A LITTLE ABOUT ME...
Hello! I'm Colleen. With over two decades of experience in internal HR leadership positions for businesses in Central New York, I made the switch to consulting a few years back and most recently establishing CNY HR Now LLC. My extensive background enables me to empathize with your challenges—tackling everyday employee matters, compliance hurdles, and those tough choices that keep you awake at night. I also recognize the significant impact well-crafted HR strategies and decision making can have on a company's success.
Since venturing into consulting, I've partnered with businesses of all sizes and sectors—some with HR teams needing assistance on intricate issues, and others lacking any HR support, relying on my expertise when needed.
I earned my Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management and have maintained my Professional Human Resources (PHR) Certification from HRCI since 2008.
My passion lies in assisting business owners and managers in navigating the complex, ever-changing landscape of employment regulatory compliance and HR best practices. I strive to make it understandable and provide options and recommendations for practical and actionable next steps. No canned HR answers here!
If you're facing a tough termination, grappling with leave requests, or just trying to stay compliant, I've been in your shoes—and I'm here to help you approach it with confidence. The best part? I respond to calls or emails promptly—no service tickets or 1-800 numbers involved!
Outside of work, I enjoy life in Central New York with my husband, kids, rescue dogs and cat. I’m grateful for a fantastic network of family, friends, and colleagues who provide me support and inspriration every day!
I serve on the Board of Directors for a local not-for-profit, Contact Community Services, which supports the social, emotional, behavioral and mental health of children, youth, and adults through crisis and suicide prevention, school support services and training and education. I volunteer as a troop co-leader for Girls Scouts of NYPENN, supporting leadership and confidence building for young girls, and for the United Way Book Buddies program, promoting early literacy education in our community.
TAKE THEIR WORD FOR IT...
See more professional recommendations on LinkedIn!
"I had the pleasure of working with Colleen and was consistently impressed by her intelligence, thoroughness, and sound judgment.
She navigates complex employee investigations and disciplinary matters with a level-headed approach, ensuring fairness and compliance at every step.
What sets Colleen apart is her ability to tackle difficult conversations directly while maintaining professionalism and respect. She understands the nuances of employee relations and balances empathy with the needs of the organization.Any company would be fortunate to have her expertise."
— Bill Hamilton,
SVP Property Management
“Colleen has a really unique ability to bring together team members and stakeholders to deliver tangible benefits to an organization.
I worked with her in an HR consulting capacity at OneGroup, where I got to watch her bring a large number of organizations into HR compliance, through difficult transitions, and out of administrative ruts.
Of course, she also has exceptional knowledge & skill in all HR focus areas.
Her work ethic is incredible and she's simply a wonderful person to work with; I am very lucky to have had the opportunity to do so.”— Travis Simpson,
HR Business Partner
"I worked with Colleen for almost 5 years at Manth-Brownell. In those 5 years, Colleen was the consummate HR leader - professional and composed in all situations, demonstrating expertise in HR best practices and trends, and approachable by all levels of the organization.
Colleen has an unflappable, thoughtful approach to all HR situations, as Colleen resolved employee conflicts, administered the Manth-Brownell benefits program and process, and provided sound technical HR leadership to the Manth executives.
I would wholeheartedly endorse Colleen for a senior leadership role in the HR department of any organization."
— Robert Pike,
Retired Manufacturing Executive
