Speakers
Craig Fischer is an executive coach and organizational development consultant who has spent over twenty years helping leaders, teams, and organizations grow through change. As founder of Craig Fischer Coaching, he partners with HR and learning & development leaders to design and deliver practical, human-centered development experiences — including one-on-one executive coaching, group coaching cohorts, custom workshop design and facilitation, train-the-trainer programs that build internal training capacity, and leadership consulting and advising for organizations navigating growth, transition, or culture change.
A Professional Certified Coach (ICF) and Certified Co-Active Coach (CPCC), Craig brings a grounded, research-informed approach shaped by his background in adult learning theory, workplace psychology, and organizational change — including work published in Training Magazine on learning mindset, metaphor, and internal consulting. He is known for making leadership development practical, memorable, and genuinely useful to the people living it every day, whether he's coaching an individual leader, facilitating a room of managers, or advising an HR team on their next development initiative.
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 Moore, SHRM-CP, is a Talent Strategist supporting Advancement at the University of Washington. She holds degrees from Texas A&M University and the University of the Incarnate Word and brings more than a decade of experience in talent acquisition across higher education, technology, retail, and professional services. The most rewarding part of her work is helping organizations attract and engage talent through strategic practices, effective storytelling, and thoughtful experiences across the employee lifecycle.
When she's not thinking about LinkedIn engagement numbers, Amanda can usually be found with her nose in a good book, cheering on her favorite sports teams, or taking her cats for a walk—yes, really.
An avid supporter of education for more than twenty years, Sarah Eytinge is the Director for Recruiting and Employee Engagement for University Advancement at the University of Washington. In her role, she leads a team of recruiters and program managers to deliver an exceptional candidate and employee experience for the organization. Building relationships and connections has been a central tenet throughout her career – and although she’s shifted into recruiting and talent development roles over the years, she began her career as an educational fundraiser. She’s delighted to be connecting with you at CUPA.
Sarah is a proud alumna of The Madeira School, Bates College and the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business, and she still finds ways to give back and build community within those institutions. Her biggest passion is being a mom to two young daughters and, when she has time, traveling the world, completing jigsaw puzzles, and painting abstract art.
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
Adam Simcoe brings over 15 years of expertise in human resources and human capital management to Mercer’s Career Business. He specializes in delivering comprehensive workforce solutions and strategic management advice that help businesses optimize their people strategies.
As a Principal and Career Solutions Market Leader at Mercer, Adam aligns client needs with innovative, future-ready solutions that enhance organizational performance and employer branding. He is passionate about empowering companies to navigate the evolving landscape of work through intelligent, tailored workforce strategies.
Before Mercer, Adam served as a Talent Solutions Executive at ADP and Gartner for six years, advising clients on technology-enabled human capital strategies and solutions. He collaborates closely with organizations to identify and implement innovative talent management approaches, leveraging technology to drive efficiency and boost employee engagement.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Management from Ball State University’s Miller School of Business.
Andrea Stagg is the Director of Consulting Services at Grand River Solutions. Andrea also serves as a training facilitator.
Andrea has served in various legal and compliance roles at public and private colleges prior to joining Grand River Solutions. As Deputy General Counsel and Director of Government Relations & Compliance at Barnard College she oversaw all legal and compliance matters. Before joining Barnard, Andrea was counsel to three colleges within the State University of New York and provided SUNY-wide Title IX compliance advice. At SUNY, Andrea co-coordinated a working group that created the policies that evolved into New York Education Law Article 129B, a groundbreaking state law providing fair and transparent practices to prevent and respond to sexual and interpersonal violence on campus. Andrea worked in federal higher education lobbying for Rutgers University before attending law school.
Andrea is an active member of the University Risk Managers and Insurance Association and the National Association of College of University Attorneys, through which she has authored several peer-reviewed publications and facilitated education sessions during conferences and webinars. Most recently, she co-wrote a chapter on the Clery Act and Title IX for Convergence of Litigation, Policy, and Standards: Building the Informed Practitioner in Education Abroad Risk Management (Pollard & Priebe, 2024).
In 2014, Andrea was awarded the Commissioner’s Award from the State University Police, and in 2019 she received the First Decade Award from the National Association of College and University Attorneys. She graduated from Rutgers University and The George Washington University Law School.