked in the financial services industry.
Vernon Williams
Chief People Officer
Avery Adair
Assistant Manager, HR
Avery Adair is an Assistant Manager within the Talent Acquisition function for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. In this role, he supports the Bank’s recruitment functions with emphasis on programming related to entry-level talent. This support includes responsibility for campus and intern programs as well as various talent needs across the Bank’s seven state region.
Avery joined the Bank in 2015 and has held various leadership roles since 2019. He holds a bachelors degree in Management and a MBA in Business & Organizational Leadership from Pittsburg State University.
Makenzie Kalkowski
Technical Recruiter II
Makenzie represents Garmin Intl. on the TeamKC Board of Advisors as a dynamic recruiting professional who brings a blend of partnership and enthusiasm to the world of talent acquisition. Originally hailing from Nebraska, Makenzie ventured to Kansas City 5 years ago in pursuit of her passions which offers her a unique perspective on the board.
Her background includes event management, marketing, technical recruiting, university recruiting and university relations. In recruiting, Makenzie has shown a knack for understanding different technical industries from tech, engineering and presently aviation. She prides herself on her genuine approach and ability to connect on a personal level with candidates and employers alike, fostering relationships based on trust and transparency. With that same spirit, she quickly integrated herself into Kansas City making professional and personal connections, and most importantly, finally becoming a Chiefs fan.
Being from a small town, she has a true passion for community engagement and is involved in many programs across the city which helps her to be an advocate for relocating multiple professionals to Kansas City in her current position.
Katie Birchfield
Sr. Talent Acquisition Advisor
Katie is an experienced full-cycle talent acquisition business partner currently specializing in executive recruitment at H&R Block. With more than 15 years of experience, Katie has developed a deep understanding of the unique challenges that stem from varying candidate markets. She is dedicated to helping others in and outside of work, and values giving back to my community while delivering tailored talent acquisition and development solutions that align with business objectives.
Katie is also a dedicated Jayhawk, wife, mom and Peloton fan!
Erin Roebuck
Sr. Talent Acquisition Leader
Erin is the Sr. Talent Acquisition Leader-Global for Hallmark Cards, and a founding member of the TeamKC Board of Advisors, with more than 17 years of experience in talent acquisition, creative, product development, talent development, and culture.
A designer by trade and a passionate people-person by nature, Erin brings a unique skillset to the talent acquisition space. She describes herself as a creative thinker, culture driver, community builder and curious connector, and enjoys bringing these talents to the recruiting space for one of the world’s most beloved brands.
Erin earned her BFA in Graphic Design from Iowa State University. She lives in Shawnee, KS with her husband Eric and three daughters, and enjoys hiking, camping, gardening, cooking, and eating local.
Michele Adams
Recruiter
Michele Adams is a full-cycle Recruiter at Henderson Engineers. With more than 10 years of recruitment and talent acquisition experience, mainly focused in engineering, she has a passion for finding the best talent and matching them with their next great opportunity.
At Henderson, she helps lead recruiting efforts for the firm, both locally and nationwide. Michele loves building partnerships with firms' managers and really digging deep with them to learn all there is to know about that specific team and role.
Finding good talent is a hard job but Michele prides herself on making sure that the candidate and the firm are both happy with their decision. Her job is more than just “filling seats” but rather helping grow someone’s career while being a valuable player for the team!
She is excited about being a part of the TeamKC advisory board and looks forward to watching KC continue to thrive.
Kimberly Tholl
Manager, Talent Acquisition
Kimberly is a Talent Acquisition Manager at Honeywell and has a passionate focus on Strategic Recruitment, HR Process Development, and Digital Transformation. Kimberly graduated from Ottawa University with her Bachelor’s in Human Resource Management and has experience in multiple Human Resources roles, alongside management and field marketing experience. Prior to joining Honeywell, Kimberly worked in Talent Acquisition and Field Marketing Departments at H&R Block from 2011-2017.
Julie Deane
Chief People Officer
Amy Lee Sewell
Talent Acquisition Manager, Early Careers + Incoming TeamKC Board Co-Chair
Amy Lee Sewell is an Assistant Vice President, Senior Talent Advisor for Human Resources at Lockton. She has been with Lockton since 2007 in various roles supporting talent acquisition. In her current role in the Lockton Founders Series she manages university relations and college recruiting for the assistant account management and summer internship programs, and leads the Lockton Recruiting Ambassador program.
Amy has a passion for supporting others and the community. At Lockton, she leads a high school workforce development program with local districts in the urban core to create educational and employment opportunities for students, and partners with Lockton's Empowered Associate Network (LEAN) groups on various initiatives. In the Kansas City community, she volunteers with Operation Breakthrough, Neighbors Who Care and is a co-founder of the non-profit Road Worthy.
Amy graduated from Kansas State University with bachelor's degree in Mass Communications.
Brandi Riggs
Vice President, HR + TeamKC Board Co-Chair
Brandi Riggs is Vice President, Human Resources at McCownGordon Construction. She leads the Human Resource team to attract and retain the best industry talent through engagement and associate experience initiatives. She also leads the Wellbeing Team, Inclusion Team (D&I), and Women in Leadership programming at McCownGordon.
Brandi’s background includes sales management, human resources, and organizational development. In addition to the TeamKC Advisory Board, she serves on the Board of Directors as Past President of the Society for Human Resource Management of Greater Kansas City, on the Avila Board of Counselors, as a member of the HealthyKC Workplace Wellness Action Team, and on the Board of Directors at her local church.
Brandi has a passion for volunteering in her community, giving back to her profession, serving those around her and seeking opportunities to help and mentor others.
Julie Davis
Senior Director, HR & Administrative Division
Julie is a true maximizer of potential when it comes to placing HR talent. With her determination and goal-oriented mindset, Julie keeps both employers and candidates focused on achieving their individual objectives. She doesn't settle for average and strives only to produce excellent matches - a quality that's earned her recognition and credibility in the industry. Even after more than two decades with Morgan Hunter, the thrill of finding the perfect fit for candidates and employers alike is what motivates Julie to excel in her role as a senior director. Julie holds a bachelor's in economics from the University of Kansas and uses her knowledge of market forces to propel her clients forward. She's also a member of Portfolia, an investing community focused on advancing women-owned companies.
A true Kansas City sports fan, Julie's family are all avid supporters of KU, the Royals, Sporting KC and, of course, the Chiefs. Her family spends free time volunteering with Catholic Charities and Children's Mercy, and between it all, Julie makes time for her other passion: working out with her friends.
Alicia Bacon
Director, Talent Acquisition
Jessie Conrad
Senior Talent Management Consultant
As a Senior Talent Management Consultant, Jessie is focused on the attraction, identification, development, retention and deployment of employees at Oracle. Jessie joined Oracle in 2012 and has over ten years of experience in Human Resources including talent acquisition, talent management, program management and HR leadership. Jessie is passionate about all things performance management and career development.
Jessie graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. She is a Kansas City native and currently lives in Prairie Village with her husband and daughter.
Missy Greene
Vice President, Business Strategies
Missy is the Vice President of Business Strategies for ReeceNichols Real Estate. In 2010, she joined the company and now leads multiple divisions that support our client and agent experience including supporting initiatives for agent recruitment, guiding the overall training school and development strategy, and responsible for our relocation and referral networks. Missy is a devoted ambassador for our great city and has numerous opportunities to demonstrate this to everyone she encounters.
Prior to real estate, Missy worked for Toyota Motor Sales, USA. This is where Missy became passionate about innovation, creative thinking and always looking for a way to improve the process. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Heartland Area Relocation Council and holds her CRP certification. Missy graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Public Relations. Go State.
Lacey Foster
Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition Programs
Lacey Foster currently leads the Talent Acquisition Programs team at T-Mobile with a focus on ensuring the right systems, tools and resources are in place to support T-Mobile's hiring demands. With over 600,000 applicants and 20,000+ hires per year, it is essential to focus on the candidate experience. She has over 19 years of experience in the Talent Acquisition space and is responsible for everything from Talent Acquisition systems, pre-hire assessments, interviewing resources, background checks, relocation, and candidate experience.
Lacey has grown her career at T-Mobile beginning in 2003 after graduating from Drake University. She started as a Recruiting Assistant and has held various roles such as University Recruiter, Program Manager and has been managing a team for the last 18 years. In her current role, she leads her team to solve business problems, implemented new system sand process and in turn enhance the overall experience for candidates, hiring managers and recruiters.