Speakers

Day 2 – Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Anne Bibeau, Woods Rogers

Anne advises employers on the HR issues that arise every day: FLSA, discrimination and harassment, FMLA, disability law, labor relations, employment agreements, and others. She also conducts workplace investigations and is a trained arbitrator and mediator. As an advocate, Anne is an experienced litigator who has defended employers in federal and state courts.

Mike Gardner, Woods Rogers

Mike provides experienced counsel to employers of all types on how to handle the unpredictable twists and turns of workforce management. He represents clients large and small in matters ranging from internal management issues, state and federal agency proceedings, and state and federal litigation through trial and appeal. He also provides outside counsel to local governments, agencies, and boards on a variety of matters.

Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Day 3 – Closing Keynote Speaker
Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., is President and Chief Executive Officer of SHRM. He was recently named one of the Most Influential People Shaping Public Policy in our nation’s capital by Washingtonian Magazine and one of the 300 Most Influential Executives in Corporate America by Savoy Magazine. Mr. Taylor’s career spans more than 20 years as a lawyer and executive, serving at IAC, Paramount Pictures, Blockbuster Entertainment Group, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, among other organizations. He serves on the corporate boards of XPO, Inc.; Flores HR; AACSB; and Guild Education and previously served on the White House American Workforce Policy Advisory Board and as chairman of the President's Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the first Trump administration. Mr. Taylor writes a weekly column, “Ask Johnny,” in USA Today and is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional.