Join the Metro South Chamber of Commerce for an Ask the Experts: Good Day Metro South Luncheon, an informative and interactive program designed to help employers prepare for the evolving workplace landscape in the year ahead.
The luncheon will feature a keynote address by Senator Michael Rodrigues, Chair of the Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means Committee, who will share insights on the Commonwealth’s economic outlook, legislative priorities, and what they mean for the business community.
Following the keynote, hear from an HR Law & Compliance Panel with representatives from HR Alternatives, TriNet, LukeJackson Benefit and HR Solutions, and Murphy Hesse Toomey & Lehane LLP. The panel will discuss key HR and employment law trends employers should be monitoring as they plan for 2026, with a focus on practical considerations and real-world compliance challenges facing Massachusetts organizations.
Discussion topics may include emerging pay transparency requirements, wage and hour compliance, paid family and medical leave updates, worker classification, workplace safety trends, data privacy and the use of AI in HR, and evolving EEO and anti-discrimination considerations. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and gain guidance on how to proactively update policies, training, and internal practices.
📅 Date & Time: Friday, January 30th, 2026 from 11:45AM-1:30PM
📍 Location: Meehan School of Business, Stonehill College (320 Washington Street, Easton, MA 02357)
🤝 Sponsored by: Rockland Federal Credit Union
This program is ideal for business owners, executives, HR professionals, and managers looking to stay informed, ask questions directly of experts, and prepare their organizations for the year ahead.
Questions? Contact Hannah McGuire at events@metrosouthchamber.com or call (508) 586-0500 x231
About the guest speakers:
State Senator Michael J. Rodrigues has proudly represented the First Bristol and Plymouth District in the Massachusetts State Senate since 2010, serving the communities of Westport, Fall River, Freetown, Lakeville, Rochester, Somerset, and Swansea. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, he plays a leading role in shaping the Commonwealth’s budget and advancing major legislative priorities.
Over his tenure, Senator Rodrigues has held key leadership roles, including Senate Majority Whip, Chair of the Senate Committee on Ethics, and Vice Chair of both the Senate Committees on Steering and Policy and Redistricting. He previously chaired the Joint Committee on Revenue and spent 14 years in the House of Representatives, where he led committees focused on labor, workforce development, and consumer protection.
A graduate of UMass Dartmouth with a degree in Accounting, Senator Rodrigues brings real-world perspective as President and Treasurer of his family’s small business, ABC Floor Covering in Westport. He is a devoted husband, father, and legislator.
His public service has been recognized with numerous local awards, and in 2010, he received the Medal of Prince Henry the Navigator, Portugal’s highest civilian honor for non-citizens, awarded by the President of Portugal.
Mary Ellen Baker is the second generation of the Callahan family to join HR Alternatives. She is a graduate of the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts and is a SHRM (Society of Human Resources Management) Certified Professional. Mary has 7 years of experience in compensation and workforce analysis. She has experience developing and delivering school curriculum and facilitating professional development and networking conferences.
Mary Ellen is providing outsourced HR services to client companies, managing special projects and conducting employee workshops.
Mary Ellen enjoys reading and spending time outdoors playing and exploring with her husband David, their two sons and their fur-baby. She serves as an Ambassador for the Metro South Chamber of Commerce.
Allison Amador is the manager of TriNet’s HR Compliance team. Her team of HR professionals lead HR compliance initiatives at TriNet, helping provide guidance to small and midsize businesses (SMBs) as they navigate complex employment regulations and implement best practices, including issues related to leave of absence, pay transparency, time off, and employee relations. Her team also provides policy support and leads investigations. With expertise in HR consulting and compliance, Allison partners with organizations to mitigate risk and foster an engaged and compliant workplace. She has been with TriNet for more than a decade and holds a Master of Human Resources (MHR) from Rollins College, in addition to the PHR and SHRM CP-certifications.
Stephanie Messina Sewade, a partner at LukeJackson, leads our Human Resource Consulting practice, and has hands-on experience assisting local, regional and national employers. She interfaces with clients on all human resource and benefit projects, regardless of the scope of the project or issue. Stephanie brings 35 years of human resource leadership from her former role as Human Resource Director for Market Basket, where she was responsible for compensation, benefits, payroll, and human resource administration and compliance for the supermarket’s 25,000 employees. Her prior role at Market Basket, also included responsibility for negotiating, purchasing, and communicating the suite of benefits available to the 25,000 associates, and worked extensively with the state of Massachusetts in developing the HIRD legislation and documentation.
Her goal for LukeJackson’s clients is to easily navigate the everchanging world of human resource and benefit compliance in light of their future growth. Stephanie is a hands-on educator, that believes in working with LukeJackson’s clients to create a win-win roadmap to attract and retain their most important asset, their associates.
Stephanie is also active in the both the business and civic community. She is currently an Executive Director for Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce. In the past, she served as a former Director of the Greater Lawrence YWCA, Haverhill Boys and Girls Club and the Psychological Center of Greater Lawrence. She is, and current member of the Greater Merrimack Valley Human Resource Association, the New England Employee Benefits Council, and SHRM-Society of Human Resource Management.
Stephanie received an MBA in Human Resource Management from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, a B.A. in Mathematics from Merrimack College, North Andover, MA and SHRM-CP Professional Certification from the Society of Human Resource Management.
Michael J. Maccaro is a partner at the firm and represents employers in both the public and private sector, acting labor counsel for private entities and as both labor counsel and general counsel to governmental bodies, including numerous school districts. His labor law practice includes representing employers in representation proceedings and campaigns, contract negotiation, collective bargaining matters, grievance administration and arbitration, and in proceedings before the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations and the National Labor Relations Board. His employment law practice includes defending employers in a wide range of workplace claims, including claims of employment discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful discharge before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and other enforcement agencies. Mr. Maccaro has successfully represented clients before the Division of Unemployment Assistance, the Civil Service Commission, the Massachusetts Superior Court, and the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
Prior to joining MHTL, Mr. Maccaro served as an Associate General Counsel for a large labor union, where he litigated over one hundred arbitration cases. Following law school, he served as a Law Clerk to the Justices of the Superior Court. Mr. Maccaro has served as an Adjunct Professor at Massachusetts School of Law where he taught legal writing. He regularly speaks to employers on matters such as collective bargaining obligations, employment practices, and drafting of workplace policies. Mr. Maccaro currently serves on the Executive Board of the Labor Employment Relations Association. He is the 2019 recipient of the Cushing-Gavin Award for excellence in providing management labor relations legal counsel. Mr. Maccaro graduated from Bates College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Chemistry, and received his law degree from Northeastern University.
