NACS Human Resources Forum

Joanne M. Loce, Managing Partner of Fortify Leadership Group and President of Loce Consulting LLC, is an executive coach, consultant and speaker on topics related to strategic human resources, organization and leadership development, culture, change management, and talent management. She brings over 25 years of experience partnering with business leaders to create Human Resources strategy and delivering people related processes that contribute to the bottom line in a variety of industries, including financial services, automotive, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, insurance, chemicals, non-profit, and public agencies and education. Her current coaching and consulting clients include Fortune 500 companies in various industries, state government, and leaders in small to mid-sized firms.

Ms. Loce served as a Program Director for The Conference Board, leading ten industry conferences on talent management, performance management, and the development of emerging leaders. Her most recent corporate role was the Vice President of Talent Management and Organizational Development for Genworth Financial. Ms. Loce was responsible for leading talent management strategies and processes, recruiting, succession planning, and leadership development across global Genworth. Prior to joining Genworth Financial, Ms. Loce worked for Capital One Financial, General Motors, and the Federal Reserve System where she held a variety of roles in which she coached and consulted with senior executive leadership, provided Human Resources strategy and support for her clients, and led enterprise-wide talent management, leadership development, and cross-functional change efforts.

Ms. Loce holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Providence College, a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University, and a Leadership Coaching Certificate from Georgetown University. She resides with her husband and four children in Mechanicsville, Virginia.

Steve Bernstein is the managing partner in the firm's Tampa office, and co-chairs the firm’s Labor Relations practice group.

Steve maintains a traditional labor practice in which he represents employers throughout the United States in both state and federal courts, as well as before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and other state and federal agencies.

In the process, Steve has played a primary role in advising clients on union-related matters. Steve has also acquired a sophisticated level of experience with regard to advising clients on compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), the Family and Medical Leave (FMLA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

A significant portion of his practice is devoted to the implementation of preventive employee relations programs that include supervisory training as well as the development and administration of effective human resources policies and practices. Previously, Steve worked for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and with the Minority Staff of the U.S. Senate Labor Committee.

Jayme Gough is a Market Research Manager for the NACS Research Department. She joined NACS in June of 2017 after having worked for the Alexandria City Public Schools for several years. In addition to administering the NACS State of the Industry Compensation survey and analyzing data for the annual Compensation Report, she manages the NACS category definitions and assists with the State of the Industry enterprise and consumer insights portfolio. Jayme holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Bates College and is a certified project manager.

Stephanie has been serving in the customer service, learning and development, and Diversity & Inclusion industries for the past 25 years. Within the last 18 years she has traveled across the United States, Europe, and Asia facilitating leadership training and delivering motivational speeches with various clients. Stephanie recently joined Gilead Sciences as the Director of Inclusion & Diversity. Prior to this role, Stephanie serviced as the Executive Director of Diversity & Inclusion Programs and Education for the MGM Resorts International, an entertainment company with 81,000 employees across the United States and overseas, she led the Company’s 15 CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Councils and 23 ENGs (Employee Network Groups), which have a social impact in the areas of Sustainability, Diversity & Inclusion, and Community Engagement (Philanthropy and Volunteering). In her role she develops business strategies that include the recruiting of top talent, the development of internal talent, and increased employee engagement through the fostering of inclusive environments. Her years of management and leadership experience lends to her ability to speak on various topics and her years of developing her skills in facilitation and public speaking make her sessions dynamic and engaging.

Stephanie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, is a certified ICF coach, certified trainer for Franklin Covey, and a faculty member of University of California Higher Education system, she is the Vice Chair for Elevate and hold countless Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion, Finance, Coaching, and Leadership certifications. Stephanie is currently writing a book and is targeting 2021 as year to get it published!

Stephanie delivers with energy and enthusiasm that brings her sessions to life.

Erin is the vice president of education and media at NACS. She leads the content teams responsible for the association’s media platforms as well as education at NACS events, including the NACS Show. Erin also serves on the NACS executive leadership team. Previously, Erin was the managing editor of The American Prospect magazine, a monthly liberal political magazine. Erin is a past board member of the Washington Women’s Leadership Initiative and is a past president for Association Media & Publishing’s Board of Directors.

Erin has an M.A. in professional writing and editing from George Mason University and a B.A. in English from Mary Washington University. She attended the NACS Leadership Executive Program at Cornell University, an Executive Finance program at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business, and the NACS Women’s Leadership Program at Yale School of Management.

Lori Buss Stillman is the Vice President, Research for NACS. Joining NACS in 2000, Lori leads the association’s industry-leading research portfolio, which includes the NACS State of the Industry suite of products and events, the Convenience Tracking Program (CTP) that provides moment-of-truth insights into shopping behavior, monthly data insights from the CSX database and other research and insights programs critical to the convenience and fuel retail industry.

Stillman has a deep background in data analytics, decision support, business development and consulting. Most recently, she served as executive vice president of analytics, insights and business intelligence for Advantage Solutions. She also has served as senior vice president of new client acquisition for Information Resources Inc., vice president of marketing and business development for WEBCO General Partnership, and senior vice president of strategic business development for Nielsen.

Stillman earned a B.A. in business communications from Maryville University. She is active in the advancement of our industry, holding board level positions with the NACS/Coca-Cola Retailing Research Council, Conexxus and with the Western Michigan University Food and CPG Marketing Program Industry Advisory Board. She is also a frequent speaker on the disruption taking place across the retail landscape.

Lori makes her home in Northern Virginia, with her husband and daughter.

Travis Vance is dedicated to responsive client service and forming a partnership with companies to help tackle their most difficult and high-profile issues. Having gained a reputation as a professional and aggressive advocate for his clients, Travis has emerged as a thought leader in the field of workplace safety. His writing and interviews are followed closely by experts in the safety arena and have been featured in premiere publications such as Inc., Bloomberg Law, Business Insurance, The Washington Post, EHS Today, and the Wall Street Journal.

Travis is a partner in the firm’s Charlotte office and co-chair of the firm's Workplace Safety and Catastrophe Management Practice Group. He has tried matters across several industries and various subject matters, including employment litigation, business disputes and matters prosecuted by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). He uses unique or outside-the-box approaches to counsel employers and owners on all aspects of employment law and the development of preventive policies and procedures to avoid employment and workplace safety-related claims. Travis handles litigation in both federal and state courts as well as claims pending with state and federal agencies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), MSHA, OSHA, and the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL).

Travis has also assisted clients in safety and OSHA/MSHA matters pending in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Known for his dynamic and engaging speaking style, Travis receives several requests each year to speak on safety related topics throughout the country. His popular interactive presentation entitled “What to Do When OSHA Knocks,” which walks attendees through an OSHA inspection, with the audience steering the direction of the presentation as it responds to several questions presented throughout the talk, is frequently requested and has received numerous exceptional reviews.

Travis is "AV" Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, and was selected as one of the Legal Elite by Virginia Business Magazine in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. He is also a frequent contributor to the firm's Workplace Safety and Health Law Blog. In 2014, Travis was honored as one of the "10 Under 40" by The Daily News Record in Harrisonburg, VA. Each year the publication honors 10 rising business stars under the age of 40 in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia area. This honor was bestowed largely due to Travis’ development of the Valley Business Keynote, the Shenandoah Valley’s largest and premiere leadership development event.

He is a member of the Rotary Club of Charlotte and speaks frequently at Rotary International events concerning the growth of membership within that civic organization. His passion for making a difference in the lives of others has led to requests to share his message as far away as Canada and The Cayman Islands. He also serves on the board of directors for the Blue Ridge Safety Association, a trade group for safety professionals.