XpertHR Team

Peggy Carter-Ward is the head of content for XpertHR - US.

She has 20 years of business compliance publishing experience, most recently as the editor-in-chief for 9 years at Business and Legal Resources, Inc., managing their HR, compensation, workpace safety and environmental compliance editorial operations.

Peggy has also judged for several prestigious publishing awards, including the WebAwards, SIIA CODiEs, and the AZBEEs.

John Messina is the senior vice president of sales for XpertHR - US.

John has worked for blue chip companies where he has been a successful executive in the areas of sales, marketing and product development.

Most recently, John worked at Standard & Poors, where he was vice president of global sales for structured finance products.

Prior to that, John led the product development and marketing teams at Experian.

John was also vice president of sales for Dun & Bradstreet, where he led a region of 240 sales associates.

In addition, John has been an adjunct professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University since 1999.

Michael Porch is general manager for XpertHR - US.

Michael has product direction and revenue responsibility for the XpertHR business in the US. He is responsible for leveraging the global product platform developed in the UK.

Prior to joining XpertHR/RBI, Michael served as managing director for investment banking for the Dow Jones Enterprise Media Group, where he had overall product direction and revenue responsibility for the investment banking business within Dow Jones, including: Dow Jones Investment Banker, Dow Jones Newswires and Dow Jones Factiva.

Before Dow Jones, Michael was senior vice president for strategic component product development for Thomson Financial, creating new and innovative workflow solutions for Thomson One components.

Prior to joining Thomson financial, he spent eight years at Reuters as senior vice president responsible for global component product development, launching Reuters News Next Generation capabilities and leading innovation teams in other primary content areas.

Alicia D. Smith is the project manager for XpertHR - US, with responsibility for content development, format and style, and production.

Prior to joining XpertHR, Alicia was a legal editor with LexisNexis, another Reed Elsevier company, where she worked to develop new content and customer-focused solutions in the LexisNexis litigation and alternative dispute resolution product lines.

Before joining LexisNexis, Alicia practiced law for four years as a civil litigation associate in New York City.

Ché Blackwood is the assistant editor for the XpertHR editorial team, aiding the legal and production editors in creating and maintaining site content.

After graduating from Rutgers University, Ché worked as a content editor and blogger for various websites before joining the XpertHR team.

Richard Blount is a production editor for the XpertHR editorial team.

Rick earned his BA in History at Rutgers University, where he gained interest in information management.

Before joining XpertHR, he worked over two years copy editing press releases for online distribution and four years developing digital and print educational materials.

Melissa Gonzalez Boyce is the legal editor for the labor relations section of XpertHR.

Prior to joining XpertHR, Melissa practiced labor and employment law with a focus on union-related matters, including collective bargaining, grievance and disciplinary procedures and unfair labor practices, as well as a variety of other employment-related claims.

Melissa represented private and public employers before the US District Court, the New Jersey Superior Court and Appellate Division, the EEOC and the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission.

Melissa Burdorf is the legal editor for the FMLA, ADA, USERRA, Jury Duty and other forms of leave content in the employee leaves and employee management sections of XpertHR.

Before joining XpertHR, Melissa served as associate counsel for Jackson Hewitt Tax Service. In that role, Melissa provided legal advice on all company matters, which included providing advice to HR on a multitude of employment-related issues.

Prior to working in-house, Melissa worked as an employment associate at LeClairRyan (formerly St. John & Wayne), where she handled a diverse docket of employment-related matters.

Michael Cardman is the legal editor for the wage and hour content in the employee compensation section of XpertHR.

Prior to joining XpertHR, Michael was the managing editor for Thompson Publishing Group's library of HR publications.

Michael C. Jacobson is the legal editor for the organizational exit and investigations and litigation sections of XpertHR.

Prior to joining XpertHR, Michael worked as an attorney in Manhattan for six years where he defended employers and healthcare providers against wrongful termination, discrimination, medical malpractice and general liability claims.

Michael obtained his JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he was the notes and comments editor for the Cardozo Public Law, Policy and Ethics Journal.

Marta Moakley is the legal editor for the training and development, employee retention, performance appraisals, promotions, employee communications, managing employees in special situations, employee discipline, and recordkeeping and minimizing liability content in the employee management section of XpertHR.

Prior to joining XpertHR, she worked as an assistant attorney general with the Florida Attorney General's Office, and as an Equal Opportunity Specialist for the US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.

Marta also served as a law clerk to the Hon. Paul C. Huck, Senior US District Judge for the Southern District of Florida.

Tracy Morley is the legal editor for the employee benefits section of XpertHR.

She has over 25 years of HR experience encompassing multiple HR disciplines including employee relations, benefit plan administration, payroll administration and performance management and compensation.

Tracy is a certified Senior Professional Human Resources (SPHR) and facilitates the SHRM Learning System, a course designed to help prepare HR professionals for their PHR/SPHR certification exam.

Rena Pirsos is the legal editor for the payroll content in the employee compensation section of XpertHR. She is a graduate of Fordham College at Lincoln Center, and Hofstra Universty School of Law.

Rena has more than 20 years of experience as a writer and editor of professional legal publications, particularly in the payroll subject area.

Bradley Schmidt is a production editor for the XpertHR editorial team.

Brad earned both his BA in English and MA in Writing Studies at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, PA.

He has worked as an editor of print and web publications focused on the healthcare, hospitality and laboratory science industries since 2006.

Ashley Shaw is the legal editor of the risk management - health, safety, security chapter of XpertHR.

Ashley graduated with honors from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA receiving a BA in English, with a concentration in Professional Writing.

Prior to joining XpertHR, Ashley graduated from Faulkner University, Thomas Goode Jones School of Law in Montgomery, AL. While there, she received certificates in Alternative Dispute Resolution and Mediation.

While mediating cases in the Montgomery County District Court, as well as in the Autauga County District Court, Ashley helped resolve landlord/tenant concerns and business disputes, among other issues.

Melissa A. Silver is the legal editor for the employment offer, terms of employment, new hire paperwork, negligent hiring, onboarding and orientation, recordkeeping and minimizing liability content in the recruiting and hiring chapter of XpertHR.

Prior to joining XpertHR, Melissa practiced law for 10 years.

During the last 8 years, Melissa engaged in private practice and focused on the defense of clients in cases involving harassment, discrimination and retaliation claims, as well as the enforcement of restrictive covenants.

Melissa has successfully litigated cases before the New Jersey Superior Court, US District Court, the EEOC and the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights.

David B. Weisenfeld is the legal editor for the preemployment background check, job advertising, and interviewing and selection content in the recruiting and hiring section of XpertHR.

Prior to joining XpertHR, he served as US Supreme Court correspondent and editor-in-chief of a nationwide legal news service, as well as co-anchor of the company’s newscasts and editor of its employment law product.

David's work also has appeared in the ABA's Supreme Court Preview, Employee Rights Quarterly, USA Today and The Washington Times.

Beth P. Zoller is the legal editor for the discrimination, affirmative action, harassment, retaliation, employee privacy, and employee handbooks/work rules/employee conduct content in the employee management section of XpertHR.

Prior to joining XpertHR, Beth practiced law for more than 10 years representing employers with respect to employment discrimination and harassment claims, contractual disputes, restrictive covenant issues, family and medical leave, wage and hour disputes and a variety of other employment-related claims.