The NILG Advisory Council is comprised of the Board’s Counsel and Compliance Subject Matter Experts who contribute at the direction of the Board to provide input on regulatory matters of importance to federal contractors.
The NILG Advisory Council supports the work of the Board’s Constituency Outreach Committee (COC), which interfaces with local ILGs and the OFCCP, EEOC, ODEP and the Veterans administration, by helping to sharpen issues for ILG discussion and develop practice recommendations for agency review.
NILG Advisory Council members are selected by Board vote and serve overlapping 2 year terms. The NILG Advisory Council, in place since 2019, has become instrumental in helping the NILG support local ILGs and in providing observations and feedback to regulators.
Opening on NILG Board (Counsel) and NILG Advisory Council
Current NILG Advisory Council Members:
H. Juanita (Nita) M. Beecher, Counsel to Fortney & Scott, LLC, is a nationally-recognized expert on OFCCP and the EEOC with more than 40 years of experience in federal and state employment law. Currently, Ms. Beecher provides advice to clients on a broad range of employment law issues with her primary focus on issues involving discrimination, affirmative action, compensation and wage and hour matters. She also serves as Legal Counsel to The Institute for Workplace Equality as well as co-editor of the Federal Employment Law Insider, a monthly newsletter updating employers on federal laws and regulations and presents webinars on federal employment law issues.
Cara Y. Crotty is an Equity Partner in the Columbia, South Carolina office of Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP where she practices employment litigation and affirmative action. Cara’s affirmative action practice includes advising clients on all aspects of affirmative action compliance, plan development, and preparing for and representing contractors during compliance reviews. She became Leader of the firm’s Affirmative Action/OFCCP Compliance Practice Area in 2003. In her litigation practice, Cara represents clients in all varieties of employment-related lawsuits and provides general and preventative advice to companies.
Valerie Hoffman is a partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP where she has a nation-wide practice of labor and employment law and has served in various management roles at the Firm. As counsel to management, Valerie advises employers of all varieties and sizes, including Fortune 100 technology, financial services, professional services, hospitality, and manufacturing companies. While Valerie has a broad-based employment law advice and counsel practice, she has a particular focus on strategies to prevent and resolve issues relating to employment discrimination, including pay equity and glass ceiling issues, OFCCP defense and affirmative action compliance, and advice about legally defensible diversity practices. Valerie is a core leader of the Firm’s Pay Equity Group and founded and is Co-Chair of the Firm’s nationally prominent OFCCP, Affirmative Action & Diversity practice.
Lynn Clements, as Director, Regulatory Affairs for Berkshire, oversees Berkshire’s audit defense practice, helping clients respond to hundreds of government investigations since she joined the consulting firm in 2014. With over 20 years of EEO/AA experience, Lynn also serves as a strategic advisor to clients with respect to EEO/AA and pay equity issues and regularly helps clients develop robust compliance and diversity programs through client training and policy and program development. Prior to joining Berkshire, Lynn was a partner at a management-side law firm and served in several senior policy development roles at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Labor, including as the Acting Director of Policy at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. A frequent speaker to HR professionals of all levels at national and local events, Lynn has testified before Congress on EEO and pay equity issues, regularly assists industry organizations, including SHRM and CUPA-HR, in understanding and responding to regulatory proposals.
Cynthia H. Collver is a recently retired HR Management professional with significant experience in EEO and Affirmative Action policies, procedures, audits, investigations and resolutions, and Diversity/Inclusion strategic programming and organization change management. She accumulated this experience having held relevant positions in 4 companies across 3 industry segments
Cynthia has been recognized throughout her career, and most recently with the NILG Lifetime Achievement Award, for many years of voluntary associations with EEOC, OFCCP, ODEP management and other related public and private organizations to further equality and inclusion through education, awareness and understanding. Cynthia has had a 35-year association with ILGs and is a Founding Member of the National Industry Liaison Group.