Annual Conference

Craig Fischer

Alana Jardis Hentges currently works as the Learning & Development  Manager at the  University of Puget Sound. She has worked in higher education for her entire career–first at a large state school and then at Puget Sound where she has been for more than 20 years. Her first role was supporting students’ career development which was rooted in curiosity–she loved working with students to help them think about their interests, skills, and goals to identify what came next for them.

What’s Alana currently curious about? How AI can help her make a plan for a beautiful back yard garden. What do I need to live my best possible life? What in the world is my cat (or other cat, or dog) thinking? How can I incorporate more dance into my life? What kind of things will get people excited to come to programs, workshops, and trainings next year? 

Hilary L. Lichterman, Ph.D., serves as Executive Director of Housing & Residence Life, Practitioner Faculty in the Higher Education Leadership & Administration graduate program at Seattle University, and Fellow at the Global Curiosity Institute. With 22 years of progressive experience in higher education and student affairs, she leverages curiosity-driven leadership to enhance student learning, cultivate engaged workplace cultures, and lead organizational change and innovation. 

What’s Hilary currently curious about? How can curiosity and systems thinking have a synergistic relationship in organizations? How can I use my 2026 mantra, "Believe Boldly. Lead Curiously.", to live my best life and help others do the same? How do humans interpret and engage with the universe? As a cheese connoisseur, what’s the next cheese I should try? What does it look like to be a multipotentialite in higher education and student affairs? 

Amy brings over 25 years of experience as an advisor to Boards and Executive Leadership Teams on the strategy, design, implementation, and communication of HR and total rewards programs. Amy is responsible for understanding each project’s unique strategic objectives and is fully accountable for client satisfaction. 

Mike Wright is the Learning and Development Manager in Human Resources at Gonzaga University. He leads a high-trust, high-impact training team that creates space for growth through connection, collaboration, and communication. He is an adaptive and empathetic leader with over 20 years of training and development experience in a wide range of environments, with schooling in Workforce Education, Curriculum Development and Instruction, and Leadership and Management. His demonstrated expertise is in organizational culture, team building, instructional design, and facilitation. Most importantly he is a husband of 27 years and a father to eight amazing children.

Amanda had the pleasure of working in the Talent Acquisition space across various industries, including Retail, Consulting, and SaaS, with companies ranging from 80 to over 1,000,000 employees. In 2023, Amanda joined the University of Washington to use skills and experience to support an institution committed to making a bigger impact on the community and the world. Amanda is passionate about organizational culture, DEI, and employer branding. When not working, you'll likely find Amanda cheering on their favorite sports teams, improving her DIY skills with her husband as they update our home, walking her cat (yes, you read that right!), or getting lost in a good book.

Denise is a Senior Recruiter for University of Washington Advancement with a background in recruiting, HR, and program management in higher education and tech. Outside of work, Denise is actively involved in volunteering for a dog rescue and being a tourist in her home city of Seattle. Denise loves making connections, so don't be afraid to reach out at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Vivian is an experienced HR leader with over 15 years of success as a trusted advisor and strategic partner across various nonprofit industries. Currently as the Associate Director, HR at Stanford Graduate School of Business, she consults with executive leadership in maximizing organizational velocity to achieve business outcomes. Vivian is an active leader with CUPAHR including serving on the national Public Policy Committee and a Chapter Support Council liaison for the Oregon, Lone Star, Washington, Southern California, and Kansas chapters. Her local chapter was the recipient of the Chapter Excellence Award during her year as the Chapter President. In her free time, you can find Vivian at a pool officiating her son's swim meets or flying to Virginia to volunteer as a subject matter expert with HRCI exam development. Passionate about strengthening workplace cultures and driving organizational success, Vivian brings a wealth of knowledge to the conversation on appreciation in the workplace. Vivian holds a bachelor's degree from UCLA in Applied Mathematics and has also earned her SPHR, SHRM-SCP, and PHRca certifications. 

Joy Anglesey is Vice President of Human Resources & Equity at Centralia College, where she leads strategic HR, Title IX, equity, and compliance initiatives in Washington’s community and technical college system. A certified Title IX Investigator and public sector HR executive, she is known for building legally sound, people-centered systems that strengthen culture and accountability. Joy believes deeply that when employees succeed, students succeed, and leads with integrity and heart.

Todd is a Strategic Operations Manager for the Employment Security Department. In this role, he oversees the development and maintenance of strategic partnerships across agency divisions, external stakeholders, and state and federal entities. He leads and coordinates agency advisory committee meetings, manages the Navigator Program to enhance access to unemployment benefits for underserved communities, and contributes to policy development and regulatory reform efforts that align with the agency’s strategic plan and legislative priorities. Todd’s leadership in the Communications office spans the Unemployment Insurance, Paid Leave, Labor Market Information and Research, and WA Cares Programs. Prior to joining ESD, Todd served as the Deputy Commissioner for the Consumer Protection division of the Office of Insurance Commissioner. As a member of the Insurance Commissioner Executive Management Team, Todd was responsible for effective and strategic management of three business areas: Consumer Advocacy, Producer Licensing and Oversight, and the State Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA).

Todd also served as the agencies Tribal Liaison and Executive Sponsor of the Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

Prior to this appointment, Todd was the Program Manager for the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program administered by the Washington State Office of Insurance Commissioner (OIC). He had been in that position for over 5 years.

Laura C. Hamilton is a senior human resources executive with extensive experience in workforce strategy, organizational effectiveness, employee and labor relations, classification and compensation, compliance, and leadership development across higher education, public sector, and healthcare environments.

She currently serves as Director of Human Resources and DEIB Lead at the University of Washington, where she leads HR strategy and operations for a large, complex department and partners with leadership to align workforce priorities with organizational goals.

Laura has also held HR leadership roles in higher education with Washington State University and the University of Utah. She also serves in both state and national leadership roles with CUPA-HR.

Laura holds a master’s degree in Human Resources Management, a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a graduate certificate in Conflict Resolution, and credentials as an SPHR, Certified DiSC Profile Analyst, and Certified Whole Person Coach.

Current Responsibilities

Ken Simek is a Partner and senior leader in the Mercer Health & Benefits Chicago office and has more than 35 years of experience in human resources and benefits consulting field.
He also leads Mercer’s Higher Education Industry Vertical. As such, he is responsible for coordinating, managing, and leading Mercer’s client and market strategy for all higher education clients and consulting services. Mercer has over 500 higher education clients for whom we provide a wide range of consulting services. Additionally, Ken spearheads a university networking group which consists of over 50 institutions. Throughout the year, this group engages in key issues impacting the higher education industry.

Experience

Ken joined Mercer in 1995, and has substantial consulting and engagement management experience in human resources strategy, total reward strategies, benefits design and administration, compensation design, and human resources technologies. During his career at Mercer, Ken has held many roles, including Benefit Lead Consultant, Global Client Manager, Sales Professional and Higher Education Vertical Leader.
Ken has led major projects for many large public and private organizations including: HR strategy development, total rewards redesign, HR communications, web-based total rewards tools, administration strategy development, administration technology solutions, and process reviews and efficiency audits.

Education
• BS in Finance, Northern Illinois University

Affiliations
• Fellow of the Life Management Institute (FLMI)
• Holds a license from the Health Insurance Association of America