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2009 Speakers Joseph W. Bergeron, M.D., Principal Julie Conrad, J.D., SPHR, Deputy Counsel, Legal Services Vince Cooke, Corporate Safety Manager Sonia C. Das, Partner Sheila Denman, MA, MS, PT, Chief Operating Officer Darren Dye, Policy Analyst/Paralegal Sandy C. Fralich, Sr. Account Executive, JWF Specialty Gregory T. Hale, PhD, HSPP, Psychologist Georgia L. Hartman, Indianapolis Legal Counsel Andrea Heid, Contracts and Legal Administrations Manager/Legal Services Cynthia A. Johnson, Manager, Workers’ Compensation Teresa Keefer, MBA, SPHR, HR Manager Ryan Metzing, Attorney Stanley W. Murray, Co-Founder Shawna L. Neilson, AIC, AIM, AIS, Manager - Risk Management Services Cara Ottenweller, Attorney Deborah A. Reed, PT, President Duane Schroeder, CPCU, AIM, Vice President Kevin P. Short, MD, Occupational Health Physician, Employee Health Services Kathleen K. Shortridge, Of Counsel Ken Sicard, EH&S Manager Ann H. Stewart, Of Counsel Tony West, Director of Compliance Joseph W. Bergeron, M.D. Joseph W. Bergeron is a board certified specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, plus has sub-specialty certification in Pain Medicine. He completed his specialty training at Indiana University School of Medicine, and has practiced in Indiana since then. Dr. Bergeron specializes in evaluation and non-surgical treatment of musculoskeletal and spine injuries or disorders, including lumbar spinal injections, joint and soft tissue injections, and electrodiagnostic testing (EMG). Dr. Bergeron’s practice is dedicated largely to the treating of injured workers, with clinic locations in Indianapolis and Terre Haute. He has a special interest in impairment ratings. He is a member of the Indianapolis Medical Society, the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Christian Medical and Dental Association, and he is a Certified Independent Medical Examiner. Dr. Bergeron resides in the Indianapolis area with his wife and two sons. Julie M. Conrad, J.D., SPHR Julie M. Conrad is Deputy Counsel for Wishard Health Services, a comprehensive public health care system in Indianapolis, Indiana, which employs approximately 4,100 employees. Ms. Conrad handles employment and labor related legal issues for the organization, as well as advises the organization on a variety of legal matters. Ms. Conrad also represents the organization in legal proceedings including guardianships and mental health commitments. Previously, Ms. Conrad was an attorney in private practice, most recently in the Labor and Employment Law group of Ice Miller. Ms. Conrad currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Indianapolis Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section, and previously served on the Executive Committee of the Women and the Law Committee. Ms. Conrad is a member of the Labor and Employment Law Sections of the American Bar Association and the Indiana State Bar Association. Ms. Conrad has her Senior Professional in Human Resources Certification from the Society for Human Resource Management, and is also a member of the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, and the Human Resource Association of Central Indiana. Ms. Conrad is active in the local community, serving as Chair of VSA arts of Indiana, as well as on the Executive Board of the Zionsville Fire Territory. Ms. Conrad earned her B.A. from the University of Michigan, and her J.D. from the Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington, Indiana, graduating cum laude. Vince Cooke Vince Cooke is the Corporate Safety Manager for Kimball International. Vince has been with Kimball International for 32 years holding a variety of roles within the company including piano technician, customer service and sales. Vince began his role in Safety in 1996 at the former Kimball Piano Division. While at the Kimball Piano Division, the site became the first Indiana owned company to receive OSHA’s STAR Voluntary Protection Program. In 2002 he started a new role within the company as Corporate Security Manager having responsibility for Facility Security at all global locations. Vince received his B.S. in Occupational Health and Safety in 2002. In 2004 he assumed the role of Corporate Safety Manager which included Facility Security. In 2007 Vince received his ASIS PSP (Physical Security Professional) certification. Sonia C. Das, Esq. Sonia has a diverse defense litigation practice which includes managing dockets and representing defendants in the Marion County Mass Tort dockets for asbestos, silica and coal tar pitch claims. She also represents employers throughout the state before the Worker’s Compensation Board, and maintains practices in insurance coverage litigation, general liability insurance defense litigation, and appellate law. She currently serves as the Vice President of the Defense Trial Counsel of Indiana Worker’s Compensation Section, and is also a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, Indianapolis Bar Association and Defense Research Institute. Sonia presented at the 2007 and 2008 Workers’ Compensation Seminars for Council on Education in Management on the topics of Bad-Faith Claims and Recent Developments in Case Law. She has also given presentations to insurance adjusters and clients on Bad Faith in Worker’s Compensation and Indiana Appellate law. In 2009, Sonia was selected by publisher, Law & Politics, for inclusion as a Rising Star in Indiana Super Lawyers Magazine for her legal experience and peer respect in the class action/mass torts practice area. Only 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are named as Rising Stars by Super Lawyers. Sheila Denman, MA, MS, PT Sheila Denman, MA, MS, PT, is the Chief Operating Officer for Advanced Physical Therapy. She is a graduate of Ball State with an MA in Exercise Physiology and graduate of the University of Indianapolis with an MS in Physical Therapy. Sheila has been with APT for 17 years, specializing in industrial injury prevention and treatment of workers' compensation clientele. Darren Dye Darren Dye is a native of Connersville, Indiana. He attended Indiana University at Bloomington, where he graduated with a B.S. in Public Affairs Management from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He has been employed by the State of Indiana for eighteen years, serving as an Ombudsman with the Workers’ Compensation Board since the inception of that Division in July 1, 1991. His current position is as paralegal/policy analyst and his duties include reviewing stipulated settlements, administering the Second Injury Fund for Prosthetics, serving as Governor’s agency and legislature liaison, addressing legislative inquires, administering Full Board Hearings, educating the public and supplying Board Members with legal research including case and Court of Appeals summaries. He was successfully completed the ICLEF Mediation training allowing him to serve as a mediator. Darren's past experience includes retail management and political campaign management. Sandy C. Fralich Sandy C. Fralich is a Senior Account Executive at JWF Specialty for Old National Insurance Group where she does professional claims analysis and consulting for all lines for large public entities and many educational institutions. Ms. Fralich has 13 years’ previous experience in government administration for the Indiana Workers’ Compensation Board and she consulted with the Indiana General Assembly on numerous legislative proposals and made recommendations for amendments and on the passage of several workers’ compensation bills. Ms. Fralich acts as a professional speaker/trainer with extensive experience in workers’ compensation educational presentations for employer groups, including large employers, human resource professionals, risk managers, attorneys, insurance professionals, and other various industry groups. She is currently consulting with Indiana’s largest employers and municipalities to create efficient and economically sound liability, workers’ compensation and disability programs, providing the essential tools for risk management and loss control. She is also the president of Kid’s Chance of Indiana and a board member of the Indiana Self Insured Association. Gregory T. Hale, PhD, HSPP Gregory T. Hale, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist providing consultation and psychological services for individuals, attorneys, physicians, insurance companies, and manufacturing and service companies. As a forensic psychologist he evaluates and reviews cases of physical, mental, and emotional injury in employment claims. He has evaluated employment issues, fitness for duty, criminal responsibility, competency to stand trial, personal injury, workers’ compensation, battered woman syndrome, risk assessment, workplace violence, and sentencing issues. He conducts Forensic Psychological Examinations (FPE) and Independent Medical Examinations (IME) for the purpose of evaluating workers compensation cases and assigning permanent partial impairment (PPI) ratings. He has extensive training in Forensic Psychology, including the evaluation of personal injury cases, workplace violence, employment litigation, and using and interpreting the MMPI-2. He has provided psychological evaluation and court testimony in a variety of civil and criminal cases. He has given numerous presentations and seminars on the psychological aspects of personal and work related injuries. Dr. Hale earned his undergraduate degree from Anderson University and graduate degrees from Ball State University. In addition to his forensic work, Dr. Hale maintains an independent private practice providing treatment to adults with a wide range of psychological issues. A particular focus of his practice is the area of behavioral medicine. He regularly evaluates and treats patients with chronic pain and physical disorders. He consults with physicians regarding determining psychological suitability for surgery as well as the use of spinal cord stimulators and intrathecal pumps. He is regularly involved in providing psychological treatment for individuals severely injured in traumatic events and following work-related injuries. He is on the USA Track and Field Sport Psychology Registry, and provides sport psychology consultation to athletes at all levels of competition. He has made numerous presentations on human performance and athletic excellence. He worked as the sport psychologist for Anderson University Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field teams for 16 years. Georgia L. Hartman Attorney Georgia Hartman has been working as a staff defense counsel assigned to defend employers in workers’ compensation claims filed with Indiana's Workers' Compensation Board by employees and in Provider Fee Applications filed by healthcare providers for services provided to injured employees for The Law Offices of the Liberty Mutual Group in Carmel, Indiana, since 2004. She previously served as in-house counsel for Fort Wayne Community Schools from 1999-2003. From 1997-1999, she was an associate attorney at Beckman Lawson, LLP, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Georgia obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1985 from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, and went on to obtain her Master of Arts in Psychology from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, in 1988. She switched career paths, however, and obtained her Juris Doctorate Degree, Cum Laude, from Indiana University School of Law in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1997. Georgia was admitted to the Indiana Bar in 1997 and is admitted to practice law in the State of Indiana and the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana, as well as the United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. Andrea Heid Andrea Heid is Legal Administration, Contracts, and Insurance Manager for Wishard Health Services, a comprehensive public health care system in Indianapolis, Indiana, which employs approximately 4,100 employees. Ms. Heid manages the worker’s compensation program and the insurance program for the corporation. Ms. Heid is also responsible for routing and processing all contracts through the Wishard Legal Department and assists in managing the general liability claims. Previously, Ms. Heid worked in the Advisory Division for the Office of the Indiana Attorney General. Ms. Heid earned her B.S. in Applied Health Science from Indiana University, and her Associate Degree in Paralegal Technology from Ivy Tech State College. Cynthia A. Johnson Cynthia Johnson worked for Aetna Life & Casualty for 28 years in Property and Casualty Claims, serving in numerous capacities inclusive of Assistant Claim Manager, Commercial Division; Workers’ Compensation Team Leader & Medical Claim Manager. She served as Assistant Vice President of claims for Insurance Brokerage Firm Marsh (formerly Marsh & McLennan), assisting large clients with their workers’ compensation & other claim matters for ten years. Ms. Johnson joined Clarian in 2006 to manage their self-insured, self-administered workers’ compensation program. Teresa A. Keefer, MBA, SPHR Teresa has over 20 years’ diverse human resource experience, a large majority coming from the manufacturing industry. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Human Resource Concentration from Indiana Institute of Technology in 1999 and her MBA with concentration in Human Resources and Management from Indiana Institute of Technology in 2006. She is the current President of the Blue River Society for Human Resource Management; a SHRM Affiliate located in Shelbyville, IN, and attained her SPHR certification from the Human Resource Certification Institute in 2004. Ryan Metzing, Esq. Ryan Metzing is an associate with Ice Miller's Labor & Employment Group. Ryan graduated from Miami University (Ohio) in 1999 with a degree in mass communications. He earned his juris doctorate from Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis in 2006, where he sat on the Dean's Student Advisory Board and was named to the Order of Barristers. Mr. Metzing joined Ice Miller in September of 2006. Stanley W. Murray, Esq. Mr. Murray is responsible for development of various alternative risk programs, insurance consulting, and serves as Program Manager for Individual Self Insured Workers’ Compensation programs for Caitlin-Morgan. He also served as the President and CEO for Risk Management Administrators, Inc., where he was responsible for the structuring of self-insurance pool programs for both public and private entities; establishing plan structure, excess placement, underwriting controls, secure loss control and claims management services; and individual client risk management consulting services for self-funded workers’ compensation. At Risk Management Administrators, Inc., Mr. Murray developed the first captive self-insurance group in Indiana. Shawna L. Neilson, AIC, AIM, AIS Shawna is the manager of Risk Management Services for Gibson Insurance Group. Her responsibilities include overall management of claims, loss prevention, and claims consulting. She graduated with honors from Vincennes University in 1993 with an associates degree in psychology. In 1995, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in business from Indiana University, majoring in management and administration. Shawna joined Gibson Insurance Group in 1991. She holds the Associate in Claims (AIC), the Associate in Management (AIM), and the Associate in Insurance Services (AIS) designations from the Insurance Institute of America. Shawna is currently pursuing her Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation through the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters/Insurance Institute of America. She is currently on the board of directors for the South Bend/Mishawaka Leadership program. Her recreational interests include golfing and cross-country skiing. Cara Ottenweller Cara Ottenweller is an attorney at Ice Miller LLP in Indianapolis, Indiana. She works in the firm's Labor and Employment Practice Group and represents employers in a broad range of employment law matters, including compliance with federal and state legislation such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. She also represents clients in employment litigation matters, proceedings before the EEOC and the NLRB, collective bargaining negotiations, and union organizing campaigns. A significant part of her practice centers on developing employment handbooks, policies, and practices for employers in a variety of industries. Cara grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and graduated from Indiana University in 2002. She received her juris doctorate, magna cum laude, from the Valparaiso University School of Law in 2007 . While in law school, she held the position of Executive Editor of Student Writing for the Valparaiso University Law Review. Cara is admitted to practice in the State of Indiana and the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Deborah A. Reed, PT Debbie Reed, PT, is President and Owner of Advanced Rehabilitation, Inc. and its work injury prevention and management division, ARI Integrated Workplace Solutions. She is a 1986 graduate of the Physical Therapy program at the University of Evansville. Since staring ARI in 1988 and now with five locations in Southern Indiana, Debbie has over 20 years of experience in the work injury arena, including work injury prevention, education, ergonomics, early intervention, case coordination, work injury management process development and on-site physical therapy. Her clients have included those in the automotive, aluminum, electronics, filtration, foundry, furniture, rubber, and trucking industries. Debbie specializes in the delivery of results driven work injury management services to increase her client’s profits and productivity. Debbie has presented at both state and national levels regarding innovative approaches for the prevention and management of work-related injuries and has served as a member of the Indiana State Physical Therapy Committee since 1998. Duane Schroeder, CPCU, AIM Duane Schroeder has been an active member of the Indiana insurance community for more than 30 years. He joined the Indiana Compensation Rating Bureau (ICRB) as Director of Business Development in May of 2002, and was named Vice President effective January 1, 2003. Duane began his career with the Hartford Insurance Company after graduating from Ball State University with a B.S. degree in Actuarial Science. He worked for the American States Insurance Group (subsequently Safeco Insurance), for 20 years prior to joining the ICRB. With American States/Safeco, he functioned in a variety of roles, all involving home office staff assignments in the commercial casualty insurance lines. Most recently, he directed the company’s underwriting of small-to-medium workers compensation business for the Safeco Business Insurance enterprise. With the ICRB, Duane was instrumental in creating the Indiana Workers Compensation Reinsurance Pool, a mechanism for equitably apportioning the cost of Indiana's Assigned Risk Plan, and assuring its financial integrity. He created and teaches several educational programs available to Indiana insurance agents to fulfill their continuing education accreditation requirements, and is a frequent guest lecturer at industry events throughout the state. Mr. Schroeder has attained the designations of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, and Associate in Management. Kevin P. Short, MD Kevin P. Short, MD, is an occupational health physician who works at MidWest Health Strategies (MWHS) in Muncie, Indiana. He currently serves as the medical director for Ball Memorial Hospital’s Employee Health Service. Prior to his employment at MWHS, he served as the medical director for occupational health at the DaimlerChrysler automotive plant in New Castle, IN, from 2002 to 2003. Subsequently, he served as medical director for Metaldyne Corporation’s automotive facility in New Castle, IN, from 2004 to 2009. Dr. Short has extensive experience in the management of workmen’s compensation cases. He has provided direction for the care of injured employees as well as consultative services for attorney groups seeking independent medical evaluations related to workmen’s compensation claims. He received his undergraduate degree from Ball State University in 1982 and his medical doctorate degree from Indiana University in 1986. He completed a general surgery residency and thoracic surgery fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan from 1986 to 1991. He was in a private practice surgical group in Muncie, Indiana prior to pursuing a career in occupational health. Kathleen K. Shortridge, Esq. Kathleen Shortridge's primary practice concentrations are workers' compensation defense and workers' compensation advisory services. Ms. Shortridge is a frequent speaker at seminars covering all aspects of workers' compensation defense, insurance, and case management. She is a member of the Indianapolis and Indiana State Bar Associations, and the Indiana Defense Lawyers Association. Born and raised in Southern California, she attended Stanford University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in 1966. She received her Master of Arts in journalism and political science from the University of Michigan in 1968. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Louisville where she graduated cum laude in 1984. While in law school, she won the appellate argument competition and was a member of the Brandeis Honor Society. Ms. Shortridge clerked for the Honorable John Godich, Magistrate of the Federal Courts for the Southern District of Indiana, before joining Ice Miller in 1986. Ken Sicard Ken Sicard has worked for Kimball International for 31 years. He is currently the Environmental, Health and Safety Manager at Kimball Electronics Jasper (KEJ), a unit of Kimball International with over 500 employees. Since joining KEJ in late 2006, the facility has attained ISO 14001 registration (2007), retained it’s VPP-STAR status (2008), received both the Governor’s Workplace Safety Award for Partnership (2009), and the Liberty Mutual Vice President’s Safety Award (2009). Ken’s career in Safety and Environmental started in 1992 at the Kimball International Heritage Hills facility. He currently is an ISO 14001 Lead Auditor and an OSHA Special Government Employee for VPP. Mr. Sicard recently retired after 23 years as an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician and was a volunteer firefighter for 10 years. Since 1999 he has been a member of the Town Council of Ferdinand, Indiana. He is completing his 6th year as Town Council President. Ann H. Stewart, Esq. Ann Stewart's primary area of practice is representing employers in workers' compensation cases and employment-related matters, including ADA, FMLA, sexual harassment and discrimination. Prior to joining Ice Miller, Ms. Stewart was responsible for employment related matters as corporate counsel in manufacturing and public utility environments. She has extensive experience representing clients in administrative proceedings before local, state and federal agencies such as the Indiana Workers' Compensation Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Ms. Stewart also assists clients in developing personnel policies, severance agreements and supervisory training programs to comply with state and federal laws. She has organized and led workplace diversity audits as well as workplace safety audits and investigations. Ann Stewart is admitted to practice law in Indiana and Ohio and is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association. She is active in community organizations and is a past president and board member of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Bartholomew county, Inc. Ms. Stewart also volunteered with Legal Aid of Bartholomew County. Ms. Stewart grew up in Athens, Ohio and graduated, with honors, from Ohio University, in 1985. In 1988, Ms. Stewart earned her J.D., with honors, from Capital University Law School. While in law school, Ms. Stewart served as President of the Women's Law Association. Ms. Stewart joined Ice Miller's Labor and Employment section in May, 2006 Tony West Tony West is the Director of Compliance at the Indiana Workers’ Compensation Board. He went to work at the Board in February 2008, during his final year of law school. As Director of Compliance he is responsible for creating and implementing the Board’s compliance program. Prior to working at the Board, he worked for Chrysler Corp. as a skilled tradesman and union official. He graduated from Ball State University with a B.S. in English, in 2004, and graduated with a J.D. from Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis, in 2008.
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