Thomas More Smith, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP
Business Partner
Labor & Market Research Expert
Tom in an expert in labor markets and wage data; he provides market analysis research reports to CHRS clients regarding trends in wages, hiring practices, market concentration and changes in industry needs as related to labor. He has a Ph.D. in labor economics is a faculty member at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta, teaching courses in economics and finance. Tom comments on the trends in labor markets and wages with CNN, FOX, NPR and other national news outlets and provides our clients with up-to-date and relevant changes in the market.
Kelsey Geist, MBA-HRM, SHRM-CP
Director of Human Resources Administration
Kelsey holds an undergraduate degree in Human Resources Management and an MBA with Human Resources Management as the concentration. She has provided outstanding tactical and practitioner HR project services for CHRS since 2008, with a focus on practices, training, documentation, safety and health, research and policy and document form development. Kelsey also has 7+ years aerospace manufacturing experience supporting the human resources, environmental control, and employee health and safety, with additional experience in restaurant and political arenas. Kelsey was trained in California’s stringent and litigious employment culture.
Sherida Simmons, SPHR
Human Resources Specialist
Sherida has been an HR practitioner for over 30 years with extensive experience working in defense and manufacturing industries as their Director/Vice President of Human Resources. She is a generalist with extensive expertise in employee relations, legal compliance, policy development, recruitment and more. Sherida has worked in both the private and public sectors. Before joining CHRS, Sherida owned and operated a HR consulting business for 11 years. While trained in California employment and labor practices, Sherida serves many clients and their employees across the country. Sherida has her degree in human resource management from Moorpark College and holds her Professional Human Resources (PHR) certification. She is a member of SHRM and served on the Personnel Commission for Simi Valley Unified School District for 27 years.
Sherida has been involved with her community for many years serving on many boards including the Boys and Girls Club, Women’s Information Network and was named Business Person of the Year by the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce. Sherida lives in Simi Valley, California with her husband and has 2 grown children.
Vicki Walden, SHRM-CP, PHR
Human Resources Specialist
Vicki is a professional Human Resources generalist, field and corporate manager, with over 22 years of experience supporting various sized organizations. She is an energetic innovator and coach skilled at servicing all levels of employees and managers with the demonstrated ability to leverage professional relationships with corporate executives and field business partners to meet strategic objectives. Her areas of expertise include employee relations, performance management, recruiting and staffing, employee benefits, policy design and compliance. She has maintained her Professional Human Resources (PHR) certification since 1998 and is also certified through the Society for Human Resources Management as an HR professional (SHRM-CP).
Sandra Bruce, MPA, PHR
HR Consultant
Sandra joins CHRS with 26 years of human resources experience in Georgia state government, 20 of which were spent as the HR Director for the Georgia Department of Defense. In that position, she worked along side the leadership of the Georgia Army and Air National Guard, providing a full-service human resources program for the state employees under their management and managing payroll for service members when activated for duty by the Governor. Sandra is an Atlanta native, with a BA in Political Science and English from LaGrange College, a certificate in Human Resources Management from Kennesaw State University and a master’s in public administration from Georgia State University. She has held her PHR (Professional in Human Resources) certification since 2001. Sandra lives in Marietta, Georgia, with her 3 teenagers, 3 dogs and one very spoiled cat.
