January Virtual Luncheon | Hunting and Hiring: Tips to Navigate the Job Market

Register here!

Join us for our first virtual luncheon of the new year, featuring an all-star cast of panelists, On January 20 at 11:30 a.m. We’ll hear from:

During this luncheon, our panelists will lead discussions that will benefit students and experienced professionals who are both hunting and hiring. Hear from these seasoned practitioners as they discuss trends and insights surrounding desirable skills, strategies to stand out, and opportunities available in the North Alabama market. You won’t want to miss it!

Dr. Denny W. Smith is Director of Testing and Assessment for Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Alabama and has over 20 years of experience in Workforce Development. Dr. Smith has presented on various HR related topics nationally and has published a number of papers on Workforce and Economic Development.

Dr. Smith has conducted workforce projects for industry in over 20 states and was selected as Alabama Workforce Champion for 2017 by American College Testing (ACT).  Some select companies include: 3-M, Milwaukee Tool and Austal Shipbuilding. Dr. Smith was elected for two consecutive terms as President of Training Business Industry Network for the Alabama Community College System.  Dr. Smith has also obtained his Professional in Human Resources (PHR) through the Human Resource Certification Institute and has achieved the SHRM Certified Professional designation through Society of Human Resource Management.  Additionally, Dr. Smith has served as an Adjunct Instructor in areas of Management and Human Resources. 

His education credentials include a Ph.D. from Mississippi State University, and dissertation research on Return on Investment was published by Community College Times. Dr. Smith’s work been recognized in HR Professional’s Magazine where he was featured on the cover for the September 2017 issue.  He is active on many state and local boards and is Past President of the Tennessee Valley Chapter Society Human Resource Management and a member of Alabama SHRM State Council and a current member of Alabama State Council for Society Human Resource Management.

Dr. Smith, lives in Decatur and is married with two children ages nine and five who keep him active and busy with their activities.

Kristina L. Hendrix, APR is an award-winning, veteran communication strategist and is the Director of Communications for Dynetics, Inc. in Huntsville, Alabama.  She has nearly 20 years of experience with the Department of Defense, NASA, and private industry.  She manages the external and internal communication strategies for the Dynetics Group, a Leidos subsidiary.

She is the recipient of the 2015 Public Relations Council of Alabama’s Philip R. Forrest, Jr. Professional Achievement Award, the 2016 Southern Public Relations Federation’s Professional Achievement Award, and the 2020 University of Alabama’s Outstanding Public Relations Alumni Award.  Hendrix holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations, Cum Laude, from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in strategic communications from the University of Memphis. She earned her Accreditation in Public Relations certification. Hendrix is also a Certified Protocol Officer deemed by the Protocol School of Washington. She is active in numerous charitable organizations and volunteer boards.

Megan Nivens-Tannett is Founder and CEO of Huntsville-based Marketing and Public Relations firm, Flourish, which provides business and strategic marketing services to small and medium-sized businesses.

Megan’s background ranges from working in non-profit to multi-million-dollar organizations, doing everything from digital marketing, public relations, strategic communications, business development and more. Most recently she’s worked in high tech and noticed the lack of insight and faith in what strategic marketing is really all about. It goes beyond just ‘making things pretty.’ Instead, it involves creative collaboration, market understanding, competitive awareness and so much more – which drove her to start her own business, Flourish. Flourish has clients in the healthcare, telecom, aerospace/defense, real estate, sports and entertainment industries and is experiencing rapid growth.

Her passion is people and finding solutions to problems – whether its mentoring students,
guiding non-profits, helping her kids maneuver life’s’ challenges, or working with clients to
determine areas for growth and overall success.

In addition to managing her business, she volunteers a lot of her time, to include serving as a mentor for the Madison, AL CEO high school program, being an active student mentor through the University of Central Florida (go Knights!), serves as a business coach at The Catalyst, volunteers as a communications committee member for Semper Fi, and speaks at various events to educate/inform about the public relations/marketing/communications field. However, and most importantly, she’s the proud Mom of 3 young children (7, 11 & 15). She graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management.

Dawnette Chambers is an assistant professor of communication at her alma mater, Oakwood University. As the program coordinator of the public relations program, she is responsible for preparing students in the program to receive every opportunity to learn and develop the necessary skills to be excellent communication professionals. Dawnette is also a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago with a Master of Science degree in integrated marketing communications.

She has excelled as a freelance writer and coordinator for the Collegiate Quarterly, a world-wide inspirational publication for youth and other publications. She has coordinated special events as an intern for the American Red Cross and Northern Illinois and established a communication career conference within the Department of Communication at Oakwood. She also managed responsibilities as a Group Center Facilitator at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago.

Despite her busy academic schedule, Dawnette continues to dedicate her life to all things communication as an avid planner and hard worker. Dawnette fulfills her commitment to the community and non-profit organizations through volunteer services at her church as a musician and young adult ministry leader.