About Us
The Granite State Human Resources Conference is supported by and produced by the HR State Council of New Hampshire. The Council is dedicated to the professional growth of HR professionals.
We bring Human Resource Professionals together from all types of companies and organizations, vendors, and educational experts to promote HR knowledge, networking, and the HR profession.
Stay on top of the current HR Professional demands at New Hampshire’s only statewide conference for HR professionals and practitioners.
Mission
By planning, organizing, and delivering a high standard, timely, and industry relevant conference to human resource professionals and their colleagues, the Granite State Human Resources Conference is committed to providing a venue that stimulates the acquisition, transfer, and enhancement of knowledge, professional development, increased social capital, and enhanced networks. This is accomplished through securing high quality program and seminar presenters; providing access to industry specific vendors; and engaging in support activities
Vision
The Conference is committed to providing a venue that stimulates thinking, generates new ideas, offers timely and relevant information and opportunities for networking to enhance the professional development of HR professionals and their colleagues. We accomplish this by selecting high quality speakers and seminar presenters who have national stature and expertise in their field. Participants will also have access to products and programs available through business partners representing benefits providers, training sources, recruitment resources, and may other HR related vendors.
HR State Council of New Hampshire
Conference Volunteers
Hope Kelly
Director
Hope Kelly is the Director of Human Resources at Granite State Manufacturing. and has 25+ years of experience in the Human Resources field. As a key member of the senior management team, she leads the efforts to create career paths within the organization, to keep our best people motivated and growing, maximizing their value for themselves, for the organization, and for our customers. She develops and prepares the next generation of skilled workers for GSM. Hope also directs Total Rewards, Legal Compliance, Internal Accountability and Overall Human Resources and Training across the company. Functioning as part of the integrated team, she works to reduce and eliminate barriers and obstacles to improve overall cost and schedule performance. Hope initiated the first apprenticeship program in the Manchester area for Machining. Her background includes healthcare, wholesale food distribution, retail, medical device and defense manufacturing, giftware, electronics, consumer goods and fashion industries. Hope is a past President of the Manchester Area Human Resources Association (MAHRA) and has held MAHRA Board positions as Workforce Readiness and Professional Development Chairs and has served on many committees. She has also served in the past role as Certification Chair on the SHRM HR State Council of NH. Hope serves on the New Hampshire Tech Alliance Workforce Development Committee. She has her bachelor’s degree in management from Merrimack College and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) as well as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).
Jeannie DiBella
Program Director
Jessica LaPaglia
Director Elect
Andrea Chatfield, Esq.
Government Relations & Legislative Chair
Jeannie DiBella, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, is the Sr. Human Resources Officer at Manchester Community College. She has 27 years of HR experience. Jeannie is certified as a Senior Certified Professional of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP) and as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR). She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Indiana State University. Jeannie is an active participant in industry associations including the HR State Council of NH where she serves the Program Director and is serving as the President for both the Greater Nashua Human Resources Association and the Northern New England CUPA-HR Board of Directors.
Previously with the firm Cook Little, Andrea joined Sheehan Phinney in 2022. She provides practical advice and guidance to employers on risk management issues in the workplace. This includes both day-to-day personnel decisions that can have a high degree of liability if not done carefully, and high level policy-making decisions, such as developing employee handbooks, executive employment agreements, non-competition agreements, social media policies, and other organizational protocols. Andrea has successfully represented employers of all types and sizes before administrative agencies in discrimination, whistleblower, unemployment, and wage disputes. Andrea also serves as an outside investigator for employers who need to respond to highly sensitive internal complaints of discrimination and harassment. In addition, Andrea develops and conducts in-house trainings for businesses and other employers in such matters as preventing workplace harassment and how to manage within the law. She is frequently a public speaker on employment law topics.
Debra Lacey
Secretary
Michelle Gray
Technology/Marketing/
Social Media Director
Melissa Fisk
Chief People Officer
Lead Talent Acquisition Partner, Home Health and Hospice Care, LLC (603) 689-2813, Debra.Lacey@SolutionHealth.org Debra has over 30 yrs. of HR experience having spent most of the time in non profit sectors in NH several years at an area mental health center, another agency supporting individuals with development disabilities and the last 11 in home health & hospice care, my most rewarding position in my career. She has over 20 yrs. in HR manufacturing sector and publishing sector too. Debra specializes in talent acquisition and has been a member of HRAGC for over 20 yrs. Having volunteered on the finance committee for 4 terms and now on the programs committee.
Founder & President of HR Synergy, LLC (603) 261-2402 Michelle.Gray@HRSynergyLLC.com Michelle has 25 years of HR Professional experience, most recently as Founder and President of HR Synergy, LLC. Michelle’s background includes businesses varying in size up to 1,500 employees and multiple states. Michelle is an active member of Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), Greater Nashua Human Resource Association (GNHRA), Manchester Chamber of Commerce, NH Center for Non-Profits, and Massachusetts Non-Profit Network. Michelle is excited to work on the SC Short and Long-Term strategy for our Marketing/Social Media efforts.
Melissa Fisk has been a Human Resources professional since 2001 and currently serves as the Chief People Officer at HealthFirst Family Care Center, a non-profit community health center with locations in Franklin, Laconia, and Canaan, New Hampshire. Since transitioning to the non-profit sector, Melissa has become deeply passionate about helping people find purpose and fulfillment in their work. In her role, Melissa is responsible for shaping and executing HealthFirst’s HR strategy, which recently included the expansion of two clinics and the seamless integration of staff from two acquired practices into the HealthFirst culture. Melissa currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Pope Memorial SPCA of Concord and is an Advisory Board Member for the Business Program of the Concord Regional Technical Center. Previously, Melissa volunteered with HRAGC as Programs Committee Chair and is a current member of MAHRA. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and maintains her SHRM-CP and PHR certifications. Melissa lives in Concord, New Hampshire, with her husband, two sons, and two dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys cardio kickboxing and reading.
