Cynthia Koppany (Cyndi) has over 25 years in the insurance industry as a Workers' Compensation specialist. She has extensive Claims Management experience with carriers, TPA's and self-insured's overseeing staff, budgets, operations, and internal communications. Cyndi has developed and delivered numerous workers' compensation training programs for Claims Professionals, including a national certification training program. Cyndi has also worked as an Independent Consultant and Advisor to the Workers' Compensation industry developing business practices, delivering and monitoring Claims and Management training, mentoring and continuing education programs.

Cyndi Koppany, Director of Education & Business Practices Email: cyndi@workcompcentral.com

Rene Thomas Folse JD, Ph.D. is both an attorney at law and a licensed psychologist in California. He has practiced Workers Compensation since 1974 as the founding partner of the Miller & Folse defense firm. During that period he represented most major Calfornia insurance carriers and many self insured entities.

He has lectured nationally on many topics including forensic psychology which is his area of special interest. He also advocates for special needs children.

David John DePaolo, JD, MBA, is the president and CEO of workcompcentral.com, Inc., the parent company to WorkCompCentral, WorkCompSchool, WorkCompForums, WorkCompJobs, WorkCompAds, WorkCompStore, and a number of workers' compensation industry related media properties. DePaolo is a California licensed attorney (#116735) and has been practicing workers' compensation law since 1985. Besides workcompcentral.com, Inc., which DePaolo founded in 2000, he has been the managing partner of a major workers' compensation law firm, has provided expert consulting services and is routinely sought to present to institutions and organizations on the mechanics of workers' compensation law, workers' compensation policies, and the industry.

Lisa Meadows has been a workers' compensation claims professional since 1992. She specializes in medical bill review. Her experience includes claims and management positions with insurance carriers, self insured entities and third party administrators. She has been responsible for training claims staff with respect to processing medical bills for payment. Her hands on, real world experience is a great asset for the course topics she teaches here at WorkCompSchool.

William J. Koppany is an Associate Attorney in the Los Angeles office of Tobin Lucks, LLP. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern University School of Law in 1980. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University, Los Angeles and a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. Mr. Koppany has worked as a supervising attorney for Fremont Compensation Insurance Company and for Farmers Insurance Group. With a background in both civil litigation and workers' compensation, Mr. Koppany brings over 25 years of litigation experience to the firm. His specialty is in the defense of psychiatric workers' compensation claims, S & W claims, 132(a) claims, and in all other aspects of workers' compensation and employment law matters. Mr. Koppany has been certified as a specialist in Workers' Compensation Law by the State Bar of California. Mr. Koppany is a participating member of the Employer's Fraud Task Force, and is currently the Secretary of the Workers' Compensation Claims Association. He presently has been called upon to act as a Judge Pro Tem for the Los Angeles Superior Court. Mr. Koppany is also a member of the Louisiana Bar Association.

Dee Ella Dorey is a Workers' Compensation Defense Attorney serving self insured employers and industrial insurance carriers in the Southern California geographical area.  Her firm has a  focus on the management of complex cases which require a multi-discipline approach, proactive coaching, teamwork, aggressive representation, and office automation and telecommunications. Her offices are in Thousand Oaks California.  Prior to her admission to the California Bar she was in Claims Administration with Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, and then California Casualty Indemnity Exchange.  In addition to her law degree she has earned Bachelor of Science, Speech Pathology and Audiology Magna Cum Laude.

Bruce Hector, M.D., has practiced family medicine in Southern California since 1974. In 1995 he was among the first physicians to receive certification by the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (ABIME), the only board dedicated to examinations and testing, including using the AMA Guides 5th Edition. Since 1991 Dr. Hector has been Medical Director of the Parthenia Medical Group and is responsible for all training. Dr. Hector has served as Chairman of the American Back Society's committee on Industrial Injury and Illness and has also represented the California Medical Association before the Department of Workers' Compensation and California State Senate as their AMA Guides 5th Edition "guru".

Jamie Charter, consultant, trainer and author, has been providing employment and litigation consulting services for 23 years through Charter and Company employment resource consultants in Soquel, California. Areas of specialization include development and implementation of disability management programs, case management, EEOC/FEHA/ADA consultation, return-to-work facilitation, CalPers job description services, job analyses, conducting training seminars for employer groups on sexual harassment prevention and discrimination and litigation /expert witness services in Forensics.

Jamie has assisted numerous City, County, school district and small employers with compliance matters, resulting in a positive and proactive outcome.

Jamie holds a Masters Degree in Counseling, is certified as a Professional in Disability Management, (CPDM) and is a State of California Independent Vocational Evaluator (IVE). Ms. Charter is active in the Forensics and Disability Management chapters of the International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals and the California Association of Rehabilitation and Reemployment Professionals, is in the NCHRA, the Santa Cruz County Bar Association, the Employer Advisory Council and COSIPA.

Jamie, in her role as a faculty member of the WorkCompSchool, is developing curriculum for courses in employment related areas, including harassment, discrimination, and other subjects of importance affecting the workplace. Ms. Charter is also a faculty member of HRResource.com.

Jamie is also a prolific and accomplished writer and editor, with many published articles in employment related issues on the workcompcentral newsletter and in other wide-reaching media arenas.

Additionally, Ms. Charter is a principal in the Vocational Consulting Consortium, a professional statewide group providing consulting services in the areas of labor law compliance, expert witness services and resources to employers, the legal community and the insurance industry.

www.employerresourceconsultants.com

Dale O'Brien has been involved in Workers’ Compensation Claims for many decades. His experience includes Vice President of Claims and Managed Care for Superior National (300 Member Claim Department), work in insurance marketing, and Chief Operating Officer for Health Net Plus.  He is an energetic and humorous teacher and educator.

 Mr. DePaolo is President of AJDePaolo.com, a full-service industrial education and program management firm in Southern California.  Mr. DePaolo specializes in industrial and occupational safety, risk management, hazardous/waste material programs, and workers' compensation programs. Mr. DePaolo holds an Advanced Safety Certificate from the National Safety Council and various certifications for the U.S. Department of Labor, including the OSHA General Industry Safety and Health Certificate.

Mr. Stein is President of GreyHawk Enterprises and a professional educator and program specialist on Risk Management and Business Continuity Planning. He presently is working on the establishment of a North American Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for a Fortune 100 company.  This effort will establish a program to improve business programs, processes, and protect the company’s core business functions and revenues.