PHR-CA, SHRM-CP, MBA | HR Solutions Team Lead - ADP Bryan was born and raised in El Paso, TX and graduated from Franklin High School. He earned a BBA in HR Management from University of Texas at El Paso in 2009. While attending UTEP he served as the student SHRM chapter's president. He would go on to earn a Master's of Business Administration from University of Phoenix in 2011. His HR background includes staffing & recruiting in the private sector as well as career transition counseling for Fort Bliss military service members seeking civilian employment. In 2014 he joined ADP, Automatic Data Processing, in the SBS HR Solutions Department where he has serviced clients with HR best practices, compliance, regulatory and technology related consultation. Currently he is a team leader at ADP and holds certifications in HR and payroll. He is excited about his 7th year with the EPSHRM board and creating positive energy and community for our members and sponsors! In his free time enjoys travel, movies, concerts, hiking, sports, networking, and of course...coffee! In 2022 after postponing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he married his beautiful wife, Crystal. You can contact Bryan here |
President
PHR, SHRM-CP, MBA | HR Manager - El Paso County Valeria was born and raised in El Paso and graduated from Loretto Academy. Valeria graduated from UTEP with a BBA in HR and Finance in 2010 She has been in the HR field for the last 10 years and is currently an HR Manager with El Paso County, where she started as an unpaid intern in the HR Department. Valeria graduated with her MBA in Management in 2015. Valeria was part of the XL Class (best class ever!) of the El Paso Chamber's Leadership Academy. Valeria served on the YWCA Board of Directors from 2014 to 2021. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, gardening, concerts, and reading in her free time. You can contact Valeria here
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| HR Specialist - Emergence Health Network Diana was born in Mexico and grew up in El Paso, TX, where she graduated from El Dorado High School. Alvarez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from The University of Texas at El Paso where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2020. Alvarez is looking forward to specializing in employee compensation and payroll by obtaining a Master’s degree in the near future. She has been in the HR field for the last 3 years and is currently an HR Specialist at Emergence Health Network where she represents the Employee Assistant Program and provides recruitment support. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling and listening to true crime podcasts in her free time. You can contact Diana here |
President-Elect
Treasurer |
| HR Generalist, Senior - El Paso County Christina Ramirez is a native of El Paso and is excited to serve as the Secretary. Christina graduated from UTEP with a BBA in Human Resources in 2010. She’s been in the HR field for the last 11 years and is currently an HR Generalist, Senior with El Paso County. She knows all too well the importance of connecting with other HR professionals as she began her journey being involved with the UTEP Student SHRM chapter during her college years and later committing to being an intern with the HR Department. In 2011, she started as an HR Administrative Assistant under Training and Development and would move on to various HR positions which eventually lead her to her current role in the Recruitment division. Christina is passionate about HR and passionate about helping others grow and become the best version of themselves. She enjoys a good laugh, working out, spending time with family and friends, attending concerts, photography, and traveling. You can contact Christina here |
VP of Programs | You can contact Claudia here. |
| HR Certified Professional Jonathan Wagner has held multiple roles, most recently as Client HR Manager for ADP HR Solutions, where lead a team of HR Business Advisors who assist ADP clients with HR best practice and compliance support. While much of their work is with small business, in recent years they’ve grown into the up-market space providing the same service model scalable to large, multi-national brands and global organizations. Before joining ADP, Jonathan spent most of his career in the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry in various operational roles. Seeking to couple his working knowledge of the industry with his educational background, Jonathan transitioned to a HR Manager role for a geo-consulting firm in west Texas. In this capacity, Jonathan was responsible for recruiting wellsite geologists and petroleum engineers, managing HR and payroll functions, in addition to maintaining safety compliance for operations spanning three different shale plays across five different states. Jonathan finished his undergraduate degree at Nebraska and later an MBA in Human Resource Management from La Sierra University – Zapara School of Business in California. In addition, he holds multiple professional certifications, including GPHR (Global Professional in Human Resources) and PHRca (Professional in Human Resources – California). In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys travelling, hiking, swimming, and rock climbing. He currently resides in El Paso, Texas, with his wife, Elena, and their son, Jack León, and daughter, Lourdes. You can contact Jonathan here. |
VP of Communications
Natalia Chaparro
PHR, SHRM-CP
| HR Manager - El Paso County Natalia graduated from St. Mary’s University where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in Human Resources. After six years in the field, Natalia obtained her master’s degree in business administration from Florida International University. Natalia has been practicing in the field of Human Resources for over 20 years. In her current role, she oversees the Human Resources Division of Juvenile Probation Department as well as the Workers’ Compensation program for the County of El Paso. She is responsible for leading human resources initiatives and strategy, talent acquisition, training and development, employee relations, and workers compensation programs. Prior to this role, Natalia served as a Human Resources Manager in the healthcare industry in Texas and Florida where she leveraged her HR education and background to lead the Human Resources functions of a Children’s Hospital and Long-Term Care facility. Natalia has taught a range of Human Resources and leadership development subjects to include performance management, teambuilding, strategic management, managerial courage, and compliance with labor laws (i.e., FMLA, ADA, FLSA, TITLE VII). Recently, Natalia received the County’s EPIC Shinning Star Award. This award recognizes individuals who exemplify the County's mission of delivering sound and exceptional public services to the people of El Paso County. For fun, Natalia likes to travel and go on adventures with her family and Gilo the dog. She enjoys hiking, skiing, the outdoors, dancing and reading. You can contact Natalia here. |
Certification Director | Human Resources Manager - River Oaks Properties Linda is a native El Pasoan. A graduate of El Paso High and the University of Texas at Austin, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education and Teaching Certification. Linda recently earned her Doctorate in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources. As the Certification Director for EPSHRM, Linda is the liaison between the chapter and UTEP. In addition, Linda is the lead instructor for the SHRM CP/SCP preparation certification course at UTEP. Linda also facilitates a study group working on certifying with HRCI for the PHR/SPHR exam. Linda is a firm believer in Leadership and Development, she focuses on opportunities to strengthen employee skills thus creating a positive and engaging work environment. It’s about continuous learning and the passion to make it happen. Linda is the Human Resources Manager for River Oaks Properties. You can contact Linda here. |
College Relations Director | Owner - Candelario HR Consulting Roberto Candelario is the Owner of Candelario HR Consulting, a 23-year US Army Veteran, and a board member of the El Paso Society for Human Resouces Management and El Paso Rebuilding Together Organization. Mr. Candelario was an Infantryman during his military career and held many different levels of leadership positions. Deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Retired as a Sergeant First Class after a successful career earning such awards as Army Achievement Medal (5th Award), Army Commendation Medal (6th Award), Meritorious Service Medal, and Bronze Star Medal with Valor. Graduate from the Senior Leadership Course, earned Air Assault, Expert Infantry, and Combat Infantry Badge. Earned a Masters of Public Administration (MPA) from Park University. Certified as a Society For Human Resources Professional, Assistant Professional Human Resources by HRCI, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. You can contact Roberto here |
Co-Governmental Relations & Legal Affairs Director | HR Director - Southwest University Arturo is the Human Resources Director for Southwest University, and he loves his career because it puts him in a position to foster growth and success in his organization. Arturo is certified as a PHR, he obtained an MBA Degree from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin and a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management from Southwest University. Arturo aspires to continue growing and learning in his HR career to become a more valuable asset for his organization. Arturo enjoys traveling and playing guitar in his free time. You can contact Arturo here |
Emerging Professionals Director | Faculty - University of Texas at El Paso Director Dr. Richard A. Posthuma, J.D., Ph.D., is the Mike Loya Distinguished Chair at the Woody L. Hunt College of Business at UTEP. He earned his Master's degree in Labor and Industrial Relations from Michigan State University in 1977; his J.D., cum laude, from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1992; and his Ph.D. from the Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University in 1999. He has worked for many years in Human Resource Management, Labor Relations, and Law in both the private and public sectors in union and nonunion settings. His teaching interests include Business Ethics, Employee Relations, Human Resource Management, Leadership, and Negotiation. He has published extensively on domestic and international topics related to Business Ethics, Engineering Management, Conflict Management, High-Performance Work Systems, Leadership, Legal Compliance, and Staffing. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Conflict Management and a Scholar in Residence at the Conflict Management Division of the Academy of Management. You can Contact Richard here. |
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Director Gabrielle Melendez PHR, SHRM-CP | Chief People Officer - El Paso Central Appraisal District Gabrielle is a lifelong El Pasoan, a graduate of Loretto Academy, and received her Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at El Paso with a double major in Management and Marketing. With over 25 years of experience in Human Resources and Organizational Development, Gabrielle started her career in the private sector at Griffith Micro Science then Helen of Troy. She joined the El Paso Central Appraisal District in 2000, becoming the first HR Manager in EPCAD’s history. In 2016, Gabrielle earned the title of Chief Human Resource Officer; under her direction the department has gone from a department of one to a department of five. In 2021, she was asked to develop EPCAD’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program. Gabrielle certified in 2003, as Professional in Human Resources (PHR), in 2015 as SHRM-CP and in 2022 as People Manager Qualification (PMQ). She served as a mentor with the Mentor/Mentee program with EPSHRM, Board of Directors with EPSHRM and has also volunteered with numerous charitable organizations. In January 2020, Gabrielle received the 2019 EPSHRM Professional of the Year Award and most recently became the 2023 Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for EPSHRM. Gabrielle works tirelessly to ensure she provides every person with the opportunity for belonging. You can contact Gabrielle here |
| HR Clerk - Sun Country Medical Equipment Leslye was born in Mexico and grew up in El Paso, TX and is a graduate of Horizon High School. Leslye graduated from UTEP in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources. She plans to obtain her MBA and PHR certification in the future. Leslye has been in the HR field for 3 years and is currently working with Sun Country Medical Equipment (SCME).She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling and dancing. You can contact Leslye here |
Military Affairs Director | Veteran Resource Coordinator - Texas Workforce Commission An Air Force Veteran who served for 24 years, Rodney Washington assumed the position of Military Officer for EPSHRM in January 2023. Originally from New York City, Rodney has lived in El Paso since 2013. Over the years, Rodney served the local military community as a El Paso Veteran Affairs (EPVA) volunteer, a (EPVA) VA employee, Career Counselor for Fort Bliss SFL-TAP (Soldier for Life, Transition Assistance Program), District Outreach Coordinator for Texas Veterans Commission (West TX District) and the newly assigned Veterans Resource Coordinator for the Texas Workforce Commission (Fort Bliss). You can contact Rodney here |
| Human Resources Analyst - Workforce Solutions Borderplex Hi there! My name is Gisela Guzman and I am a passionate human resources professional with a drive to make a difference in the workplace. I am proud to say that I am a graduate of UTEP and am currently working towards my master's degree at Grand Canyon University. I hold a SHRM-CP and am always striving to improve my skills and knowledge in the HR field. In my current role at Workforce Solutions Borderplex, I use my expertise to support the local community and make a positive impact. I am also an advocate for mental health and believe in the importance of promoting wellness in the workplace. Aside from my career, I am a wife and mother to two children and a beloved dog. I love spending time with my family and giving back to the community. I call El Paso, Texas my home and cherish the warm and supportive atmosphere that this city offers. You can contact Gisela here |
Cinthia Ortega | Compensation Specialist - El Paso Electric Cinthia was born and raised in El Paso and is a graduate of Burges High School. She received her Bachelor’s in Accounting and Human Resources from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Upon graduation, she started her career at the UTEP specializing in recruitment and compensation. In 2019, she graduated with a Master’s in Business Administration from UTEP. For the past 5 years, Cinthia has been the Compensation Specialist for El Paso Electric. She is currently studying for her Certification Compensation Professional and her SPHR. You can contact Cinthia here |
Community Relations Director - Vacant |
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