WNY - Navigating your HR Career - a Panel Discussion

Human Resources – what does it mean, what do we do, and how do we get there?

The Human Resources field is constantly evolving; new disciplines are being added, our opinions are being sought at all levels of the organization, and world events are having increasing impact on our teams. There are Specialists, Generalists, areas of focus in Compliance, Diversity Equity and Include (DE&I), Engagement, Compensation… the list goes on!

Join our panel discussion and hear from a variety of HR professionals who’ve successfully navigated their careers through some big transitions. Learn about why they chose the path they did, learn some helpful hints in planning out your own next career move, and explore the different career options available!

Our Panelists:

Erin Fierle, Director of HR, Pegula Sports + Entertainment

Erin has served in various HR roles in the past 17 years working for companies such as, Cooper Industries (Manufacturing), Rural/Metro Ambulance (Healthcare), Kaleida Health (Healthcare) and currently Pegula Sports + Entertainment (Sports + Entertainment). She has experience in Labor Relations, Union negotiations, Training & Development, Employee Engagement, Health & Wellness, New Business Startups, Mergers & Acquisitions, Recruitment, Labor Law and much more.  Erin has spent the past 8 years with PSE working with all of their entities and growing from a HR Generalist to her current role of Director of Human Resources.

Melissa Gagné, Total Rewards Director, FreshRealm

Melissa began her career as a Generalist, touching payroll, recruitment, employee relations, benefits, compensation, performance management, etc. After taking some time to explore the traditional areas of HR, Melissa decided to specialize in Compensation and Benefits (or Total Rewards as it’s called today!). She’s served in a variety of industries and has had exposure in private, public, and startup environments. She currently serves as the Director of Total Rewards for FreshRealm, a startup in the Fresh Food Manufacturing industry, located in CA.

Jenelle Mueller, HR Generalist, Kaleida

Jenelle started her career as a Recruiter developing into a Branch Manager at a local staffing agency. Throughout her time, she focused on recruitment and retention, payroll, employee relations, client partnerships, community involvement, and branch operations. Currently, Jenelle serves as a Human Resource Generalist with Kaleida Health, as a member of the HR team. She manages Labor Relations through maintaining working knowledge of labor contracts and acts as a business partner to department managers. Jenelle works closely with leaders to support Kaleida Health’s strategic initiatives. Including participation in managing employee relations, investigations, and making recommendations to support employer policies.

Kaitlyn Wagner, Training and Development Manager, Reid Petroleum Corp.

Kaitlyn started her HR career in the staffing industry focusing on Recruiting, Hiring and Onboarding before moving into an Employee Engagement role where she took on additional responsibilities related to Employee Relations and Performance Management. From there she broadened her focus in HR by becoming an HR Generalist. Kaitlyn now serves as the Training and Development Manager for Reid Petroleum where she uses her creativity and passion for helping others succeed by creating training and development programs for employees across the Reid Group Organization. 

Our Moderator Extraordinaire:

Jason Gordon, Market Manager – Director of Remedy @ Northland WTC

If you haven’t had the pleasure of Jason’s moderating, you’re in luck! Jason’s quick wit peppers into our conversations, keeping us on time and ensuring we don’t blabber on about ourselves too much! In addition to that, Jason is the Director of Remedy @ Northland. He has spent over 21 years at Remedy, specializing in recruitment and placement in the Manufacturing industry. He has served in many different roles, where he has been able to grow and development colleagues. He currently works onsite at Northland Workforce Training Center, overseeing the placement division of students and community members.

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