Officers and Committee Directors
Board and Committee Chairs
Select each name for more information.
- Dawn Lee Hennessy - President
- Jessica Getz - Immediate Past President
- Maya Ollson - Director, Transition Services and Membership
- Dennis Butler - Certification Director
- Allison Sisto – Treasurer
- Christopher Mcdonough - VP of Communications
- Grace Vitale – Secretary
- Ken Sterzer - Director of College Relations
- Lauren B. Hauptman - VP of Membership
- Abigail Murphy – Special Events Coordinator
- Valerie Egan - VP of Programs
Dawn Lee Hennessy – President 
Dawn is an HR Specialist with Insperity. She earned her MHRM at Rutgers University School of Management and Labor Relations and her BA in Labor Studies and Employment Relations at Rutgers University. She is grateful to be a part of such an amazing and highly engaged SHRM chapter!
Jessica Getz - Immediate Past President
Jessica works as a Consultant at Michael F. Yates & Company, Inc. (MFYCO), which specializes in human resources, employee benefits, and executive compensation consulting. She earned her SHRM-CP certification in 2016 and has served SHRM Northwest NJ in several leadership roles, including Vice President of Membership and President. She is honored to now serve as Past President and is the Chair of this year’s state conference.
Maya Ollson - Director, Transition Services and Mentorship
Maya is the Founder of Kokopella High Touch Outplacement, providing a full spectrum of transition services to corporations that are downsizing and individual job seekers looking for their next job. She enjoys supporting SWHRMA members, providing transition services, and chapter leadership.
Allison is a HR Generalist with Hunterdon Healthcare, she began her career at Hunterdon Healthcare as an HR Representative. She's worked as an HR Analyst and a Benefits Specialist before moving into the HR Generalist position in 2017. She earned her BS in Business Administration and Human Resources Management and her master’s degree from Rider University in 2015. Allison received her SHRM-CP in 2018. Allison brings skills in hospitals and healthcare, Labor Relations, Management, FMLA, Kronos, and Interviewing.
Christopher Mcdonough - Vp Of Communications
Chris the VP of Communication for our chapter. He is an HR Generalist with Programs for Parents in Newark, NJ. Chris does graphics and social media not only for the chapter but also for the Garden State Council - SHRM. With a long history of graphic design, illustration, and advertising, he enjoys designing social media posts, brochures, and branding for the chapter.
Dennis Butler - Certification Director
Dennis is a retired Human Resources Executive whose most recent position was as the Chief HR & Compliance Officer for the Diocese of Paterson. Since retiring Dennis has remained active in the field as a President of SWHRMA, Co-Chair for Certification for the Garden State Council of SHRM (GSC). He has also been an instructor for SHRM CP/SCP Prep Classes for Rutgers and Fairleigh Dickinson Universities as well as for GSC’s Second Chance Certification classes. He also serves on the Board of Trustees Riese Corporations and Martin DePorres Village, non-profit providers of senior, disabled, and low-income housing in Paterson and Passaic NJ. AS a Trustee, he provides guidance on HR and other workplace matters. As a Human Resources professional for more than 40 years, Dennis has served in a variety of Human Resources roles in both generalist and specialist functions including benefits and pension administration, employee relations, learning and development, equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and diversity. He has worked in the financial services, consumer electronics, wholesale/retail apparel industries, and religious not-for-profit organizations. He has a successful track record of implementing programs in the United States and globally. He has helped develop and conducted extensive workplace training in these areas
Grace has worked in human resources in a generalist capacity for about 20 years.Has her degree in Business with a concentration in Human Resources. Received her certification in 2003. She has been a member of the Sussex-Warren chapter for 11 years and has served as the Chapter Secretary for the last 7 years.
Ken Sterzer – Director of College Relations
Ken has worked in HR Generalist, Management, and Business Partner roles and is currently a Senior HR Business Partner at Siemens Healthineers. He is also an Instructor in the Human Resources Generalist Certificate Program at County College of Morris. Ken has his Master’s Degree in Human Resources and Employment Relations from Penn State University and his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, and Labor Studies and Employment Relations from Rutgers University. He has his SHRM-CP and PHR credentials. Ken looks forward to supporting the SHRM Northwest New Jersey Student Community.
Lauren B. Hauptman – VP of Membership
Lauren is an accomplished human resource professional with over 15 years of experience advancing organizational growth through strategic initiatives. She is highly skilled in talent acquisition, employee engagement, relations, payroll, benefits administration and performance optimization. She brings strong proficiency in overseeing HR operations, ensuring regulatory compliance and cultivating a positive workplace culture, being adept at navigating diverse sectors including insurance, legal, manufacturing, and remote environments. As a SHRM Certified Professional, dedicated to aligning HR strategies with business objectives to drive tangible results, she is recognized as a strong communicator and collaborative leader, focused at proactively resolving complex client issues.
Lauren earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees from Roger Williams University, receiving degrees in History with a minor in Political Science. Art History/ Architectural History with a minor in Italian Studies. She is also a Certified Professional through SHRM, Employing Abilities at Work and Mental Health Ally Certification.
Abigale Murphy - Special Events Coordinator
Abigail is an office associate at navitend, administrating their payroll. She has her degree in Business Management with a concentration in HR and received her SHRM-CP in 2025. She looks forward to assisting with exciting chapter events for everyone to enjoy!
Valerie Egan is an HR Consultant working to support small firms with various HR issues.
She is the recipient of Crain’s New York, Notable Women in Talent Resources award in 2020.
