Editorial team in HR and EHS compliance

Celeste Duke, SPHR, oversees BLR’s HR content team. Celeste understands the existing and emerging needs and challenges of human resources professionals thanks to 20 years of experience managing, writing, and editing key publications for BLR. Her areas of concentration include diversity & inclusion, workplace trends, and employee training. Before coming to BLR, she was the business editor for  The Daily Herald in Columbia, Tennessee. Celeste earned her bachelor’s degree from David Lipscomb University and a master’s from Middle Tennessee State University, where she also taught writing.

Areas of expertise–Diversity, training.

Nancy has over 24 years of experience in legal writing and editing, legal publishing, and HR webinars. She has written articles on evolving employment law issues, HR newsletters, immigration, and has created packets of forms and notices for all 50 states that employers can use when onboarding new hires and for employee terminations. She also served as the managing editor and writer for The Personnel Advisor, a human resources employment law reference manual, for over 20 years. Nancy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and her law degree from Vermont Law School.

Areas of expertise–Documentation and recordkeeping, immigration, employment contracts, employment notices and posters, and employment records.

Jennifer Brown, J.D., is a Senior Legal Editor for BLR’s human resources and employment law publications, focusing on wage and hour topics. Prior to joining BLR, Jennifer worked as a commercial litigator in private practice and served as an attorney-advisor for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, where she advised senior management on various human resources and employment law issues. Jennifer earned her B.A. in Peace, War, and Defense at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her law degree from Elon University.

Areas of expertise–Wages, hours of work, and compensation (bonus payments, callback/report-in pay, child labor, contingent workers, deductions from pay, exempt personnel, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), hours of work, independent contractors, minimum wage, overtime, paychecks, payroll administration, rest periods, severance pay, time-keeping, travel time).

Kelly Ryan, J.D., is a Senior Legal Content Specialist, focusing on providing, editing, and updating content related to employee benefits compliance, including the Benefits Reference Guides. Before coming to BLR, he worked as in-house legal counsel for various retirement service providers and the Colorado health insurance exchange. Mr. Ryan received his law degree from DePaul University College of Law and a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Illinois. He is a member of the Colorado Bar.

Areas of expertise–Employee benefits (Affordable Care Act, benefits recordkeeping and disclosures, disability insurance, ERISA, flexible benefits/cafeteria plans, fringe benefits, health care insurance, health information privacy (HIPAA), health insurance continuation/cobra, retirement, retirement savings and pension plans, social security/Medicare, unemployment compensation, withholding).

Cristina Fahrbach-Connors, J.D., PHR, is a Senior Legal Editor/Content Specialist for BLR’s human resources and employment law publications, focusing on providing information and assistance to BLR subscribers via the HR Hotline. Before joining BLR, she represented employers, employees, and unions in employment law matters. She also worked as a human resources management professional for several nonprofits. Ms. Fahrbach-Connors earned her law degree from the Fordham University School of Law and her B.A. English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Rutgers College. She is a member of the New York State Bar.

Areas of expertise–HR Hotline, violence in the workplace, privacy, workers’ compensation.

Jasmin Mize, J.D., is a Senior Legal Editor for BLR’s human resources and employment law publications. Ms. Mize is a former civil rights and criminal defense practitioner and has also taught first year law school courses in criminal law, civil procedure, and civil trial practice. Ms. Mize is a former managing attorney for a legal services organization where she represented plaintiffs in discrimination and class action cases across the U.S. Prior to that position, Ms. Mize spent eight years as a public defender on the state and federal levels.

Areas of expertise–Anti-discrimination laws, workplace harassment, equal pay, alcohol & drug testing in the workplace, complaints & investigations, union organizing.

Jeanna E. Crocker, J.D., SHRM-SCP, is a Senior Legal Editor with more than 15 years of experience in legal publishing and legal research and writing. She currently edits the Family and Medical Leave Handbook and the Leave and Disability Coordination Handbook. Ms. Crocker is also responsible for researching, updating, and maintaining information concerning the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), paid sick leave, maternity and pregnancy, military service (USERRA), and layoffs. Ms. Crocker received her B.A. in Communications & Information Sciences and M.A. in American Studies from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, and her law degree (with an academic concentration in criminal law) from the State University of New York – University at Buffalo Law School.

Areas of expertise–Leave (jury duty/court appearance, leave of absence (FMLA), sick leave, vacations, voting leave, personal leave), maternity & pregnancy, military service (USERRA), and layoffs.

Colette has worked in legal publishing for over 20 years, since graduating from Drake Law School with high honors in 1999. She later obtained an M.B.A. in Management and Marketing from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs while managing large legal content development teams. She currently writes and edits in the areas of employee handbooks, hiring, telecommuting, background checks, references, and preemployment inquiries, among others. She also manages the BLR Employee Handbook Builder, a completely browser-based system that allows users to build, access, and update state-specific employee handbooks.

Areas of expertise–Hiring, HR administration, performance management (background checks, discipline, employee handbooks, hiring, job description, performance appraisal, pre-employment inquiries, references/reference checks, telecommuting, turnover).

Timothy P. Fagan is Managing Editor for BLR’s Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) publications, focusing primarily on air quality, chemical management, and hazard communication-related topics. Before joining BLR, Mr. Fagan worked as an environmental consultant responsible for hazardous chemical reporting and air quality permitting and compliance for a broad range of industries in both the private and public sectors. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Villanova University, a Master of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, and a graduate certificate in Environmental Health and Safety from Central Connecticut State University.

Areas of expertise–Hazard communication, SDS, process safety management, air contaminants, ventilation, air permitting, hazardous air pollutants, risk management, and refrigerants/ODS.

Laura J. Brody is a Senior Editor for BLR’s Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) publications, focusing on environmental topics such as water permitting and spill prevention, as well as safety topics such as fire prevention and chemical hazards. Before joining BLR, Ms. Brody served as an Environmental Compliance Manager for a manufacturing facility in New Jersey, and previously as an Occupational Health & Safety Manager for the City of Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from Ursinus College and a Master of Environmental Studies degree with a concentration in Environmental Health from the University of Pennsylvania.

Areas of expertise–Chemical hazards, NPDES, spill prevention, fire prevention, and heat and cold stress.

Elizabeth M. Dickinson, J.D., is a Senior Legal Editor for BLR’s Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) publications, focusing on environmental topics such as hazardous waste generators, hazmat transportation, and universal waste and safety topics that include emergency preparedness, silica, and HAZWOPER. Before joining BLR, Ms. Dickinson was an associate in the law firm Cummings & Lockwood and an attorney at Aetna Life and Casualty, both in Hartford, Connecticut. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in English and American Literature and Language from Harvard University and her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from the University of Connecticut School of Law, where she was an Articles Editor of the Connecticut Law Review. Ms. Dickinson is licensed to practice law in Connecticut.

Areas of expertise–Emergency preparedness, flammable liquids, HAZWOPER, combustible dust, silica (general industry), silica (construction), hazardous waste generators, RCRA, universal wastes, and used oil management.

Amanda S. Lavelle is a Senior Editor for BLR’s Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) publications focusing on safety topics such as first aid, laboratory safety, personal protective equipment (PPE), training, and workplace violence. Ms. Lavelle coordinates the development and maintenance of all EHS training content for the BLR websites and other training products to help businesses comply with OSHA, EPA, and DOT rules. Before joining BLR, Ms. Lavelle was a technical writer at a healthcare products manufacturer. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a specialization in Professional Writing and Technical Communication from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Areas of expertise–Audits, first aid, laboratory safety, new employee orientation, PPE, training, and workplace violence.

Annie F. Richardson is a Senior Editor for BLR’s Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) publications focusing on safety topics such as equipment and process safety, OSHA recordkeeping and reporting, job hazard analyses, incident investigation, and other industrial safety topics. Before BLR, Ms. Richardson worked in the oil and gas, manufacturing, and retail industries, and as an industrial safety consultant. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from North Carolina Central University, and is a certified OSHA outreach trainer.

Areas of expertise–Hazard and risk assessments, incident and accident investigation, job hazard analysis, control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), powered industrial truck (forklift), US DOT commercial driver’s safety, and EPA aboveground and underground storage tanks.

Sarah Fisher Davis is an Associate Editor for BLR’s Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) publications, focusing on safety topics such as health, ergonomics, and wellness, as well as general environmental enforcement. Ms. Davis oversees news-related operations, including producing, editing, and updating news content for the EHS Hero website. Before BLR, Ms. Davis worked as an editing consultant and college instructor, writing and teaching about environmental health, toxicants, environmental justice, and climate change. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History Education and English from Gardner-Webb University and a Master of Arts degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her Doctor of Philosophy degree in English – with an Environmental Humanities specialization – is from Stony Brook University, where Ms. Davis also earned graduate certificates in Writing and Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies.

Areas of expertise–Health, wellness, ergonomics, office safety, back safety, painting and spraying, dipping and coating, and housekeeping.