Angela Adams, CEBS, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Director, EEO & Compliance Services
HR Source

Angela Adams, CEBS, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Director, HR Services, has been with HR Source since 2000. Angela has expertise in affirmative action programs and general HR services. She also provides assistance in training for member organizations.

Angela has worked in human resources 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Science in Human Resources Management from Boston University. She is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) as designated through the Human Resource Certification Institute and a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) through the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, as well as a Senior Certified Professional (SCP) through the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM).

Stephanie Dorning, JD
Employment Law Counsel
HR Source

Stephanie’s interest in employment law began when she joined the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. In more than nine years with the department, she acted as lead investigator in over 120 investigations and helped employers across northern Illinois come into compliance with laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Davis Bacon Act, and more. Stephanie uses her first-hand agency experience to help employers navigate complicated legal issues and avoid potential violations.

Candace Fisher, SHRM-SCP, Certified Coach
Director, Organizational Development
HR Source

Candace Fisher is the Director of Organizational Development at HR Source. In this role, her responsibilities include assisting members with design and implementation of training and development programs for their Human Resource staff, supervisory and non-supervisory employees. In addition, Candace facilitates various training sessions at HR Source, including sessions in Spanish. She advises members and assists with organizational issues such as management coaching, change and performance management. She provides human resource, employee relations and supervisory/management services for member organizations via the HR Hotline. 

Prior to working for HR Source, Ms. Fisher was a Human Resource Manager and an HR Generalist for various organizations in the greater Chicagoland area. Her background includes work in training and development, employee relations, labor relations, benefits negotiation and administration, recruiting, workers’ compensation and overall strategic management of the Human Resource function. 

Ms. Fisher obtained a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Illinois, Urbana, as well as a master’s in Business Administration from the University of Illinois, Chicago. She is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) as designated through the Human Resource Certification Institute, a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) as designated through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and a Certified Coach.

Ben Eubanks
Chief Research Officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory 
Bestselling Author: Talent Scarcity: How to Hire and Retain a Shrinking Workforce
Host: We’re Only Human Podcast

Ben Eubanks is an author, speaker, and researcher living in Huntsville, AL. His team surveys thousands of employers and workers each year to understand the latest workplace trends and changes. His latest bestselling book, Talent Scarcity, explores how to hire and keep workers during the deepening talent shortage. His first book, Artificial Intelligence for HR, is the world's most comprehensive and respected resource on how AI technology will affect HR. He also founded HR Summer School, an event with more than a million minutes watched in 2023 alone. He also hosts We're Only Human, a podcast focusing on improving human resources, one HR pro at a time. When he's not speaking or writing, he spends time with his four kids and runs in a variety of outlandish races for fun.

Kelly Hayden, JD
Chief Legal Counsel
HR Source

Kelly Hayden is Chief Legal Counsel for HR Source, a professional organization providing human resource solutions for member organizations for more than 100 years. In her role, Kelly provides representation to employers before the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Human Rights Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Labor, the US Department of Labor and other state and federal agencies. She also assists employers with hiring, discipline, and termination procedures; preparation of employment agreements; and the drafting and reviewing of employment policies and handbooks. She provides employment law compliance training for managers, supervisors, and HR professionals covering many topics including harassment, discipline and discharge, the FMLA, ADA, social media, employee handbooks, interviewing and hiring and drug and alcohol testing. As a representative of HR Source, Kelly frequently lectures to professional organizations on numerous employment law topics and contributes to the association’s website and has authored articles in numerous trade journals.

Kelly has a J.D. from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a B.A. in English and psychology, also from Indiana University. Kelly is admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois and before the Northern District of Illinois, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.  Kelly came to the Association from a large Chicago law firm where she practiced for nine years defending employers in employment discrimination trials. Kelly is a member of the American Bar Association and its Section on Labor and Employment Law. Kelly has also served as a fire commissioner for the Village of Frankfort Fire Protection District for more than 10 years.

Kathryn O'Connor, PHR, SHRM-CP, CCP, GRP
Director, Compensation Services
HR Source

Kathryn O'Connor, PHR, SHRM-CP, CCP, GRP is Director, Compensation Services, for HR Source. Kathryn consults with employers on compensation system design, job evaluation systems, market benchmarking practices, and performance management systems. Kathryn also provides compensation, human resource, and supervisory/management training services for employers a consultant and via the association’s HR Hotline. Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Northwestern University.  

Ben Opp, SPHR
HR Hotline Advisor
HR Source

Ben Opp, SPHR, serves as HR Hotline Advisor at HR Source, an association of employers in the Chicagoland area providing comprehensive and thoughtful HR support. Ben advises HR teams and executives regarding compliance, leading practices, difficult employee relations situations, and every other imaginable topic in the HR field.

A California native, Ben began his career as a professional classical musician and has since held leadership roles in sales, accounting, and human resources. His 19 years working in small business, including arts organizations, an engineering firm, and an industrial service company, lend him empathy toward the unique challenges of small and growing organizations and a holistic understanding of integrated business operations.

Ben holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of the Pacific, a Master of Music from the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music, and the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute.

Sonal Shah, JD
Assistant Director, Employment Law Services
HR Source

Sonal Shah is Assistant Director of Employment Law Services for HR Source, a professional organization providing human resource solutions for member organizations for more than 100 years. As part of her practice, Sonal has represented employers against wrongful discharge and discrimination claims in front of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Sonal also has significant experience counseling employers on properly complying with the law and managing their workforce; preparing employment and severance agreements; drafting/revising disciplinary and termination notices; and crafting employment policies and handbooks. In addition, she provides employment law compliance training for managers, supervisors and HR professionals. Sonal also contributes to the Association’s monthly newsletter and website.

Sonal came to HR Source from a large Chicago law firm where she represented public and private employers, from the smallest private companies to corporations exceeding 10,000 employees, on a broad range of labor and employment law matters arising under federal and state law.

Sonal has a B.S. in Business Administration from The Ohio State University and a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis.

Amy Sullivan
Retirement Consultant
STRAT CAP

Amy partners with clients to oversee their defined contribution plans. Amy’s experience includes participant research and plan design projects, specifically analyzing participant investment and savings behavior and plan features; compiling research on retirement and investment industry trends and evaluating findings relative to client-specific data; and staying up to date on changes in technology, administrative processes, and employee education. Amy has proudly served CAP STRAT’s clients since 2019 and brings over 20 years of financial services experience. Amy lives in Naperville with her husband and two children. As a family, they enjoy travelling and outdoor activities. A strong believer in philanthropy, Amy enjoys volunteering in the community and leading CAP STRAT’s Gives Back initiative.