Join us for a breakfast briefing where we will explore new workplace realities shaped by recent executive orders and discuss navigating the challenges and rapid fire changes facing HR professionals and impacting compliance, operations and employee relations.  We will discuss how recent directives will impact key employment areas like diversity initiatives, EEOC, wages, immigration and more and provided practical strategies for adapting to this rapidly evolving reality.

Our Speakers: Kristina Vaquera & Sharon Harrington

Kristina H. Vaquera:

Kristina H. Vaquera is the office managing principal and office litigation manager of the Norfolk, Virginia, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Her practice focuses exclusively on labor and employment counseling and litigation.

Kristina represents employers in federal and state court lawsuits and agency investigations and charges covering a wide range of statutes and subjects, including anti-discrimination and civil rights laws, wrongful termination claims, disability accommodation and access, wage and hour laws, covenants not to compete, leave of absence claims, negligent hire/retention, and breaches of fiduciary duty and contract, as well as traditional labor issues, including bargaining and negotiations. Kristina has litigated class and collective actions, including FLSA, FCRA, and discrimination class actions. She also represents clients in grievances, mediations, arbitrations, and charges before various national and state entities.

Kristina speaks extensively on various employment topics, including to the Virginia and Hampton Roads Society of Human Resource Managers, Virginia State Bar Labor and Employment Section, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Virginia Employment Commission, International Professional Managers Association, Virginia Government Contract Attorneys Association, Society of Designers and Architects, local chambers of commerce, Hampton Roads Industrial Liaison Group, PINK! Women Business Owners Conference, Public Media Business Association, the American Council of Engineering Companies, and the Retail Association of Hampton Roads. She lives in Hampton Roads with her family.

Sharon Harrington:

Sharon E. Harrington, MA, CPLP, is an expert in workplace communication and conflict resolution, serving as the Founder and Senior Managing Consultant at Amediate, LLC. With a deep understanding of professional interactions and group dynamics, she equips leaders with the tools to foster collaborative and productive workplaces. Sharon specializes in training teams to navigate difficult conversations proactively, helping organizations prevent the costly effects of communication breakdowns.

Through Amediate, LLC, she provides tailored assessments, interventions, and training programs focused on civility, implicit bias, harassment prevention, and leadership development. Additionally, she brings nearly 30 years of experience in EEOC compliance, conducting workplace mediations, discrimination investigations, and training employee relations professionals in fair and unbiased internal complaint investigations.

Passionate about fostering positive workplace relationships, Sharon is dedicated to helping HR professionals and organizational leaders adapt to evolving compliance challenges, including executive orders, DEI initiatives, and changing EEOC regulations.

Thank you to our sponsor, Jackson Lewis P.C.