Director, District 1

Alonzo Smith, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

Al is a retired Senior Executive with over 30 years of Human Resource Management experience working in both for profit and non-profit, public and private sector organizations. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Technical Management and a Master of Arts Degree with a dual major in Management and Human Relations. He is SHRM SCP and HRCI SPHR certified. He is a certified Strategic Planning Facilitator, Teambuilding Facilitator and was an ASQC Certified Quality Manager. He was an Adjunct Management Professor at Central Texas College and Los Angeles Metropolitan College and previously taught the HRCI PHR and SPHR Certification Courses at the University of West Florida and has been published in the HR Florida Review Magazine.

He has held numerous Board of Directors positions for the SHRM Emerald Coast Chapter and served as the chapter president in 2014 and 2019. In 2021 the HR Florida State Council named him Volunteer of the Year. He currently serves as the HR Florida State Council District Director for District 1. Passionate about Veterans, their family members and care givers, Al is a SHRM Foundation/USAA Foundation Veterans at Work Ambassador/Military Community Employment Advocate.

In other community activities, he served two terms as Board Chair for the Homelessness and Housing Alliance of Okaloosa and Walton Counties. He also did a multi-year stint on the United Way of Okaloosa and Walton County Funds Distribution and Community Impact Committees. He additionally served as Executive Director of the Yolanda D Thomas Scholarship Endowment, where he led efforts to raise over $500,000.00 to establish endowed scholarships for disadvantaged students attending Northwest Florida State College. Thanks to his efforts, the YDT Endowment also partnered with the SHRM Emerald Coast Chapter to fund the SHRM ECC Endowed Scholarship that is awarded annually to a Northwest Florida State College student majoring in Human Resources. He is the Education Chair and a Board Member for the Panhandle Job Fair Foundation. Having previously served on the Board of Directors for Career Source of Okaloosa and Walton Counties, he currently sits on the CSOW Business and Education and Career and Youth Committees.

Director, District 2

Stephanie Conn, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

Stephanie Conn is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Prime Aesthetics Group. She is an accomplished HR professional with over 20 years of diverse human resources experience supporting multiple industries including financial services, hospitality, and healthcare. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from Troy University. In addition, she is certified as a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by the Human Resources Certification Institute. 

Stephanie currently serves as an HR Florida State Council District Director and is a member of the HR Florida State Conference team . She has held multiple leadership positions in her local chapter, including Chapter President. In 2021, she was honored to be named recipient of the 2021 HR Florida President's Award.

Director, District 3

Nate Shannon, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

Nate’s human resources experience began in 2001 with Levy Restaurants - a subsidiary of Compass Group and once the seventh largest employer in the world. With Levy, Nate served in progressively responsible corporate, location-based, and regional human resource roles. 

Nate began offering consulting services in 2010 to organizations seeking HR and/or compliance solutions. Prior to his current role, Nate served in strategic roles with organizations such as ClubCorp, Miller’s Ale House restaurants, BBA Aviation, The Kessler Collection, and Wells Fargo. Nate currently serves as Director, People Operations for the iServ Management Group - a franchisee of Sonny’s BBQ and Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, and operators of Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzerias – all spanning three states.

Nate is a certified HR professional holding both the Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) credentials and is Past President of the Greater Orlando Society of Human Resource Management (GOSHRM).

Nate and his wife Karrie live in Ocala, Florida and have four children - Cameron (24), Ali (22), Kaelen (12) and Hudson (11).

Director, District 4

Eric Scott Bowers, SHRM-SCP

Director, District 5

Tawnya Titus, SHRM-CP, PHR

Tawnya is Human Resource Director with Teledyne Marine in Daytona Beach Florida. She has been in the Human Resource, Management, Recruiting, and Staffing field in Volusia, Flagler and Seminole Counties for over twenty-three years.

Tawnya has been a member of SHRM since 2011. She obtained her Professional in Human Resources Certification in 2014, her SHRM-CP Certification in 2015, and her Certified Staffing Professional Designation in 2019. She has previously served on the Volusia Flagler SHRM Board in 2022 and 2023 as Chapter President, 2021 as President-elect and 2018 and 2019 as the VP of Finance. She is also an active member of The Volusia Manufacturing Association.

Tawnya is passionate about connecting with people in her community and learning new things.

Director, District 6

Leydiana Collins, SHRM-CP

The Professional

Leydiana is a qualified Human Resource Professional with her SHRM-CP Designation and more than twenty years of Human Resource experience in a variety of industries such as Hospitality, Agriculture, Communications, Professional Employer Organizations, Retail, and Underground Utilities. She is currently serving as the Director of Human Resources with Costa d’ Este Beach Resort & Spa in Vero Beach, FL as well as the Cardozo Hotel in South Beach Miami, FL. Both properties are part of the Pyramid Global Hospitality Luxury Portfolio and owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan.

The Volunteer

Leydiana feels very strongly about community involvement and volunteering as a professional and a private citizen. A Board Member of Treasure Coast Human Resource Association since 2012, She has also served as President, Past-President, Social and Community Events Chair, and Programs Chair. An area she is most passionate about is serving the Veterans. She spearheaded a dual Veterans Initiative with the TCHRA to Mentor local Veterans and fundraising efforts for the WORDS FROM WAR - Iraq/Afghanistan Memorial Monument, she served as the Director of Development for the Veterans Council of Indian River County and also serves to provide HR Guidance when needed, and lastly served as Secretary on the Executive Board of Next Generation Veterans, Inc. (Veterans that have served after 1990 in the War of Terror). As a civilian member of Next Generation Veterans and the Veterans Council, she works side by side with local veterans to engage and educate the community and veterans at large on PTSD support groups and various services available in the community. Additionally, she is part of the Pyramid Global Hospitality Leadership Conference Committee focused on Community Cares Events.

The Person

Leydiana was born in Havana, Cuba and has spent most of her life in the Sunshine State of Florida. She loves to dance and before finding her passion for HR, was a Dance Major at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She currently resides in the beautiful beach town of Vero Beach, FL with her family!

Director, District 7

Dawn Laidlaw, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

Dawn Laidlaw is the Human Resource Officer for Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc., a Sarasota-based construction management firm. Dawn has more than 24 years of multi-disciplined, human-resource experience, with particular focus on benefits and employee relations. A graduate of Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, Dawn also holds certifications from HRCI - Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and the Society for Human Resource Management - Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), and has been a resident in the Sarasota/Manatee community for over 27 years.

Dawn has been active on the Board of the Sarasota Manatee Human Resources Association (SHRA) since 2015, and has held positions as Certification Chair, Membership Director, Vice President, President Elect, and was the 2021 President of the 275+ member SHRM Affiliate Chapter. Dawn is also active in the HR Florida State Council, and is a member of SHRM’s “A-Team” advocacy group. In 2023, Dawn was appointed HR Florida State Council Director for District 7, covering Sarasota Manatee HRA, HR Tampa and Suncoast HR.

Dawn has hosted and presented at many live and virtual programs, including: Sarasota Manatee HR Association’s “Discussion Forum Series;” the “HR Florida State Conference – What’s It All About;” D’Youville College (Buffalo) Non-Traditional Student Career Exploration Program repeat panelist; and a panelist at the Sarasota Chamber 2021 Leadership Educational Conference “Building Today’s Leaders Through Engagement, Development and Inspiration.” 

Dawn is also a member of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association, and has volunteered with numerous community organizations including Circus Sarasota’s Sailor Circus; University of South Florida’s Brunch on the Bay Committee; Ringling College of Art & Design’s Annual Golf Tournament benefiting student scholarships; and Toys for Tots - Pasco.

Director, District 8

Stephanie Deiter, MBA, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

Stephanie Deiter is Chief Human Resources Officer for the YMCA of Southwest Florida. She possesses nearly 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has been recognized for her contributions as a cause driven leader and strategic business partner. Stephanie holds both SHRM-SCP and SPHR certifications, an MBA from Springfield College and a BA from USF.

Her career recognition includes, 2018 Tampa Bay’s HR person of the year, 2019 HR Florida President’s Award for outstanding leadership of her home chapter, Sarasota Manatee Human Resources Association (SHRA), and HRUnite 2022 Community Award. She currently serves on the HR Florida State Council as a District Director for District 8 and is a board member and Peer Community Leader for the Y Professional Network (YPN) for the state of Florida.

Stephanie credits much of her career advancement and development to her involvement in her local SHRM chapter and with the HR Florida State Council.

 “I am truly grateful for the opportunities and relationships I have built over the years. My involvement with SHRA and the HR Florida State Council have made me a better leader and HR professional. It is so important. We network, we learn, we grow, and we take that back to our workplaces, committed to advancing our vision: To lead the way and make Florida the best place to work.”

Director, District 9

Carol Lang, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

Director, District 10

Jonathan Ross, MBA, SHRM-SCP, SPHR

Jonathan Ross is the founder and Managing Director of HRH Search, with over two decades of experience and a dedication to relationship recruiting in addition to his previous work experience in sales and marketing. He prides himself on creating the right connections and matching not just what looks good on paper. His clients have ranged in size from Fortune 50 companies to privately-owned organizations. He and his teamwork positions in Human Resources, Accounting/Finance, Supply Chain/Operations, Administrative, and Legal.

Jonathan is committed to bringing the latest industry knowledge and content to his clients through his continuous thirst for knowledge of the HR industry and its related areas. He holds both HR Certifications of SHRM-SCP and SPHR. In addition to his work as a Business consultant and Recruiter, he is heavily involved in local and professional service organizations in the local community. He is involved and serves on various community boards and has taught community classes on personal budgeting.

Jonathan has served on the Board of HR Miami SHRM (formerly Greater Miami Society of Human Resources Managers) for 12+ years where he served in many areas including two years as President. In addition, he has been the Committee Chair for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce HR/Professional Development 2021-2022, and an at large chair for 2022-2024. Currently he is HR Florida SHRM State Council as District Director 2021-present (District 10 -Broward, Miami-Dade, and Key West), where he serves as advisor and liaison to local SHRM Chapters.

He has also been actively involved with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Leadership Miami program for over a decade. The program has shaped the lives of new and JR members of Miami-Dade’s community and continues to do so. Jonathan holds degrees in Business, Psychology, and Accounting, and various state-level certifications. He obtained his MBA degree from Florida International University, where he has served as a volunteer and supporter for many years.