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Andrew Geesbreght  M.A. is the Founder and Partner of PRAX Performance, LLC, Geesbreght Capital, LP, and Geesbreght Group LLC. Andrew is a former Owner and COO of PhysAssist Scribes, the nation's first medical scribe company. PhysAssist transformed the manner in which emergency medicine was practiced in the electronic medical record era, and to this day is regarded by former clients and employees as having been one of the most reliable and enjoyable places to work in all of healthcare.

Since the sale of PhysAssist in 2014, Andrew has dedicated his professional life to the study and implementation of neuroleadership, and its effect on corporate culture.

Andrew has an undergraduate degree in history and political science from Texas Christian University and a Master's degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership from the Chicago School. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas with his wife, their son and daughter, and their dog. In his free time, he enjoys soccer, Luka Doncic, and an occasional date night with his wife.

Heath Hilliard is the Founder and CEO of EQHR Consultants, author of Better Thinking: The Foundation for Better Decisions and Better Outcomes, and a nationally recognized speaker who helps organizations make better people decisions.

For more than two decades, Heath has worked with business leaders to improve hiring, develop stronger managers, strengthen leadership, and build cultures where people and organizations thrive. His work is built on a simple belief: every people decision matters, and better outcomes begin with better thinking.

Drawing on years of experience and the Better Thinking framework he developed, Heath equips leaders with practical strategies to improve decision making, strengthen communication, and lead with greater clarity and confidence. His presentations challenge audiences to think differently about leadership, hiring, employee engagement, and organizational success, while providing actionable ideas they can put to work immediately.

Whether speaking to executives, managers, or emerging leaders, Heath's mission is to help organizations think better, lead better, and make better people decisions that create lasting results.

Justin Dorsey, SPHR, GPHR brings a background of psychology and sociology into the world of HR. He is currently a fractional HR consultant for the Texas HR Team where he provides strategic HR support for small businesses and nonprofit organizations. With extensive experience in a variety of industries, including retail, healthcare, distribution, and engineering, His expertise includes employee relations, talent acquisition, training, compensation, benefits, and employee engagement. He holds both a Senior Professional and Global Professional certification in Human Resources.

Outside of work, Justin is a dedicated volunteer at his church and other community organizations including Junior Achievement and F3. He’s a past president of Fort Worth HR and was recognized by the Fort Worth Business Press in their Top 40 Under 40 program. More importantly, he’s a husband of 1 and father of 2. Don’t get him started talking about chickens or Texas Tech sports.

Fort Worth Business Owner and Cybersecurity expert Gary Tonniges, Jr is the immediate past President for the TCXPA-Fort Worth Chapter. Gary graduated with an accounting degree from Texas A&M University in 1992, starting his career with a Fort Worth public accounting firm. Eventually his passion for technology changed his role at the firm to leading a division of technology services. With the blessing of the firm’s partners, Gary left the firm in 1997 to create TriQuest Technologies, focusing on IT Risk Mitigation for area businesses and supplementing their internal IT support and services.

Today, Gary, TriQuest’s founder and CEO, combines his business acumen and his technology passion to assist other area growth-driven organizations with strategic guidance, empowering them to leverage proven solutions and navigate the ever-evolving landscape of digital transformation for long-term success and resilience.

Gary is a frequent speaker for area organizations, including Fort Worth HR, TXCPA-Fort Worth, Tarrant County Probate Bar Association, HR Southwest, Texas A&M University, University of Texas at Arlington, and TCU. In 2022, Gary authored his first book, Easy Mark - Why Business Executives Who THINK Their Network Is Secure Are The FIRST To Fall Victim To Cybercriminals… And What YOU Can Do NOW To Stop It.

Linda Swindling, CSP, CPAE, is a globally recognized expert in negotiation, high-stakes communication, and leadership influence. Ranked among the Top 15 Negotiators in the World by Global Gurus for six consecutive years, she equips leaders and professionals to negotiate what matters—from closing major deals to dealing with workplace drama with confidence and clarity.

A Certified Speaking Professional and inductee into the National Speakers Association’s Speaker Hall of Fame (CPAE), Linda is also a Professor of Practice in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Her negotiation expertise was refined in the courtroom and the boardroom as a practicing corporate attorney and later, a strategic advisor to CEOs. During her 10 years practicing law, Linda became a partner and a mediator, successfully negotiated several million-dollar deals, and resolved cases that “couldn’t be settled.”

For more than 25 years, she has delivered innovative, research-based programs which result in better conversations, proactive dispute resolution, and high-performance leaders and teams. You won’t hear anecdotal or intangible theories based on books she read. Instead, you get strategies that produce breakthrough outcomes and lasting results.

Linda’s clients include Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, and associations seeking to boost performance, build resilient cultures, and champion change. The creator of the popular Passport to Success book series, she is the author/co-author of more than 20 books including Ask Outrageously, Stop Complainers and Energy Drainers, and The Manager’s High-Performance Handbook.

Whether she’s speaking from the stage or coaching executives behind the scenes, Linda empowers professionals to use their voices effectively, resolve conflict respectfully, and negotiate durable outcomes that benefit all parties.

Cj Cleveland is a performance coach, registered nurse, and former D-I football player. He brings a unique perspective, shaped by high-pressure environments in athletics, healthcare, and business. As the founder of CxD Performance, Cj helps professionals and teams build discipline, consistency, and resilience through practical, experience-driven strategies. His work and speaking are rooted in faith, emphasizing purpose, integrity, and leadership that serves others. His talks are direct, engaging, and focused on execution, equipping audiences with tools they can apply immediately.

Thomas Hall is a Technology Manager at AUI Partners, where he originally joined with a focus on cybersecurity. As AI has rapidly evolved, his role has expanded to evaluating AI tools and exploring how artificial intelligence can be practically, securely, and effectively implemented within the organization.

Before joining AUI Partners, Thomas spent nearly 18 years with Sewell, beginning his career in automotive parts before transitioning into IT and building a career in technology. He later earned his bachelor’s degree through Western Governors University. His career path has given him a unique perspective on technology, not only from the tech side, but also from understanding how technology needs to work for the people and the organizations using it.

Today, Thomas is working on special internal projects focused on AI implementation at AUI, giving him a unique perspective on what it takes to move beyond the hype and actually bring AI into an organization.

Thomas is married to his beautiful wife Melissa and a father of three. Born in South Korea, he came to the United States as a baby with his family. His father served in the military.

While Thomas doesn’t come from an HR background, that’s part of what makes his perspective valuable. He brings the technology and implementation side of the conversation to help HR professionals better understand what AI is, what it can do, and what it really takes to implement it.

And, in full transparency, Thomas probably wouldn’t be on this panel if his little sister Natasha Hall, AUI’s VP of People, Safety & Quality and former President of the FWHR hadn’t decided he needed to be. Apparently, when your sister asks, you don’t really get a choice.

Mike Coffey, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, consultant, and registered yoga teacher. He is also president of Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make better decisions about the people they involve in their business.

Mike is the State Director-Elect for Texas SHRM. And each week, he hosts the Good Morning, HR podcast.

Tim Newhard is a business, talent and learning leader with nearly 20 years of experience in the HR domain. During that time, he’s been driven by his desire to help organizations build more effective, human-centered workplaces. He is the Founder and Principal of Linteau LLC, an HR consulting firm that focuses on applying AI and agentic technologies to HR-specific use cases. Tim works closely with HR leaders and executives to perform AI Readiness Audits, Discovery Workshops, Agent Deployment, Upskilling, and Change Management.

Tim received his Bachelor of Science from Brigham Young University and his Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University.

He lives in St. Johns, FL with his wife and four children.