Making public sector work better.

       President

Tara Moore

Tara Moore is the Deputy Director of Human Resources for the Town of Parker, Colorado where she plays a key leadership role in recruitment, retention, organizational development, organizational culture, core value alignment and staff training.  She has worked for the Town of Parker for over 22 years and has been a part of the Human Resources team for over thirteen (13) years; having facilitated sessions on team building, leadership, performance management and emotional intelligence. Tara has been a past session speaker for Colorado PRIMA, PSHRA Western Region Conference and is a Crucial Conversations Trainer.

Tara is PSHRA-SCP and SPHR certified and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

A Colorado native she enjoys crafting, camping, cooking, sports and spending time with her family and friends.

Secretary

Amber Moreno

Amber Moreno is the Human Resources Director for the Town of Parker in Parker, Colorado. Amber has over 15 years of comprehensive human resources experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Oklahoma State University and her Master’s in Human Resource Management from Colorado State University – Global Campus. Amber holds a Senior Certified Professional designation from the Society for Human Resources Management.

Making a recent move from Northeast Oklahoma, Amber, her husband, and their three boys are busy enjoying the active Colorado lifestyle!

       Treasurer 

Gayle Johnston 

   Gayle Johnston serves as the Human Resource Manager at Jefferson County Communications Center Authority (Jeffcom 911), one of the largest emergency communications centers in the United States. Jeffcom 911 provides dispatch services to 30 police, fire, and emergency medical agencies, ensuring the safety of the community.

With over 20 years of experience in administrative and office management, Gayle brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. She works closely with the Human Resource Manager at Jeffcom, contributing significantly to the HR functions and overall organizational effectiveness.

Gayle is a certified SHRM-CP professional and has studied Human Resource Management at Southern New Hampshire University.

Originally from South Africa, Gayle moved to Colorado in 2001 and has since made it her home. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her three daughters and two Goldendoodles. Her passions include hiking, running, traveling, and exploring the great outdoors.

Past - President

Geralyn Gorshing

Geralyn Gorshing is the Director of Marketing and Business Development with CPS HR Consulting. She has over 30 years of experience in marketing, business development and customer relationship management.

Geralyn’s primary job responsibility is to build awareness about CPS HR’s unique capabilities among prospective clients, and develop and maintain relationships with current and past clients.

Her passion is to assist clients in finding innovative and practical solutions to their talent management challenges. As an advocate of the organization’s mission of promoting HR excellence in the public sector, Geralyn finds her work rewarding and fulfilling.

Geralyn is  president of the board of directors of SafeHouse Denver, a non-profit organization that provides comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. She has also done volunteer work for several other non-profit organizations in her community.

Geralyn holds a bachelors degree from Quinnipiac University and is currently working towards an MBA in Organizational Leadership. She’s a Certified Change Management Professional and a graduate of the 2007 Leadership Sacramento Class.

In her free time, Geralyn enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two active black labs.

2024-2025 Board Members

  Sarah Ballow

  Sarah Ballow is the Sr. Human Resources Generalist for the Town of Castle Rock where she focuses on    compensation and classification, employee relations, and recruitment. She has been with the Town since    2022, and has 8 years previous experience that includes talent acquisition management, HRIS and business   analytics, and campus recruitment. Sarah has a Bachelor’s degree in Corporate Administrative Operations from Metropolitan State University of Denver, and is SHRM-CP and SPHR certified. Sarah has lived in the Town of Castle Rock for over 20 years and is very passionate about the opportunity to serve the community that she grew up in.

In her free time, Sarah enjoys running alongside her 7 year old blue heeler, Lila, finding a new recipe to try, or traveling to new places.

Lydia Ombogo

Lydia Ombogo is a Senior HR Consultant with the University of Colorado Denver. For over 14 years, Lydia has been providing human resources support in all areas of Human Resources in both the private and public sectors. She is currently specializing in employment relations as that is the area of Human Resources she enjoys. Lydia has her Master of Science in Human Resources from Franklin University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin. She is also PHR and SHRM CP certified.

In her free time, Lydia enjoys spending time with her husband and two children and traveling to new places.

Board Memeber

Carin Owen

Carin Owen, SPHR, is Vice President of Organizational Development for HR Cert Pros Consulting Group and a certified, senior instructor for HR certification (HRCI/SHRM) exams. Carin is a strategically focused Human Resources leader with more than 20 years of expertise. Carin has achieved broad-based success in HR strategy, employee engagement, change acceleration, culture transformation, as well as leadership coaching and development. As a strategic partner and trusted advisor, Carin is passionate about engaging with human resources and business leaders to identify and execute on their individual goals and their organization's key deliverables.

Carin earned her Master's degree in Management from Regis University in Colorado and her undergraduate business degree from Elon College in North Carolina. She also holds an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) certification from the University of Denver; a Certified Change Practitioner designation through PROSCI; and a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification through HRCI. Carin serves on two Boards of Directors, PSHRA Colorado and the Boulder Human Resources Association.

Outside of work, Carin enjoys attending the many sporting events her children play in, spending time with friends and family, and traveling.

Annie Swan 

Annie Swan is a Human Resources Manager with the City of Arvada where she manages recruitment, onboarding, offboarding and front desk administration.  She has worked for the City of Arvada since 2016 and has over 19 years of Human Resource experience with a diverse background in the private and public sector.  Annie has passion for recruitment as she feels that an area she can help "change lives" by providing opportunity.

Annie is PSHRA-SCP and SHRM-CP certified and holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from Metropolitan State University of Denver.  

2024-2025 Associate Board Members

  Associate Board Member

  Gabrielle Caldwell

  Gabrielle Rathfon has over 10 years of diverse HR experience specializing in employee relations, recruitment, retention, and benefits management. She recently relocated home to Pennsylvania to be closer to family but looks forward to supporting the upcoming PSHRA season. 

Gabrielle is PSHRA-SCP and SHRM-SCP certified and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and Master’s degree in Employment and Labor Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

In her free time, Gabrielle enjoys exploring the outdoors with her lab Burton, camping, traveling, reading, and visiting friends and family. 

Associate Board Member

Alexis Perry-Scott 

Alexis is a proud Denver native and graduate of THE Langston University (Go Lions!) where she earned can have on innovation, productivity, and overall organizational success, Alexis dedicates her time to championing initiatives that promote diversity across all aspects of the organization. Through evidence-based research, education, and collaboration, Alexis strives to dismantle barriers and cultivate a culture of belonging where individuals from all backgrounds can thrive.

Previously, Alexis served as the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion thought leader and analyst for a local non-profit and the State of Colorado. Through her commitment to leadership and community, she is the Social Media Board Chair for the Urban League Young Professionals of Metro Denver and has created new strategic initiatives directly supporting and impacting Urban League Young Professional members and the Denver community. Alexis is a Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Impact Denver alumna, a graduate of CU Boulder Leeds School of Business Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy certificate program, certified in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida and is an Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado alumna.

In her free time, Alexis enjoys spending quality time with her amazing daughter and travels as much as she can. If there is one thing Alexis lives by, it’s to always be sunshine in human form.

THANK YOU to our 2023-2024 exiting Board Members

• Amanda Hartwig