MICHELLE MCCONNICO
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMS.
Michelle is as an award-winning communications and
marketing professional and proud United States Air Force
Veteran. She has spent over a decade connecting
communities and helping organizations achieve their
goals through communications. Michelle received
numerous awards for her work including Verizon
Wireless Communications Improvement Recognition,
President Obama’s Call to Service Award, and The
Village’s Helping Hand Award. She was also named one
of Chicago’s Top Professionals Under the age of 40. In
addition to representing school districts and cities,
Michelle has counseled and represented companies and
CEO’s of some of the world’s most successful organizations
including The Coca-Cola Company, The Department of Veterans Affairs, Verizon
Wireless and PetSmart.
Michelle is responsible for communications, marketing, crisis management, change management and press relations for network schools.
SHARON CRUSE ARMSTEAD
CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER
Sharon comes to PLA with a great depth of experience in HR Director roles, including 9 years with the Chicago Housing Authority and
8 years with Habilitative Systems, Inc. in Chicago. She has
experience driving the HR function for multi-state
organizations within the private and public sectors. Specific accomplishments include the successful implementation
and rollout of several new HR Information Systems, the
design of a national programmatic training program, and the
automation of multiple HR processes resulting in reduced
costs and improved service to employees.
Sharon earned a B.A. in Economics with a minor in Industrial
Relations from Lincoln University and also holds a Senior Certified Professional certification from the Society for Human Resource
Management. An active community leader, Sharon lends her time and talents as Chapter President of the South Suburban Cook HR Association and the Illinois State Council of SHRM.
Sharon is responsible for guiding and managing human resources functions, which include: policies and programs, leadership in retention, employee orientation, policy development & documentation, employee relations, compensation & benefits, HR regulatory compliance, and collaboration on performance management, employee training and development.