Fall 2024 Speakers

Professor
Iowa State University Center for Cybersecurity Innovation and Outreach

Doug is the Director of the Iowa State University Center for Cybersecurity Innovation and Outreach and a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  Doug works with state and local governments on cybersecurity issues and tabletop exercises.  Doug also created the Iowa Cyber Hub, which is dedicated to increasing the cyber workforce in Iowa.  He has worked for years on ways to include cybersecurity in courses and the general population.  Doug has given over 300 presentations in the area of computer security.  He also created the cybersecurity ambassador program targeted at the general public, K-12 students, post-secondary students, and employees.

Vice President, Employee Benefits
Cottingham & Butler

Julie previously held the role of Vice President and Head of Human Resources at Cottingham & Butler for seven years before joining the Employee Benefits division. In her role, Julie was responsible for driving the strategic vision for Human Resources and lead the function through double digit headcount growth and navigated challenges through COVID-19. Julie has served as a member of the Executive Team, Benefits & Retirement Committee, and lead the Human Resources functions of Training, Organizational Design, Payroll, Benefits, Recruiting and Employee Relations.

Julie graduated from University of Northern Iowa. She spent time living in Boston developing her recruiting and HR generalist skills before moving back to Iowa in 2005. She spent over 10 years in Des Moines and has experience working in HR consulting and held roles in corporate procurement as well as HR Leadership in the financial services industry. She now resides in Dubuque, IA with her husband and three children. About Cottingham & Butler Cottingham & Butler is the top five independently held brokers in the U.S. and a recognized leader in offering innovative property & casualty and employee benefit insurance solutions. The company is headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa, and employs over 1,300 employees across the U.S.

Of Counsel
Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.

Katie Overberg is an employment attorney with Fredrikson & Byron who works with employers and educational institutions of all sizes to support the organizations in managing their workforce, compliance, and business through advising, trainings, and investigations. Katie has served in employment roles in private practice, in-house, and compliance. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa Law School and Washington University in St. Louis.

Director of the Artificial Intelligence Program
Drake University

Chris Porter is the director of the artificial intelligence program at Drake University and an associate professor of computer science.  He is also co-founder of Innovation Profs LLC, a company that provides training and consulting on generative AI.  Prior to coming to Drake in 2016, Chris held postdoctoral positions at the University of Paris Diderot and the University of Florida.  He received a joint PhD in mathematics and philosophy from the University of Notre Dame and an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Gonzaga University.

Shareholder
Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.

Zach primarily focuses on the prosecution of software patents in addition to providing litigation support on software-related patents. He assists technology-driven clients with developing effective strategies to maximize the protection that intellectual property can provide to companies both large and small. Zach uses his legal experience and computer science background to advise clients on how to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of their intellectual property strategies. Zach is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  Additionally, Zach has used his technical knowledge to counsel clients on a variety of their software needs, including open source code requirements, artificial intelligence use policies, data rights and use, and code review.

CEO
Percipio Workforce Solutions

Jim Roy has nearly 30 years of staffing industry experience.  Starting as a receptionist for a staffing firm in Minneapolis, MN, Jim has held virtually every role in the staffing industry.  From receptionist to senior vice president of a $60 million dollar Midwest region, Jim has experienced most of what the staffing industry has to offer.  Sales has always been Jim’s strongest passion, hiring and developing over 50 business development professionals in his career.  Jim estimates he has sold over $100 million of recruiting services in his career.

In 2021, Jim started a consulting firm to assist staffing firms with their growth strategy.  He travels the country helping organizations find and develop the right talent.  He also helps organizations drive new client revenue and gross profit improvement strategies.

Jim is the proud husband of Amy and the father of three daughters.  He loves live music and is a terrible golfer but still tries to play.  He lives in Kansas City and has adopted the bbq culture of the region!

CEO
Prositions, Inc.

Frank has over 35 years of experience as a speaker, trainer, and talent development professional. He is also a serial entrepreneur, having founded four successful H.R. technology and training content companies. Frank’s companies have won numerous awards, including ranking on the prestigious Inc. 500/5000 lists of fastest-growing companies in the U.S. for seven consecutive years, six years on the Software 500 list, and 14 Stevie Awards for business innovation and excellence.

Frank’s current organization, Prositions, Inc., is a rapidly growing talent development company. DashTrain_TM, its flagship software application, is revolutionizing how organizations use microlearning to engage, train, and develop employees. His talent development software has been used by over six million users globally in 16 different languages.

His peers voted Frank to the Training Industry’s list of the Most Influential Training Professionals, and eLearning Magazine awarded him the prestigious Learning Champion Award for his lifetime of contributions to the learning industry. Frank received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in the Business Services category for the Central Midwest Region and was named Small Businessperson of the Year for the State of Iowa by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Early in his career, Frank did research at the Center for Advanced Computation at the University of Illinois, where the first Internet browser was invented. He also worked for Control Data Corporation with the PLATO System, the first commercially viable computer-based training authoring system. He was also the Chief Learning Officer for a Fortune 500 company and State Training Administrator for the State of Iowa.

Sr. Vice President, Employee Benefits
Holmes Murphy & Associates

Nataliya Boychenko Stone, Ph.D., serves as the Senior Vice President of Employee Benefits at Holmes Murphy & Associates, where she joined in 2006. A Ukraine native, fluent in three languages, she excels in implementing diverse employer-sponsored benefit programs. An active speaker on health care topics, Nataliya is also an adjunct professor at Drake University, teaching employee benefits to graduate students. Nataliya has a strong passion for lifelong learning and constantly explores cutting-edge solutions for her clients. Nataliya is a recognized leader, having received accolades such as the 2020 Emerging Woman of Influence, Business Record’s Forty under 40, Community Vision Award and others.

President of Aureon Consulting
Aureon Consulting

Holly is a highly experienced senior leader accomplished in strategic planning, business development and operations. She is passionate about understanding her clients environments and culture so she can partner with them to move their business goals forward. Holly has a proven track record of managing cross-functional teams and delivering on strategic goals through her expertise in leading business, technology, and operations teams. Holly’s unique combination of financial acumen, entrepreneurship, and human resources expertise has helped Aureon Consulting achieve predictable, consistent, and profitable growth. Prior to becoming the President at Aureon Consulting Holly spent over 10 years leading M&A integration initiatives for top-tier wealth management and financial advice organizations. She specialized in data migrations/conversions, client on-boarding, IT application and infrastructure integrations, HR, risk and compliance work streams.

Assistant Vice Preisdent – Employee Benefits Services
Cottingham & Butler

Chris Williams is an Assistant Vice President in the Employee Benefits division for Cottingham & Butler. Chris began his career with Cottingham & Butler in 2014. Before joining the Employee Benefits division, Chris served as Cottingham & Butler’s first corporate counsel, responsible for managing ongoing litigation and serving as in-house counsel to the Cottingham & Butler family of businesses. Chris offers consultative advice to business decision-makers regarding employee benefits, human resources issues generally, and state and federal compliance issues. Before joining Cottingham & Butler, Chris practiced law in private practice in Dubuque, IA, and in the public interest space (veteran and active service member advocacy) in Chicago, IL.