Honorable Stephen J. Abbott
Administrative Law Judge
State of Colorado Office of Administrative Courts
Stephen Abbott is an administrative law judge for the State of Colorado, where he presides over workers’ compensation disputes. Before serving on the bench, he worked as an Assistant City Attorney for the City and County of Denver, litigating matters that included workers’ compensation, subrogation, and appellate practice. His background also includes experience as a deputy district attorney in Colorado’s 13th Judicial District and as an associate in private practice focusing on workers’ compensation defense.
Bar Code: How Artificial Intelligence is used in Law
Jenna Becker
MSN, FNP-BC
Provider Relations Consultant
Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation
Jennifer (Jenna) Becker, RN, MSN, FNP-BC, AGACNP, is a dually certified Nurse Practitioner and a lifelong resident of Westcliffe, Colorado, with a profound commitment to advancing rural healthcare. A 2010 BSN graduate of Regis University, Jenna earned her MSN from Colorado State University-Pueblo in 2015. Her clinical versatility is backed by experience in both Family Practice and Occupational Medicine. Currently, she balances her time between treating patients at a family medicine clinic and serving as a Provider Relations Consultant for the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation.
The Injured Worker Experience
Tiffany Becker
Manager of Business Operations
Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation
DOWC Tech Updates: Voices of CoComp
The Injured Worker Experience
Scott Bonynge
Co-founder
Harmonious Hearts Healing
Scott is a Shamanic & Reiki Energy Healer, Medium, Intuitive, and Teacher who offers an integrated approach to spiritual healing and personal transformation. His work goes beyond surface-level relief, focusing on reconnecting individuals with their authentic selves.
Scott is deeply passionate about guiding others to uncover their purpose, activate their innate gifts, and release the patterns that keep them feeling stuck. Through intuitive insight and compassionate guidance, he creates a safe and sacred space for healing, energetic alignment, and personal expansion.
Medical – The Effectiveness of Complementary Medicine
Monica Bonynge
Co-founder
Harmonious Hearts Healing
Monica is an intuitive counselor, hypnotherapist, and energy healer who supports individuals through healing, transformation, and personal growth. Her work centers on helping people reconnect with their inner strength, clarity, and sense of purpose.
With a compassionate and integrative approach, Monica guides individuals through emotional, energetic, and mindset-based work to support recovery, resilience, and authenticity. She is deeply committed to creating a supportive space where meaningful insight and healing can occur, empowering people to move forward with confidence and intention.
The Effectiveness of Complementary Medicine
Honorable Laura Broniak
Director and Chief Administrative Law Judge
Office of Administrative Courts
Laura Broniak was appointed as the Director and Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Office of Administrative Courts in September 2022. Prior to her appointment, Judge Broniak served as an administrative law judge for both the Office of Administrative Courts and the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation. Before becoming an administrative law judge, Judge Broniak represented the Colorado Division of Insurance and other state agencies as an Assistant Attorney General, and also worked in private practice.
Trailblazers in Workers’ Compensation: Innovating the System
Emily Burns
MD, MSPH
Medical Director
UCHealth
Dr. Burns graduated from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 2002 and then completed a Preventive Medicine residency in 2006, also through the University of Colorado. She became board certified in Occupational and Environmental Medicine in 2022 after having been board certified in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine since 2006. She has a background conducting public health research at the Colorado School of Public Health and practicing primary care for several years before entering the field of occupational medicine about ten years ago. Currently Dr. Burns serves as the Occupational Medicine Medical Director across UCHealth’s Occupational Medicine department and practices full time clinical occupational medicine at UCHealth in Colorado Springs.
The Doctors Are In: Medical Directors’ Roundtable
Trailblazers in Workers’ Compensation: Innovating the System
Veronica Bundt
AINS, AIC-M, ARM-P, AU, CCP, ACP, CRCR
Healthcare Contract Specialist
Pinnacol
Veronica Bundt is a 22-year veteran in the workers’ compensation industry and at Pinnacol Assurance, Colorado’s largest workers’ comp insurance carrier. She began her career at Pinnacol as a claims representative and then worked as a provider relations specialist before moving into her current role as a healthcare contract specialist. In her current position, Bundt ensures that network providers and vendors provide high-quality care and services to injured workers under the Workers Compensation Act while ensuring cost savings to Pinnacol’s policyholders
Industry Spotlight
Alison Butler
Senior Disability Policy Advisor
Colorado Disability Opportunity Office
Alison Butler is the Senior Disability Policy Advisor for the State of Colorado’s Disability Opportunity Office (CDOO). She joined the State following an extensive career as a civil rights attorney focusing on disability rights and leading the City & County of Denver’s Disability Rights Division. Over the course of her career, Alison has fought for independence, equity, and justice for people with disabilities in accessing governmental services, employment, housing, public accommodations, and physical and mental health care services.
Caution! Busy Intersection Ahead: the ADA and Workers’ Compensation Laws
Danny Combs
M.A., BCCS, CAS
Director
Colorado Disability Opportunity Office
Danny Combs is a nationally recognized leader in building equitable futures for neurodistinct individuals and advancing opportunity for the entire disability community. As the inaugural Director of the Colorado Disability Opportunity Office—the state’s senior strategic and policy agency housed within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment—he works closely with the Governor and Lieutenant Governor to make Colorado the best state in the nation for people with disabilities.
COMP-lementary: Accessibility Benefits All
Elizabeth Esty
MD, MPH
Medical Director, Vail Community Health Occupational Health | Medical Director, Boulder Community Health Occupational Health | Associate Program Director, CU Occupational and Environmental Medical Residency Program
Dr. Esty is board certified in occupational and environmental medicine. She serves as the assistant program director for the University of Colorado’s residency in occupational medicine, where her current research focuses on the ethics of employer involvement in clinical care. Dr. Esty is also the medical director for occupational health at both Boulder Community Health and Vail Health Occupational Health. Prior to her residency training, she worked with the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation Medical Treatment Guideline group, evaluating medical literature to inform clinical guidelines. A member of the DIME panel, she also performs both respondent and claimant independent medical examinations.
The Doctors Are In: Medical Directors’ Roundtable
Return to Work: Getting Them Back in the Game (Safely!)
Cher Haavind
Deputy Executive Director and Chief Communications Officer
Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Cher Haavind joined the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment in 2007 and currently serves as the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Communications Officer for the 2000-person agency. Cher has nearly two decades of experience in public and media relations, strategic and crisis communications and government affairs. She has led public relations campaigns for government agencies and elected officials resulting in increased citizen engagement, policy advancement and enhanced media relations. In her current role, Cher oversees internal and external communications, public relations and strategic and performance planning for the agency, as well as operational oversight for four of the department’s regulatory divisions.
Under her leadership, CDLE received national recognition for award-winning public relations and design campaigns, increased employee engagement through digital communications strategies and created the agency’s first ongoing Congressional outreach effort.
Cher is past chair of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies’ Communications Committee, currently serves on the State Apprenticeship Council and is a fellow in the Governor’s Executive Fellowship for State Leaders.
Welcome Remarks
David Janak
Director for Benefits & Risk Management, Boulder Valley School District
David serves as Director of Employee Benefits and Risk Management for Boulder Valley School District, where he oversees benefits, wellness, retirement, and risk management programs supporting thousands of employees. He manages district committees and provides strategic oversight of self-funded health and workers’ compensation programs, as well as district-sponsored retirement plans.
Previously, David served as Chief Financial Officer for Mapleton School District and spent more than a decade as Assistant Superintendent for Business Services at Rapid City Area Schools, where he led finance, operations, facilities, and benefits administration.
Return to Work: Getting Them Back in the Game (Safely!)
Asha Jefferson
Esq.
Chair
Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission
Mount Up: Regulators’ Roundtable
Martin Kelly
Martial Arts Instructor, Self-Care Arts
City of Colorado Springs
Sifu Martin “Mountain Dragon” Kelly is an accomplished martial arts instructor with an impressive 50 years of experience. His expertise includes 20 years spent providing medical Qigong instruction, initially at Penrose Hospital and currently for the City of Colorado Springs wellness department. His teaching philosophy strongly emphasizes self-care arts and holistic wellness, viewing Qigong as a true form of self-care medicine. When used alongside allopathic treatments, this self-healing art has been shown to increase blood flow to the brain, effectively complementing Western medical interventions. Sifu Kelly’s comprehensive approach to well-being offers valuable insights directly applicable to professional environments, particularly in the areas of safety, injury prevention, and personal well-being.
The Effectiveness of Complementary Medicine
Amy Kingston
Esq.
Manager of Compensation Services
Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation
Amy is the Manager of Claims and Employer Programs for the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation. She received her J.D. and B.A. in English summa cum laude from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has been working in workers’ compensation, in one form or another since high school when she worked for a temporary nursing agency. Amy is passionate about workers’ compensation because the field is endless fascinating, and she has the opportunity at the Division to make a difference in the lives of Coloradoans.
Where the Rules Meet the Road: a Working Session for Rules 1, 5, 6, 7
Bar Code: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Law
Joe Kuster
CISSP, MCPS, MCITP
Solution Director, Managed Services
Quisitive
Joe Kuster is the Director of Security & Compliance Solutions at Quisitive, a global Microsoft partner, where he leads the development of enterprise security programs, including Spyglass—Quisitive’s continuous security improvement platform. With over 20 years of experience in cloud and security engineering, Joe has personally delivered more than 1,400 cloud security assessments across healthcare, retail, government, and critical‑infrastructure organizations. His recent work includes building and delivering AI Security Readiness programs, redesigning cybersecurity workflows around Ai, and creating Zero‑Trust security model reference architectures to secure Ai deployments.
Workers’ Computation: Artificial Intelligence and the Workers’ Compensation System
Nevine Laughlin
Return to Work Director
Pinnacol Assurance
Nevine Laughlin joined Pinnacol Assurance in 2020 as the director of the Return to Work program, where she leads a team that helps injured workers safely return to their jobs after workplace injuries. This role represents a return to her roots in vocational rehabilitation, where she worked to connect people with disabilities with meaningful employment opportunities.
Return to Work: Getting Them Back in the Game (Safely!)
Katherine Lee
Associate
Pollart Miller
Katherine was born and raised right outside of D.C. in McLean, Virginia, and attended the College of William and Mary in Virginia and Wake Forest Law School in North Carolina before moving to Colorado in 2023 to begin her legal career. Katherine was a founding board member of Wake Forest Law School’s Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, and was additionally a Wake Forest Moot Court board member. She has been an attorney with Pollart Miller since July of 2024, and currently lives in Castle Rock with her husband and three dogs – a beagle, a collie-mix, and a St. Bernard.
Trailblazer
Gabriel Lockhart
MD
Senior Medical Director
Pinnacol Assurance
Dr. Lockhart brings a wealth of experience in clinical leadership, quality improvement, utilization management, and strategic innovation. He is a board-certified pulmonary and critical care physician with an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He started his medical career at National Jewish Health with an impressive background that includes serving as Medical Director of the ICU and Quality Improvement Chair at Saint Joseph Hospital, where he significantly improved mortality rates and reduced hospital-acquired infections. Dr. Lockhart’s expertise also extends to peer review, sepsis management, and resource utilization, and he was elected President of the Medical Staff at National Jewish Health. In 2025, Dr. Lockhart was named a Top Doctor for 5280 Magazine. Beyond his hospital-based work, Dr. Lockhart is deeply committed to public health. He continues to serve on the Board of Directors for the Uptown Community Health Center, focusing on equitable care for underserved populations, and previously served on a medical advisory group for the Governor of Colorado on pandemic strategies and vaccine equity.
The Doctors Are In: Medical Directors’ Roundtable
Talia Marquez
Associate
Burg Simpson
Talia M. Marquez is an attorney in Burg Simpson’s Workers’ Compensation Department. Ms. Marquez obtained her JD from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2023. She is the current Board of Governors Representative for the CBA Workers’ Compensation Section Executive Council and Active member of the Workers’ Compensation Education Association. Prior to attending law school, Ms. Marquez obtained her BA in Journalism from the University of Kansas.
Stephan J. Marsh
Esq.
Bar Code: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Law
Honorable Wesley G. Marshall
Chairman
Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission
Wesley G. Marshall is Chairman of the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission. He was first appointed as a Commissioner by the Virginia General Assembly in 2012 after a private law practice for 23 years, primarily representing plaintiffs in workers’ compensation, employment and other civil litigation. He graduated from the University of Virginia with his B.A. with distinction in 1985 and his J.D. in 1988.
Mount Up: Regulators’ Roundtable
Honorable Frank McKay
Appellate Judge Director
Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation
Judge Frank R. McKay is an Appellate Judge and Director for the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation where he served as Chairman and Chief Appellate Judge for eight years.
In 2024 Judge McKay was inducted into the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary Hall of Fame. He also received the 2019 National Judge Comp Laude Award from WorkCompCentral. Judge McKay is a Fellow in the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers (CWCL). He is a Past-President of the Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators (SAWCA) and served as a Dean of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 Roger L. Williams National Regulators College. He served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary (NAWCJ). He served on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Workers’ Compensation Institute (WCI).
Trailblazers in Workers’ Compensation: Innovating the System
Mount Up: Regulators’ Roundtable
X. J. Ethan Moses
MD, MPH, FACOEM
Medical Director, Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation | Chief Medical Officer, Peak Form Medical Center | Colorado School of Public Health Faculty | University of Colorado School of Medicine Faculty
Dr. Xavier James Ethan “Mojo” Moses is the Medical Director for the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine where he serves as a member of their Council on Occupational and Environmental Medicine Science. Dr. Moses continues to serve patients as the Chief Medical Officer at Peak Form Medical Center, and he holds faculty appointments at both the Colorado School of Public Health and the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He has previously served in several executive leadership positions, including Chief of the Division of Occupational Medicine at Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Chief Resident at the University of Colorado’s Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency, and Chief of Aerospace Medicine at Buckley Air Force Base where he served as an active-duty flight surgeon.
The Doctors Are In: Medical Directors’ Roundtable
From Controversy to Care: Innovations in Medical Cannabis Reimbursement
John O'Donnell
President and CEO
Pinnacol Assurance
John O’Donnell is a distinguished leader with a proven track record of orchestrating and nurturing organizational culture through transformative change. He is credited with aligning the organization around strategic goals that enable Pinnacol to provide the caring, efficient protection that drives its sky-high injured worker and customer satisfaction scores.
He has held many leadership roles across various industries and organizations. He was most recently an Executive Vice President at Allstate, serving as the President of the Western Territory and Board Chair of Allstate Canada, where he was responsible for 27 states and the Canadian company. O’Donnell’s other roles at Allstate included Senior Vice President of Agency Operations and President and CEO of Allstate Canada.
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Wes Parham
VP Public Affairs
Pinnacol Assurance
As the vice president of public affairs, Wes doesn’t just lead — he drives transformative conversations. Wes leads Pinnacol’s legislative, community relations and public outreach initiatives. He is an accomplished public affairs executive with decades of experience in civic leadership.
During his tenure at Pinnacol, the company has been widely recognized for its civic, employee and community engagement, as well as its leadership to support workforce development. In 2024, Pinnacol was named a national finalist for Best Corporate Steward in the large business category by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Industry Spotlight
Adrean Riba
MD
Medical Director
MBI
Dr. Adrean Riba, MD, MPH, serves as the Colorado Regional Medical Director for MBI Industrial Medicine. She is a board-certified physician with over a decade of medical practice experience, focusing her expertise on Occupational Medicine in Colorado.
Dr. Riba graduated from Mercer University School of Medicine in 2015 and currently practices in Longmont, Colorado. She has a passion for treating injured workers, who are the bedrock of Colorado communities.
The Doctors Are In: Medical Directors’ Roundtable
Bogdan Savych
PhD
Senior Policy Analyst
Workers Compensation Research Institute
Dr. Bogdan Savych analyzes issues related to labor and health economics, dispute resolution, and the design of income benefit systems. He currently conducts research that examines self-reported outcomes of injured workers and adequacy and efficacy of workers’ compensation benefits. His research also explores the role of provider choice policies in worker outcomes and compares payments for ambulatory surgery centers across states. In addition, he examines the performance of the workers’ compensation system in Virginia as part of the CompScope™ benchmarking studies. Dr. Savych received his Ph.D. from Pardee RAND Graduate School.
Good Bones: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
Alan Shackelford
MD
Claims Director
Trailblazer
Jeni Shaw
Claims Director
Pinnacol Assurance
Jeni Shaw brings more than 19 years of experience in proactive claims management to her role as Claims Director at Pinnacol Assurance. She leads a high-performance team of claim experts and is responsible for developing, communicating, and implementing Pinnacol’s claims strategy, ensuring consistency and best-in-class customer experience. She ensures claims handling activities and decisions are consistent with business standards and prides herself on leading by example. Known for her approach of viewing change as an opportunity, Shaw develops and implements industry-leading claims practices based upon continuous learning and improvement. Shaw’s passion for recognizing talent and developing others has helped to build the incredible team of claims professionals at Pinnacol, who continuously set new records for customer satisfaction. Her expertise is often called on for assistance with strategically managing and establishing financial outcome goals on complex claims. She is praised for her leadership and ability to help others navigate tough situations. Her drive for excellence in compassionate and conscientious claims management comes through in all of her work.
Trailblazer
Coe Sherrard
Managing Director
CapTech
Coe Sherrard is a technology consulting leader with extensive experience working with state workers’ compensation organizations. Coe’s work focuses on applying artificial intelligence and modern technology solutions to improve operational efficiency, decision-making, and outcomes in complex workers’ compensation environments.
Workers’ Computation: Artificial Intelligence and the Workers’ Compensation System
Dan Sung
Esq.
Manager of Medical Policy
Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation
Daniel Sung, JD, MBA, MS, is the Manager of Medical Policy at the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation, where he oversees the regulation of the healthcare system for Colorado’s injured workers. With over 20 years of experience shaping national policy in healthcare reimbursement, medical coding, and occupational health, Dan leads a comprehensive suite of medical programs, including Provider Accreditation, Medical Treatment Guidelines, and the Medical Fee Schedule. He also manages the State’s Medical Utilization Review and Dispute Resolution processes.
Workers’ Computation: Artificial Intelligence and the Workers’ Compensation System
Trailblazers in Workers’ Compensation: Innovating the System
Paul Tauriello
Director of Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation
Paul Tauriello has been the Director of the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation since 2010. While working at the Division over the past twenty-three years, he also held the roles of Associate Director and Deputy Director in which he oversaw all of its programs including claims management, coverage enforcement, medical policy and cost containment. His areas of focus have included risk management, insurance and employer programs, aligning with his prior career as an executive for an airline with regional operations across North America. In addition to his work as Director, he can also be credited with contributions to national and international organizations. These efforts have promoted collaboration and improvements for workers’ compensation and risk management.
Welcome & Openning
State of the System
Mount Up: Regulators’ Roundtable
Closing Remarks
Evan Trowbridge
Esq.
Manager of Stakeholder Engagement & Education
Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation
Evan Trowbridge serves as the Manager of Stakeholder Engagement and Education at the Division of Workers’ Compensation, overseeing the Premium Cost Containment and Education & Outreach teams. Prior to his current role, he worked within the Education & Outreach team for nearly seven years. Before coming to Colorado, Evan worked on political campaigns and in the New York State Senate. Evan holds a J.D. from Roger Williams University School of Law and a B.A. from Fairfield University.
Workers’ Computation: Artificial Intelligence and the Workers’ Compensation System
DOWC Tech Updates: Voices of CoComp
Paul Tauriello
Director of Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation
Paul Tauriello has been the Director of the Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation since 2010. While working at the Division over the past twenty-three years, he also held the roles of Associate Director and Deputy Director in which he oversaw all of its programs including claims management, coverage enforcement, medical policy and cost containment. His areas of focus have included risk management, insurance and employer programs, aligning with his prior career as an executive for an airline with regional operations across North America. In addition to his work as Director, he can also be credited with contributions to national and international organizations. These efforts have promoted collaboration and improvements for workers’ compensation and risk management.
Welcome & Openning
State of the System
Mount Up: Regulators’ Roundtable
Closing Remarks
Robert "Bob" Wilson
BA, WRP, AIWC
President & CEO
WorkCompCollege.com
Bob Wilson is President of WorkCompCollege.com. Previously he served as President & CEO of WorkersCompensation.com, a position he held for 23 years. He is an experienced presenter for the workers’ compensation industry and is the author of “From Bob’s Cluttered Desk”, a blog repeatedly named as a top workers’ compensation blog by LexisNexis. He has been named one of the “50 Most Influential People in Workers’ Comp” by the SEAK National Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Medicine Conference. In 2025 he received the “Changemaker Culture Shaper Award,” and in 2019 he received the Industry Leader award from CompLaude. Known for an exceptional sense of humor, his presentations reflect both entertaining and practical advice for both people managing claims as well as the people “picking up the tab”. Bob serves on the Board of Directors for Kids’ Chance of America, Inc., and was a founding board member and past president of Kids Chance of Florida, Inc.
Trailblazers in Workers’ Compensation: Innovating the System; Mount Up: Regulators’ Roundtable
Kelly Youngs
MS, RN CDMS
Senior National Onboarding Manager
Paradigm
Kelly Youngs, RN, MS, MSEd, CDMS, is a seasoned healthcare leader with over 30 years of experience across acute care, case management, operations, and organizational leadership. She currently serves as Senior National Onboarding Manager at Paradigm, where she leads the development and management of high-performing, remote, multi-disciplinary teams while driving continuous improvement and operational excellence. Kelly is active in the Workers Compensation space and has been a Colorado Ambassador for AWWC since 2022.
Industry Spotlight