Jill M. Vales, President and Executive HR Consultant, has over 30 years of senior management experience in human resources, finance, accounting, and corporate operations and administration. She has earned the national Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification. She is also a licensed Florida CPA.

Prior to beginning HR Experts on Demand, Vales was Vice President of Human Resources with ScanSource, Inc., a leading South Carolina employer with approximately 1,000 employees.  In three years under her leadership, the HR team transformed virtually every HR-related program and process.   Vales has made many presentations and facilitated training programs on a variety of human resources topics for small businesses and nonprofit organizations.  She was a finalist for the Suzanne Thaler Rising Star Award sponsored by GSA Business Journal in 2009.

She also has been a senior finance, human resources and operations executive with national travel distribution companies, including being Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Human Resources of a start-up company that completed an IPO and acquired 20 entrepreneurial companies in less than two years. Vales began her CPA career as an auditor with a “Big-Four” accounting firm, where she advanced to senior management. She served clients in services, manufacturing, hospitality, real estate, auto-rental and government industries. 

Active in the community, Vales currently serves as the Chairman of New Beginnings Job Transition Support and been re-elected to serve on the Board of The Rotary Club of Greenville.  She has previously served the community in the following roles: 

• Greater Greenville Chamber Commerce
• Board of Governors
• Small Business Council
• Chair, Small Business Owners Forum,
• Chair, Sales Roundtable Steering Committees
• Chair, HR Leadership Forum Board
• Small Business of the Month Awards Committee. 
• Board Member, Greenville County Workforce Investment Board
• Board Member and Treasurer,  The Greenville Rotary Club (Downtown)
• Board Member and Treasurer, Centre Stage Theatre-SC
• Board Member and Treasurer, Dining for Women
• Board Member and Treasurer, Greenville Professional Women’s Forum Board
• Greenville American Red Cross Finance Committee
• Upstate Girl Scouts Councils’ HR Realignment fix Committee. 
  

Vales is also a member of the Greenville and national chapters of the Society for Human Resource Management.

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Beth Love, Compensation Analyst is a Certified Public Accountant with over ten years of accounting experience. She worked for over seven years in public accounting with two “Big-Four” accounting firms in Greenville.  Beth holds a Masters of Accounting degree, with a focus on taxation, from the University of Georgia and earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Presbyterian College.  Beth has served as Treasurer for Pendleton Place Children’s Shelter and The Alliance for Quality Education.  In her role as Compensation Analyst, Beth applies her analytical and spreadsheet skills and works with HR Consultants to research and analyze market pay and to develop salary administration systems and incentive compensation plans.   She has taken compensation course work through the World At Work organization. Beth has been with the firm since February 2008.

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Debie Gaudreau, Paraprofessional and Firm Administrator, has more than 30 years of administrative and professional sales experience.  In her career, she has worked with small businesses, professional service and sales businesses (domestic and international), and nonprofit organizations.  She possesses the ability to work across cultures, understands the needs of nonprofits, and is experienced in managing small businesses.  Gaudreau also manages a portfolio of rental property she and owns.  In her role as Paraprofessional, Debie assists HR Consultants with administrative aspects of recruiting, employee handbooks, job descriptions, benefits administration and records management.  In her role as Firm Administrator, Gaudreau applies her experience in organization, management, bookkeeping and communication.  Debie has been with the firm since April 2009.

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Carolyn Elsea, HR Consultant, has more than 20 years of human resources experience.  She has earned the national Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification.  She previously was Director of Human Resources at RMT, Inc. where she had local and national responsibilities.  She has partnered with management associated with engineering, environmental, construction, and petrochemical industries providing human resource leadership. She also has HR experience with non-profit organizations.

Training and development have been Elsea’s passion.  She coauthored a career navigation program.  As a certified Myers-Briggs Type Indicator facilitator, she conducted team building and effective communication workshops.  Elsea has also provided training to nonprofit organizations.  Elsea received a B.S. in Business Education.  In her role as HR Consultant, Elsea applies her strengths in training, communications, and employee relations.  Carolyn began working with the firm in August 2010.

Elsea is active with the Greenville Chamber and has chaired the HR Leadership Forum.  She is a member of the Greenville Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) where she has served on its board of directors, was Chairperson for the 2009 and 2010 Tri-State Conference Program Committee, Chairperson for the Strategic Planning Committee and championed the establishment of a Student SHRM chapter at Clemson University.  She volunteers with a local church Employment Support Group and serves on the Advisory Board of the Harvest Hope Food Bank. 

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Stephanie Shafer, HR Consultant, has more than 15 years of human resources experience, most recently as owner of her own consulting practice. She has earned the national Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Certification. Shafer was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Management with a concentration in Marketing from Clemson University. With an emphasis in specialized recruiting and career counseling and outplacement, she has held senior human resource positions in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and manufacturing industries and has been consistently recognized for her ability to establish strong rapport with clients and candidates and her commitment to excellence with a compassionate, dedicated approach.

Shafer has worked on both coasts in the U.S., and has traveled abroad to over 17 countries, in Europe, Asia and North America. She had the professional opportunity to travel to China to negotiate an executive contract with the president of the company, with all negotiations accomplished through a foreign language interpreter. She has also led multiple recruitment expansion projects for a global leader in the pharmaceutical industry and served as an adjunct career management consultant for the world’s largest provider of outplacement services.

Shafer has volunteered her time most recently by serving on the event committee and as an advocate for the Upstate Alzheimer’s Association chapter. She also spent time as a volunteer career workshop facilitator with the University of California at Irvine Extension Program at the Women’s Opportunities Career Center, as a mentor with a community-based employment support group and with her university alumni organization. She was also a feature speaker at an association meeting for Administrative Professionals on the topic of “Fireproofing Your Career.”

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Melissa Nipert, HR Consultant, has been nationally certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) since 2001 and is a national member of the Society for Human Resource Management.  Prior to her years of experience as a Human Resources Manager, she was a Manufacturing Supervisor giving her a unique perspective on human resource management.  In her role as HR consultant, she applies her expertise in the areas of employment law compliance, supervisor training, performance management, and safety and health program development.  Nipert has a B.S. in Engineering from Georgia Tech and is twelve credit hours shy of completing her Masters in Human Resource Management.  She also volunteers in various capacities in her community and with an Employment Support Group of a local church.

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Paul Barber, HR Consultant, is an experienced talent management, leadership and organization development professional.  He has been recognized as a trusted advisor, thought leader and catalyst for change in both rapid growth and turnaround companies.  Paul has a passion for growing leaders at all levels and for working with business partners to improve organizational effectiveness.

Most recently, Barber was with The South Financial Group in Greenville, South Carolina where he was accountable for learning and development as well as talent planning.  He put in place a process and system for integrated talent management while building a learning organization from the ground up.  Prior to joining TSFG, Barber held increasingly responsible learning and organization development positions within Marketing, Technology and Operations, and Human Resources with Bank of America.

Barber is a graduate of the Ontario Teacher Education College and has completed studies in organization development with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  He is an active member of the American Society for Training and Development, having served as a leader with both the Charlotte and Upstate ASTD chapters.

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Donna Gottschall, HR Consultant and Business Development Representative, has over 20 years experience in managing a full spectrum of human resources programs, services and functions, including for Hyatt Corporation and Boys Home of the South.  She has previously owned and operated two successful companies in the Greenville area. Gottschall was awarded a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.  Gottshall joined the firm in 2011.    

Gottschall currently volunteers her time as a Board Member of Gateway House, an Employee Council Board Member of the Employment Security Commission, a governing Board Member of the Chris and Kelly's Hope Foundation and an alumnus member of Leadership Greenville Class X11.  She has previously served on the governing boards of the Greenville Urban League, Miracle Hill Ministries and Miracle Hill Endowment Campaign.

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