John Stephens
Chief Executive Officer, Keenan and Accretive Insurance Solutions
​
John Stephens is the Chief Executive Officer of Keenan responsible for leading the company and driving strategic vision. He is a recognized leader in the specialty program and reinsurance marketplace, having played a key role in building some of the largest public agency workers’ compensation, property and casualty, and construction wrap-up pools in the United States. Mr. Stephens leads the reinsurance placement for the Schools Association for Excess Risk (SAFER) Joint Powers Authority which protects nearly 600 California Public Agencies, $140 billion of total insurable values and 3 million students, as well as the Protected Insurance Program for Schools (PIPS) JPA which insures $20 billion of workers’ compensation payroll, and the Statewide Educational Wrap-Up Program (SEWUP), a rolling OCIP that has enrolled over 900 projects and $11 billion in construction values.
Mr. Stephens graduated from California Lutheran University, is married with three daughters, and is a competitive CrossFit Athlete.
Keenan, a Gallagher company, has been the preeminent insurance leader for California insurance for public educational entities and healthcare organizations since 1972.
Gallagher is one of the leading insurance brokerage, risk management, and HR & benefits consulting companies in the world. With significant reach internationally, Gallagher employs over 71,000 people and provides services in more than 130 countries.
​​
​
Eric Preston
Senior Vice President of Property & Casualty, Keenan
​
Eric Preston has been with Keenan & Associates since 2004, where he started as a Loss Control Consultant. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Human Resources, with emphasis in Human Resource Management, from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Mr. Preston earned his Associate in Risk Management for Public Entities (ARM-P) designation in 2008, his P&C broker license in 2011, his Certified Schools Risk Manager (CSRM) designation in 2014 and his Certified Practitioner in Workers’ Compensation (CPWC) designation in 2021. Mr. Preston works closely with the Super Pool JPAs to help them build and implement safety and risk management initiatives, manage their losses, and implement risk management best practices both directly and through the Loss Control department’s staff of 58 Safety and Risk Management professionals. Mr. Preston has expanded specialties in the areas of campus security, school site design, fire sprinkler systems, aerial lifts, behavior-based safety, psychological safety, vocational art shop safety, as well special education safety.
​
​
Tim Femister,
Principal, Firestorm Global
​
Tim Femister is the Managing Principal of Firestorm Global, a trusted cybersecurity firm. He is an experienced industry executive and thought leader with deep domain expertise in information security, specifically in public education. As a frequent speaker and presenter, Mr. Femister is comfortable addressing large audiences on complex and emerging topics. He has been a presenter and contributor to ACBO, CASBO, MS-ISAC, Forbes, NBC, Lifetime, and other outlets. Mr. Femister’s most recent Forbes article is titled "The Rising Threat of Cyber Attacks on K-12 Schools." Previously, he was the CEO of an equity-backed technology services firm and a corporate executive for a national IT solutions provider. A southern California native, Mr. Femister is fiercely passionate about helping education organizations establish secure digital experiences that empower safe learning.
​
Courtney Hylton
Partner, Hylton & Associates
​
For over 20 years, Courtney Hylton has specialized in the representation of public entities in tort and employment matters.
Ms. Hylton is an experienced litigator and trial attorney who handles all phases of litigation from inception through trial. She has conducted countless depositions of party-plaintiffs, percipient witnesses, treating physicians and psychologists, and other healthcare providers, as well as many other categories of expert witnesses, both medical and liability-related. Ms. Hylton provides primary representation for clients at arbitration, mediation, and trial.
With respect to tort matters, Ms. Hylton handles a variety of injury claims including premises liability, general negligence claims (including negligent supervision and negligent hiring, training and retention), and SAM claims. She also handles significant injury cases involving wrongful death, traumatic brain injury and CRPS.
Ms. Hylton also represents public entities employers in matters involving wrongful termination, violations of the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), discrimination, harassment, wage and hour, and other forms of labor and employment litigation.
Ms. Hylton provides various seminars and counseling to her clients regarding the proper administration of leaves of absence, sexual harassment training, wage and hour compliance, and the importance of documentation in employment matters.
Ms. Hylton is a member of ABOTA (American Board of Trial Advocates), the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, and the Orange County Bar Association.
​
​
Jennifer Creighton
Partner, Winet Patrick Creighton & Hanes
​
Jennifer Creighton obtained a Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law in 1999. She subsequently obtained an LL.M. from the University of San Diego School of Law in Business and Corporate Law with an emphasis in Employment Law and Discrimination in 2001. Ms. Creighton has spent the vast majority of her career with Winet Patrick Creighton & Hanes, where she started in 1998.
Ms. Creighton is a Super Lawyers rated attorney (only the top five percent of attorneys in California receive this distinction). She has over twenty-six years of experience in education litigation, civil litigation and labor and employment law. She also has handled all types of personal injury litigation. The majority of her career has been devoted to serving public entities, primarily school districts, colleges and universities, in diverse litigation ranging from defense of personal injury claims to wrongful termination claims.
Ms. Creighton is one of a very small group of attorneys considered highly qualified in defending childhood sexual abuse cases and her assistance has been sought out by public entities throughout Southern California. Ms. Creighton has successfully tried numerous jury trials, handles a wide variety of complex civil cases and appeals, and is admitted to state and federal courts throughout most of California, as well as the United State Supreme Court. In addition to her civil trial experience, Ms. Creighton has obtained extensive experience in handling disability retirement claims and appeals under the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (“the 37 Act). She has tried over 40 administrative appeals for retirement associations in Southern California, including SDCERA, LACERA and ICERS over the past 13 years. She has had cases published in the Fourth District Court of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Ms. Creighton has served as a keynote speaker on topics including Charter School Litigation, Interactive Process Requirements for Public Employers, Professionalism, and Ethics. She regularly provides training to school district employees on investigative techniques, sexual harassment, mandated reporting, and bullying. She has also served as a panelist at an American Bar Association 9th Circuit Annual Meeting in San Diego.
​
​
Ash Mohindru
Partner, McCune & Harber
​
Ash Mohindru is a Partner in McCune & Harber’s expanding employment department with nearly two decades of experience litigating cases throughout California.
Mr. Mohindru’s primary area of practice is employment litigation. He represents a wide range of public and private employers in claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, whistleblower complaints, and wage and hour disputes. He has extensive experience with matters under FEHA, Title VII, ADA, CFRA/FMLA, and Labor Code § 1102.5, as well as class actions and PAGA claims. Mr. Mohindru handles cases from pre-litigation through dispositive motions, trial, and appeal.
In addition to litigation, Mr. Mohindru provides strategic employment counseling, advising on HR matters, policy development, compliance, employee classification, leave policies, and risk management, helping employers stay ahead of potential disputes.
While employment law is the core of his practice, Mr. Mohindru has worn many different hats over the course of his legal career, including serving as in-house counsel and working as insurance defense counsel on matters ranging from minor bumps and scrapes to catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and everything in between. Additionally, Mr. Mohindru practiced at a boutique trial firm in San Francisco, where he defended clients in major wildland fire cases involving billions of dollars in exposure.
As a bona fide "jack of all trades," Mr. Mohindru is regularly called upon to handle particularly sensitive or high stakes matters for the firm, including AB 218 litigation, general liability cases, civil rights, and student discrimination matters.
​
​​
Antony Pizarro
Partner, McCune & Harber
Antony Pizarro is a Partner in McCune & Harber’s Employment Department. Mr. Pizarro is a litigation and trial attorney who defends public and private employers in all areas of employment law. His practice includes claims under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), and the California Labor Code.
Mr. Pizarro develops defense strategies that narrow issues early, limit exposure, and position matters for favorable resolution. He also advises on workplace issues ranging from discipline and accommodation to wage-and-hour compliance and investigations. Mr. Pizarro partners with management and HR teams to implement policies and practices that reduce risk, ensure compliance with state and federal law, and prevent litigation before it starts.
​
​
Megan Baier
Director of Governmental Relations, School Services of California
​
Megan Baier, Director, Government Relations, advocates on behalf of public and nonprofit clients, sponsoring legislation, advancing budget requests, and providing representation in the State Capitol. Ms. Baier brings a wealth of public policy and political experience to School Services of California (SSC). Prior to joining SSC, Ms. Baier led the Association of California School Administrators’ budget advocacy, representing 17,000 school leaders in the Capitol on fiscal and policy issues. She also spent a decade in the state Legislature, working for members of the Senate in key leadership roles, including serving as the TK-12 and higher education advisor to the Senate President pro Tempore, where she advised the Senate Democratic Caucus on education policy and budget issues. Additionally, Ms. Baier served as the Legislative Director for the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Ms. Baier received her bachelor's degree in feminist studies and politics at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
​
​
Bill Crawford. Ph.D.
Psychologist, Trainer, Crawford Performance Solutions
​
In addition to being named Speaker of the Year for organizations in both the United States and Canada, Dr. Bill Crawford holds a master’s degree and PhD in Psychology from the University of Houston. He is also a licensed psychologist, author of eight books, and organizational consultant. Over the last 40+ years, he has created more than 4,500 presentations for organizations including T-Mobile, Shell, the American Medical Association, PBS, and many other organizations and professional associations, both nationally and internationally. In addition, Dr. Crawford’s two PBS specials on stress and communication have been seen by more than 15 million people, and he has been quoted as an expert in diverse publications by the New York Times, Entrepreneur, the Chicago Tribune, Investor’s Business Daily, and Working Mother, just to name a few.