About Us

Founder

While Donna doesn't currently work the day-to-day operations of the business due to state HR job, she founded this boutique HR consulting firm in 2001.  She has over 30 years of exempt management level HR experience with public, private, and non-for-profit organizations throughout the country and within a variety of different industries including teaching undergraduate and graduate students for over 17 years at the University of Illinois at Springfield and Robert Morris College. 

She graduated magna cum laude with a Master of Education in Human Resources Development from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Prior to that she earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations at Illinois State University and two associate degrees in business administration from Lincoln Land Community College and information management from Community College of the Air Force.

Her HR career began in corporate HR then privately owned manufacturing before she started consulting and teaching in the field. She is certified currently through 2028 as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) from the HR Certification Institute (HRCI), Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) from the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) and an International Public Management Associations Certified Professional (IPMA-CP).

She has delivered numerous HR & Management related presentations among professionals at meetings, seminars, and conferences and has guest lectured at Benedictine University. She has humbly volunteered on the SHRM Student Chapter Advisory committee, SHRM Membership Advisory Committee (MAC) Representative, ILSHRM as Director, and two-time CIC-SHRM as President and current President. She is a SHRM Foundational Veteran Ambassador. Finally, she proudly served our great country in the military for eight years retiring as a Ground Safety Inspector for the Illinois Air National Guard.

Independent Consultant

Dave Ryan has worked with numerous employers including bringing on an international client since joining Rogers HR Consulting, LLC as an independent contractor. Dave retired from Mel-O-Cream at the end of 2021 after 45 years of service. Dave was Director of Human Resources & Compliance for Mel-O-Cream Donuts International in Springfield, IL. Mel-O-Cream is a medium-sized unionized manufacturer of bakery goods supplying the grocery industry. 

Dave received his SPHR in 2007, and his SHRM-SCP in 2014. In his long-term employment with Mel-O-Cream Dave has undertaken many roll outs, project implementations to include process improvements as well as dozens of compliance initiatives.

Away from work, Dave referees ice hockey at various levels. He has served in many volunteer roles with his local CIC-SHRM chapter and many roles on the ILSHRM State Council, including being State Director in 2017-2018. Dave speaks at local colleges and SHRM events on both HR and Social Media matters regularly. This experience includes speaking throughout the state and nationally with founder of the consulting firm he is now joining.

Dave is also an avid cyclist and rides with his two sons and a wife of over 40 years, Sheila Ryan. Dave maintains a presence in Social-Media, and was a member of the SHRM Blogger squad from 2014 to 2019 at the SHRM National Conferences. He can be found on X as DaveTheHRCzar and LinkedIn.

He's been a great asset to the organization where he's been able to apply his years of practical experience assisting organizations to create better workplaces that attract and retain quality employees by providing HR solutions to complex problems. His work with Rogers HR Consulting, LLC began as one of their first clients in 2001.