HR Workshop 2026

Schedule, Session Descriptions, & Presenter Information

Vella Cagle
Human Resources Manager, The Waverly School

Vella Cagle is the Direc­tor of Human Resources at The Waverly School in Pasadena. Vella was born and raised in southwestern Virginia and received a B.A. in history from Virginia Tech in 2005. She came to California in 2010 with her husband and they now have two fantastic girls. Vella has worked at The Waverly School for fourteen years, starting out as the receptionist in 2011. She is a longstanding member of the flexible tuition committee and also works with the business office team to manage tuition and billing. What Vella enjoys the most about working at Waverly is the commu­nity. She says of her school,“I have found my home…Waverly is a place where I feel safe, valued, and where I am truly happy to be.”

Grace Chan
Partner, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore

Grace specializes in education and employment law, risk management, and nonprofit governance, representing independent schools and nonprofits. She advises boards, school leaders, and HR professionals on mitigating risk and aligning operations with their mission. Her expertise includes employment agreements, policies, harassment claims, wage compliance, and employee discipline. She also counsels schools on student and parent issues, including enrollment, misconduct, privacy, and DEI considerations. Additionally, Grace provides guidance on nonprofit governance, fiduciary duties, conflicts of interest, and governance documents. She helps clients develop best practices while navigating complex legal landscapes.

Alec Grollman, CLCS
Area Vice President | Education and Nonprofit Practice Team, A. J. Gallagher

Alec Grollman is a Commercial Insurance and Risk Management Consultant specializing in the education and nonprofit practice sector. Concentrating in creative risk management program development and insurance coverage placement, his goal is to educate buyers, properly assess risk, and create comprehensive coverage solutions. With the addition of a Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist designation, Alec continues to increase his insurance knowledge and better position his clients. He prides himself in providing personalized and exceptional customer care to address each client’s needs and assist their overall mission. Alec’s introduction to the insurance industry began through Gallagher’s internship program in 2018 which transitioned into full time employment with the education and nonprofit team upon graduation from Bryn Athyn College where he earned a degree in Marketing and Data Science.

Heather Kruse
Chief Human Resources Officer,
Viewpoint School

Heather Kruse is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Viewpoint School, where she leads all aspects of human resources including talent acquisition, performance management, compensation, employee relations, and organizational development. With over 20 years of HR leadership experience across independent schools, media, and entertainment, Heather brings a practical, people-centered approach to building transparent, high-performing cultures. She is a strategic advisor to senior leadership and the Board, known for aligning HR strategy with mission and values. Under her leadership, Viewpoint has earned multiple Best Places to Work in SoCal recognitions. Heather is also a member of the Cal-ISBOA HR Committee.

Catherine Mattice
Civility Partners, Inc.

Catherine is an award-winning author, speaker, blogger, and business owner; has been cited in such news outlets as Forbes, INC Magazine, Entrepreneur, and USA Today; and has appeared as a guest expert on such venues as NPR and CNN. She also has over 60+ courses on LinkedIn Learning and reaching global audiences.

Catherine founded Civility Partners in 2008. After working in a toxic environment herself she decided this was a problem she could solve, and today is a leading expert on the topic of turning around a toxic workplace culture and building a positive one in its place.

Under Catherine’s leadership, the Civility Partners team has worked with over 250 clients, including Chevron, NASA, Stanford University, Embraer, and the American Red Cross to help their leaders and teams cultivate a respectful and civil work environment.

Sheba McCoy
Director of Human Resources,
The Nueva School

Sheba is the Director of Human Resources at The Nueva School. She is a dedicated human resource professional with a passion for fostering a positive workplace culture and supporting faculty and staff from a holistic place. She believes in "People, not Paper" as her motto. With over ten years of experience in HR operations. She loves creating new processes that foster integrity and compassion. She believes her HR superpower is that she can build connections within all levels of an organization. She enjoys traveling with her husband to new places. Her favorite music is 80's alternative rock. She finds Jeff Dunham's character, Peanut, hilarious.

Jessica McCullagh
Director of Human Resources,
The Archer School for Girls

Jessica McCullagh, PHR, MBA is the Director of Human Resources at The Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles. Jessica also manages Archer’s financial aid program. In her thirteen plus years at Archer, Jessica has worked in a number of other business office functions including student enrollment, student billing and school-wide systems integration projects. She has been a Cal-ISBOA HR Workshop committee member since 2019. Jessica worked in the management consulting and entertainment industries prior to joining Archer in 2012. She has a BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from The University of Southern California.

Angela Oliver
Director of Human Resources,
Sage Hill School

Angela Oliver is the founding Director of Human Resources at Sage Hill School and is in her 22nd year at Sage Hill. She started as the Controller in 2001 and moved into HR in 2007. She has served as a Board member of Cal-ISBOA and helped to launch the HR Symposium. She has presented on HR topics at both national and state conferences. Prior to being in HR, she worked at Windward School as their Business Manager. Angela enjoys watching sports of any kind and Hallmark movies!

Brendon Pollis
Area Vice President | Los Angeles, California,
A. J. Gallagher

Brendon Pollis is an Area Vice President, with Gallagher. He is a Property, Casualty and Benefits Consultant within our Real Estate, Nonprofit and Scholastic Division. Brendon has over 12 years experience in the Property/Casualty realm with a particular emphasis on Real Estate & Hospitality as well as Nonprofits & Education. This includes but is not limited to, large Real Estate Portfolios, Property Management & Leasing, Land Management and Development, Habitational (multi family & single family) Captive solutions, Shared and Layered Programs, Schools/Universities, including Charters, Independents and Higher Education within the Western United States (CA, AZ, OR, WA, NV,TX). Brendon is a Graduate of the University Of San Diego.

Kim Rojas Rodriguez
HR Manager,
The Urban School of San Francisco

Julie L. Strom
Senior Counsel,
Liebert Cassidy Whitmore

Julie L. Strom, based in Liebert Cassidy Whitmore’s Los Angeles office, advises clients on education, employment, and labor law. She works closely with private schools on enrollment agreements, contracts, governance, investigations, tuition disputes, handbooks, discipline, mandated reporting, and terminations. Julie also conducts employment-related investigations for private, nonprofit, and public organizations. Additionally, she provides training on mandatory reporting, harassment, and employee evaluations.

Eric Swenson
Founder, Tanzanite Leadership Development and Symmetry HR Outsourcing

Eric Swenson is a nationally recognized expert on leadership, culture, and the modern workforce. For more than two decades, he has advised organizations across North America—helping leaders strengthen performance, elevate employee engagement, and build workplaces where people thrive. His insights and frameworks have guided more than 300 organizations and over 30,000 employees across nearly every industry.

Eric is the founder and CEO of Swenson Leadership Development and Symmetry HR Solutions, sister companies that provide leadership development, workforce strategy, and HR outsourcing support to small and mid-sized employers. He is the author of Managing People in the 21st Century (2004; updated edition 2020) and The 5 A’s of Great Employees (2016), which argues that intangible attributes are far more predictive of success than traditional markers like education or experience. His third book, Weaknesses, will be published in 2026 and explores how authenticity, self-awareness, and vulnerability drive modern leadership.

Before launching his companies, Eric spent 17 years in corporate leadership roles spanning sales, marketing, training, and operations. Born in LA and raised in Arcadia, California, Eric is an Eagle Scout and a graduate of the University of the Pacific.

Sarah Tinsley
Chief Operating & People Officer, Curtis School

Sarah Tinsley is a senior HR and operations executive specializing in employee relations, workplace investigations, performance management, and organizational transformation. As Chief Operating & People Officer at Curtis School in Los Angeles, she leads HR strategy, compliance, risk management, and cross-functional operations. Sarah is known for navigating complex employee matters, advising executive leadership, and building scalable systems that strengthen culture and accountability. With experience leading large teams and high-impact change initiatives, she brings strategic judgment and steady leadership to mission-driven organizations.