Our Team

Meet Our
Executive Team

Meet Our
Advisory Board

Executive Team

SONIA JOHNSON, SPHR, J.D., LL.M.(Int. Ec), LL.M.(D.Law), SCP(SHRM)

Executive President & Founder

Sonia Johnson has over 18 year experience and is a contemporary 21st Century Professional, specializing in Employee Relations, Labor Relations, Human Resources and Dispute Resolution.

Ms. Johnson belongs to the select 2% of Human Resources (HR) and Employee/Labor Relations Professionals (ER) ranked as Expert Level because of her robust educational background, skills and successes.  She is a lawyer with advanced degrees in Employment Law focused on Human Resources, Employee Relations and Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

She has three law degrees and the highest levels of Human Resources certification;  Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR), Senior Certified professional SHRM (SCP), and New York State  Bar Admitted Attorney in good standing. Sonia’s two advanced law degrees are focused on Employment Law, Employee Engagement, Dispute Resolution, Labor Law and Mathematical Employment Analytics. Her last Master of Laws degree was obtained from Arizona State University College of Law, and she was the first graduate from Arizona State University with a Customized Master of Laws degree. Among other core components her latest degree also focused on 21^st century progressive Human Resources and Employee Relations precepts, Dispute Resolution and global Employee Engagement best practices. As a practitioner of Transformative and Transformation Human Resources, she utilizes Evidence based analytics, Industrial and Organizational Psychology and Employee Engagement to provide returns to Organizations and Employees as demanded in a progressive and global economy.

Sonia believes that employees and organizations require equal access to all workplace services and support including Human Resources, Employee Relations and Career Guidance and Direction etc. Employees are the greatest advantage of any organization, and Sonia’s experience and research has shown that treating employees in a respectful and humane way creates tangible financial growth and profit for the organizations and its employees.  Her extensive record of successfully creating lasting and profitable Human Resources and Employee Relations Departments that achieve corporate and employee goals, have earned her a reputation as a Restructuring problem solver with a heart, and an expert at creating healthy, profitable and modern organizations and high performing leaders and employees.

FLO RUIZ, BA, FRHD, POST BAC(EDU)

Executive Director & Co-Founder

Flo Ruiz has worked in the corporate environment for over 12-years as a Senior Corporate training professional in several organizations. She has collaborated with various core departments within corporations and enabled them achieve success using her customized training and modern methods and advanced adult learning techniques.

Flo is an expert in Organizational and Instructional Design, and excels in creating various customized and effective Leadership and employee courses for organizational success. Ms. Ruiz strongly believes in Trans-formative Human Resources, and Ethical Professionalism. She is known for her astute execution of her functions and her kind and humane approach to all employee and organizational matters.

Her extensive skills, education, vision and experience continue to make the Society For Employee Relations a bastion for creating a beneficial employee and employer bi-directional, healthy, and profitable environment. Flo is a graduate of Arizona State University in which she obtained a BA in Family Resources & Human Development and also has a Post-Bac in, Education also from Arizona State University.

Shirley Flynn,BSC, EMBA(Exec.),RPLU

Senior Director & Advisory Board Member

Shirley Flynn is a proactive, client-oriented and driven business leader with extensive financial services industry experience, an innate ability to direct, mentor and motivate teams in normal and critical situations. Her professional endeavors have primarily been focused on providing Risk Management Services for over 15 years to Fortune 500, Private and Nonprofit firms.  Specifically, she has advised on Human Resources, Employee Relations, Dispute Resolution, Compliance, Financial Risk transfer products and Trend Analysis. This progressive cross-functional experience had led her to her most recent pursuit in the application of project management. 

Ms. Flynn has been a strong advocate for children in high risk environments working as a volunteer since college. She served on the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) board and worked as a Court Appointed Child Advocate. Most recently as part of an employer sponsored social responsibility project – she instructed Financial Literacy courses for middle and high schools students.

She received her Executive MBA in Management Systems and Finance from Fordham University in 2008. In her educational pursuits she has focused on programs with international pedagogies inclusive of studying abroad in China, Europe and the Caribbean.

Ross Evans

Director & Compliance Advisor

Ross is a Compliance and Regulatory Expert. He has worked in the public and private sector in ensuring organizational compliance, policy construction and process execution. His peerless technical knowledge includes contract development and management, consumer protections privacy and dispute resolution, and social programs and policy development.

Mr. Evans has been the lead in organizational commercial activities including reviewing and approving policies, processes and regulatory documentation. He is recognized for his first rate review of policies and contracts to ensure compliance with relevant Federal, State laws and regulations. As a master strategist, he is well versed in strategic engagement and leadership guidance. Ross is recognized for his piloting the development of policies and processes in compliance programs to satisfy regulatory obligations on a range of social and technical matters, performance measurements and reporting mechanisms.

Ross continues to provide guidance to the Society For Employee Relations in the development, research and restructuring of Compliance issues.  Mr. Evans continues to translate technical and complex information into plain language to maximize understanding and changes of laws, regulations and processes for organizations and employees.

Advisory Board

Tanya Sidawi-Ostojic, MA, EEO INVESTIGATOR(Certified)

Board Member

Tanya is an applied researcher and investigator. Her focus areas include Occupational Health Psychology, with particular interest in workplace injustice and its affects on the psychological, mental and emotional health of workers. She is also experienced in Occupational Neuropsychology: a subarea of neuropsychology that addresses neurocognitive consequences of the work environment. Progressive Employee Relations and Human Resources must have Industrial and Organizational Psychology or a related form of Psychology as their foundation, in order to be successful. Tanya’s expert counsel will enable our organization to provide robust and evidence based modern services for our clients.

Ms. Sidawi-Ostojic is co-chair of the communications committee for the Society for Occupational Health Psychology (SOHP) through 2017. She is an associate Member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and is also one of APA’s contacts for expert information for national news media. She is a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP), the Society for Occupational Health Psychology (SOHP), and the European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology (EAOHP).

Tanya Sidawi-Ostojic is also a Research Associate, The City College of the City University of New York. She is a ranked and respected Applied Researcher, and her work and successes attest to her exceptional competence and abilities in her field of expertise.

Niki Ramirez, MBA, PHR, CP(SHRM)

Board Member

Nike Ramirez is a seasoned Human Resources Professional. Over the past 20 years she has worked in the private and non-profit sectors, and in Native American tribal government and business enterprises. Ms. Ramirez served on the 2006 Maricopa County regional council for Arizona’s First Things First initiative, and more recently on the Gila River Indian Community Career Pathways Advisory Board. She also worked as an adjunct faculty member with Maricopa Community Colleges, facilitating business management and human resources courses.

Niki’s professional ethos is grounded on her personal interest in exploring diversity through travel, and the study of different cultures and languages.  From the Norman Rockwell’esqe town of White Bear Lake, Minnesota where she was born, to the tropical Dominican Republic where her family now extends, to the mix of cultures in the Southwestern state of Arizona.

Niki earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Arizona State University and her Master of Business Administration/Human Resources Management from the University of Phoenix. She is also certified by the Human Resources Certification Institute as a Professional of Human Resources (PHR) and by the Society For Human Resources as a Certified Professional (SHRM-CP)

Michelle Lloyd, BA, SPHR, SCP(SHRM)

Board Member

Michelle has more than 31 years of Human Resources experience with American Express.  Among her various responsibilities with American Express, she has been responsible for developing and maintaining a positive, value added, consultative relationship with business and relationship leaders. She manages and administers a broad range of tasks including the interpretation and development of policies and procedures, facilitating training on key employee relations issues and ensuring adherence to and proper administration of the American Express performance management process.

Michelle has worked as for 10 years as with American Express an Employee Relations Manager for the Global Employee & Labor Relations organization. In her work, Michelle has provided consultation and guidance to leaders during large scale reorganizations and reductions in force.

Ms. Lloyd’s vast and progressive experience makes her an invaluable member of our Advisory board.  As a member of the Advisory Board of The Society For Employee Relations, Ms. Lloyd will provide guidance on best practices and expert insights to our team, to enable us consistently craft the best and most progressive service, advice and counsel for our clients.

Michelle obtained her Bachelors in Behavioral Science from the Western International University, she also certified as a Senior Professional of Human Resources, and is a Senior Certified Professional of Human Resources. These are the highest Human Resources Certifications obtained by examination, respectively, by the Human Resources Certification Institute and The Society For Human Resources Management.

Derek T. McCoy SR.

Board Member

Derek T. McCoy Sr. is the Director of Marketing and Business Development with Valley wide Restoration in Mesa, Arizona. Derek’s responsibilities involve the marketing, branding promoting his organization to the public. Derek has an unimpeachable record of developing new business relationships and forming mutually beneficial partnerships between organizations and employees.

Derek is well versed in employee engagement and has worked in various roles including as a Digital Marketing Specialist with G/O Digital in downtown. In this and other roles he developed marketing strategies for his clients by understanding their goals and strategies creating increased revenue, growth and employee satisfaction.

Derek’s greatest strengths commitment to modern methods of management, marketing and corporate relations. His creativity, drive and leadership are exemplary. He is a champion of promoting cohesive teams as a fundamental part of creating high performing teams. A firm believer in consistent improvement, Mr. McCoy thrives on challenges, particularly those that expand the organizational and employee comfort zones for the benefit of all. His passion for growth and his intentional professional life are derived from his motto “Live a Less Out of Habit and More out of Intent”.

In 2016, during his interview by Francisco of “En Fugeo Derek shared his dynamic and effective beliefs on how his humane, professional and diverse experience have created his success in professional and personal relationships.

Dr. Anne Aderanti, BSC, MSC, PGCE, PhD

Board Member

Dr. Aderanti is a board member and Chief Coordinator of all board Functions. She an Education Consultant who specializes in Leadership Training and Education. She Aderanti has extensive experience in Organizational development and profit projection. Her successes with creating exceptional departments within tertiary institutions, and leadership training have made her a respected and acclaimed leader in the field of management design.

She is a master in Training, Dispute Resolution, Employee Coaching and Progressive Engagement. In her work as a Leadership Training Consultant, using her 21st century methodology from her unique blend of her background in science, research and education, she has created engaged and high performing teams that continue to exceed corporate expectations. As a Board Member of the Society For Employee Relations, she continues to provide guidance on global Human Resources and Employee Relations practices for our clients’ success and profitability.

Dr. Aderanti has a PhD in Polymer Technology from the University of London and a post graduate certificate in Science Education (PGCE) from Goldsmiths College, also at the University of London.