Jude Sotherlund

THOMAS HOUSTON is pleased to announce a partnership arrangement with consultant, Jude Sotherlund. Ms. Sotherlund brings unique expertise to this partnership as her 30-year career has included serving in the executive branch of government in The White House and U.S. Department of Labor (Office of Policy; Employment Standards Administration; and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs) as well as the private sector as a corporate consultant. Ms. Sotherlund spearheaded several of the initial corporate management compliance evaluations (CMCE) for the US Department of Labor’s OFCCP, and served as a principal author of the two federal reports A Report on The Glass Ceiling Initiative and Pipelines of Progress: A Status Report on the Glass Ceiling in the early 1990s.

Sotherlund’s consulting spans from Fortune 10 companies and university systems to small single-establishment entities and has covered wage and hour issues, FLSA compliance, immigration law, EEO/AA and diversity policies and practices. Ms. Sotherlund is an expert in monitoring all forms of remuneration for nondiscrimination, and has written several articles as well as the authoritative “When Pay Plans Go Wrong, Managing Compliance Issues Before the Audit,”  (WorldatWork, 2003). She is a frequent speaker on issues surrounding equal pay, fair pay and nondiscrimination. Ms. Sotherlund was Vice President, Diversity Services for Employment Advisory Services Inc., an affiliate of the former McGuiness & Williams law firm, and most recently published “Leading with Your Heart, Diversity and Ganas for Inspired Inclusion” (SHRM, 2010) with former EEOC Chair, Cari Dominguez.

THOMAS HOUSTON is welcoming Ms. Sotherlund’s expertise focusing on compensation analysis and review, corporate management compliance evaluations, diversity and other human resource management issues and training.

Jo Bennett

THOMAS HOUSTON is pleased to announce that Jo Bennett, a partner with Stevens & Lee in Philadelphia, has joined the THA Compliance Evaluation Team. Stevens & Lee is a full-service law firm whose Labor and Employment Department representation is restricted exclusively to management. By entering into an alliance with Ms. Bennett and her firm,

THOMAS HOUSTON will now offer turn-key services to our clients during OFCCP Compliance Evaluations.

Mr. Thomas H. Nail, President and CEO of THOMAS HOUSTON noted that this was a significant step in enhancing the capabilities of THOMAS HOUSTON. While we already represent our clients in OFCCP Compliance Evaluations, the addition of a legal presence enhances our ability to continue to exceed industry standards in the outcome of Compliance Evaluations.

I am pleased to be a part of this new collaborative effort with the professionals at THOMAS HOUSTON, said Ms. Bennett, who has nearly 20 years’ experience in equal employment opportunity and affirmative action law.

THOMAS HOUSTON has an impeccable reputation for providing high-quality services to its customer base. But as the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs takes increasingly aggressive approaches during compliance evaluations, Stevens & Lee will be able to provide additional perspective for THOMAS HOUSTON clients on a value-added basis.

Ms. Bennett’s introduction to affirmative action began at a large law firm in Philadelphia, where, as a student law clerk, she was tasked with drafting the firm’s affirmative action program. Throughout her professional career, Ms. Bennett has increased her work with federal contractors, and now represents clients nationwide in a broad range of industries -- from the life sciences and technology to manufacturing and health care.

In addition to her EEO/AA consulting practice, Ms. Bennett maintains an active litigation practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey defending employers in workplace disputes. Ms. Bennett is a member of the Board of Trustees at Arcadia University near Philadelphia, and previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Association for Affirmative Action.

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