Meet the Achilles Group Team
The Achilles Group team is a diverse group of industry veterans responsible for transforming company operations and challenges into quantifiable business objectives.
About Bill Bahr
Bill is recognized as a Human Resources Director with diverse industry experience in transportation, manufacturing and financial services. He has 20+ years of relevant experience including recruiting, safety, labor relations, statutory compliance, payroll & benefits administration, employee relations, policy & procedure development, training, threat assessment and expertise in HR generalist and management positions. At LeTigre Consulting, he has also worked in operations and sales,
giving him the ability to work outside the “HR box”. Bill’s has worked in both public and private organizations, including Federal Express, Baker Internationa, Camco International and as the Regional VP of HR for First American Title. His experience has included assisting new business start-ups, working on HR value creation, change management, consolidation and account management.
Bill has a BA degree in Business and attended South Texas College of Law. Bill is married and has 5 children, and is on the board of directors of The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, as well as the Annual Giving Board of Saint John’s School.
About Dan Calvert
Dan Calvert serves as the President for Achilles Group where he offers a wealth of experience in business, human resources and the retail industry. With more than 30 years of business experience, and 20 years of human resources experience, Dan offers his clients business acumen and sound advice.
Dan served as the Vice President of HR for Oshman’s Sporting Goods, where he directed human resource activities, policies and procedures, benefits, recruitment, and training for the $350 million retail sporting goods company. He also held numerous business and management positions at the company.
Dan is currently on the board of directors for InvesTex Credit Union, and is a past steering committee member for the HR segment of the Houston Retail Merchant’s Association.
About Allison Campbell
Allison Campbell is a Human Resources Coordinator for Achilles Group. She assists clients and HR Directors with a wide variety of projects and tasks including recruitment processes, new hire orientation, benefits administration and record retention. She currently provides on-site HR support to several of our clients. Allison graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Development and minored in Business Administration.
Allison enjoys spending time with family and friends, attending A&M athletic events, and traveling abroad whenever she gets the chance.
About Shaina Ellis
Shaina Ellis is a Human Resources and Sales Coordinator for Achilles Group. As a Human Resources Coordinator, she assists clients and HR Directors with a wide variety of projects and tasks including administrative HR, job descriptions, employee relation issues, and compliance. As a Sales Coordinator, she assists the VP of Business Development with overseeing the company's sales and marketing efforts.
After interning at Achilles Group for four months, Shaina was offered this hybrid position. Shaina graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Resource Development and minored in Business Administration.
Shaina is a native Houstonian, born and raised in Sugar Land, TX. Shaina loves spending time with friends and family, playing with her two dogs, Laci and Sadie, and playing tennis.
About Shawn Farr
Shawn graduated from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management, after returning home to Michigan she began her career in Human Resources with Mel Farr Automotive Group. In 2006 she graduated with an MBA from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI where she specialized in Human Resources Management. After obtaining this degree she was able to further her career as a Food & Beverage recruiter for Detroit's hottest and newest casino at the time - MGM Grand DETROIT. .
With a declining economic environment in Detroit, Shawn moved to Houston where she continued to utilize her HR experience in the hospitality field and worked for Aramark at Minute Maid Park. Shawn loves to cook and actually pursued a Culinary Art degree for fun.
About Kristin Finney
Kristin is a Human Resources Generalist for the Houston Achilles Group in Houston, TX. She has over ten years of general HR experience including training and development, recruiting and hiring, benefits administration, policy and procedure development and implementation, and employee relations.
She currently offers HR support to several clients within Achilles Group. She has previously worked for Nike, Inc. Retail as an Operations Manager and prior to Nike, as an Assistant HR Manager for a management company in Houston, TX.
Kristin graduated with honors from the University of Phoenix with a B.S. in Business Management.
In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, running, going to sporting events, and being outdoors.
About Kay Garcia
Kay Garcia is a Human Resources Manager for Achilles Group working onsite at The Briar Club. Prior to joining Achilles Group, she was the Human Resources Business Partner for the construction and maintenance subsidiary of an engineering firm. She has 15 years experience in varied Human Resources areas, including benefits supervision and administration, training, employee relations, succession planning, etc. Her passion is delivering satisfactory solutions to employer/employee challenges.
Kay has a Bachelors Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Houston-Downtown with an emphasis in Speech and Communication. She is presently pursuing her Masters Degree in Adult Education, Leadership & Counseling from Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
In addition to spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren, Kay also enjoys watching The Food Network and reading.
About Zach Hickman
Zach Hickman is a Human Resources Generalist for Achilles Group in Houston, TX. He has over 4 years of general HR experience including labor relations (union and non-union environments), training and development, recruiting and selection, benefits administration, policy & procedure development/implementation and employee relations.
He currently offers HR support to several clients within Achilles Group. He has previously worked for CEMEX, Inc. as a Regional Human Resources Generalist and prior to CEMEX, as an Assistant Store Manager for Target, Inc. in Houston, TX.
Zach graduated from Sam Houston State University with a BBA in Business Administration and a minor in marketing. He is scheduled to graduate from Texas A&M University with a M.S. in Human Resource Development in May 2012. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family and dog, playing golf, running and traveling.
About Shelly Hudgens
Shelly Hudgens is a native Houstonian who has spent her career recruiting Information Technology professionals. Shelly believes that the IT department is the heart of the company and loves being a part of the staffing for such important positions. Shelly follows the golden rule by treating people the way she likes to be treated. She is excited to be a part of an HR group that cares about their people.
“Shelly understood our needs and made the recruiting process much easier than I had anticipated.” –IT Manager, Banking
Shelly is an expert in social media recruiting; twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. She is involved in many high tech user groups. Shelly believes that networking is the key to staying informed with what is happening in the HR, staffing world!
Shelly was a personal trainer in her “before staffing” life, but still enjoys working out and spending time with her 7 year old son, Caden.
About Ricca Leatherman
Ricca Leatherman is a human resource professional with extensive experience in training and development, recruiting, workforce planning, compensation analysis, employee relations, policy
and procedure development, organizational development, performance management, and general HR compliance.
This broad experience has been gained through the work she has done as an HR consultant to more than forty dynamic companies in Houston and Austin, TX and Baton Rouge, LA. Using her capabilities, she has effectively improved manager and employee performance and mitigated employee related risks in diverse industries – including national and global oil & gas, construction, accounting, retail, restaurant, manufacturing, and health care companies.
Ricca joined Achilles Group in January 2007, bringing professional experience in areas of public relations, lease management, sales and human relations. She has a BS in Human Resource Development with recognized minors in Economics and Business from Texas A&M University. She is also an active member of the HR Houston.
Ricca brings a unique global perspective to Achilles Group, having lived overseas for over 10 years, attending and ultimately graduating from international schools. Her latest international experience includes extended time spent in China doing humanitarian work and witnessing the rapidly growing HR outsourcing market and its trends in Beijing, China.
About Sheryl Lyons
Sheryl Lyons is the VP of Business Development where she oversees the company’s sales and marketing efforts, as well as the Channel Partner and Client Satisfaction Programs.
Sheryl joined Achilles Group in 2002 as employee #1 and was granted minority partner status in 2005. She served eight years as Director of Human Resources for Achilles Group, where she provided HR services for clients in various industries including hi-tech, oilfield products, financial and professional services, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing. With a strong passion and expertise for delivering HR services to mid-sized companies, Sheryl maintains a small portfolio of clients to stay current on changes in employment law and best practices. The breadth and depth of this expertise allows her to consult with companies on their unique HR challenges throughout the sales process.
Prior to joining Achilles Group, Sheryl was an HR Generalist at Integrated Electrical Services, where she was involved in all aspects of HR for the 15,000 employee company. Sheryl previously held an HR position in benefits with The Methodist Health Care System, and has also worked for Texcon General Contractors and Santa Fe Energy Resources, Inc.
Sheryl has a BA from Texas A&M University and an MBA from the University of Texas McCombs School of Business. She earned her PHR certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute in 2002.
Sheryl is a Houston native and enjoys gardening, gourmet cooking, camping, hiking, water sports and international travel, having visited cities in Europe, Asia and Central America. She is married to another Houston native. They have two daughters, Lily and Aven, and three exotic pet tortoises.
About Kristen McGullion
Kristen McGullion is a Human Resources Generalist for Achilles Group providing support to a team of Human Resources Directors and clients in a variety of industries including public relations, manufacturing, accounting firms and professional services. Kristen currently provides support to clients with employee relations, job descriptions and compensation, benefits administration, workforce planning, and compliance issues.
Kristen joined Achilles Group, May 2006, as an Employment Coordinator managing the recruiting processes for all clients. She has experience providing dedicated in-house support as a Human Resources Manager where she managed benefits administration, new hire orientation, employee file maintenance, and employee relations issues.
Prior to joining Achilles Group, Kristen worked for Hanover Compressor Company, now known as Exterran, in the recruiting department sourcing resumes, arranging interviews, and screening candidates for employment.
Kristen has a BS in Human Resources Development and a minor in Business Management from Texas A&M University. Kristen is an active member of HR Houston.
About Keely Mendoza
Keely Mendoza is the firm’s Bookkeeper who works in the corporate office. She brings over 15 years of accounting/office management experience to Achilles. She started her career in public accounting and has worked in the accounting field in a variety of industries including Staffing, Travel and Corporate Housing.
Her most recent position before joining Achilles was with an internet media company that purchased developed and monetized high-quality domain names and web properties. There she was exposed to the many intricacies of the internet.
Keely enjoys spending time with her son, Bryson when she’s not working.
About Hillary Schwanbeck
Hillary Schwanbeck is a Human Resources Generalist for Achilles Group in our DFW market. She assists clients and Human Resources Directors with a wide variety of tasks and projects including recruiting processes, compliance issues, compensation, performance management, job descriptions, and employee relations. She has previously served as the on-site Human Resources Manager for one of our clients, where she managed benefits administration, records maintenance, recruiting and new hire orientations, and employee relations issues such as discipline and terminations.
Hillary Schwanbeck is a native Houstonian, born and raised on the west side of Houston, and she currently resides in Arlington, TX. Before joining Achilles Group, Hillary gained valuable experience in retail management and community relations for student housing. Hillary graduated Cum Laude from Texas A&M University with a BBA in Business Management. Hillary loves spending time with friends and family, staying fit with her husband and curling up with a good book.
About Sandra Sosa
Sandra Sosa is a bilingual Human Resources Manager for Achilles Group, where she assists consultants with clients that are predominantly Spanish speaking. She currently handles all labor relations, benefits, compensation, recruitment, retention, training and customer service for Benchmark.
Sandra has a BS in Business Management from the University of Nuevo León, in México, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and holds a certification as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR).
Sandra enjoys reading and volunteering at her church.
About Stan Spaulding
Stan Spaulding is the Vice President, Director of Operations for Achilles Group, providing expertise, leadership, guidance and professional services to business owners, executive leadership and managers in a variety of industries. He is also a practice leader for our Training Division. In this capacity Stan customizes and facilitates leadership training programs throughout Achilles current client base and for publicly offered services.
Stan has more than 17 years experience in HR Management and comes to Achilles Group from a National Wholesaler of business products where he served as an HR Generalist responsible for all HR disciplines related to Regional Distribution Centers. His background includes providing planning tools and training to develop leaders, ensure respectful associate relations, guide policy interpretation and ensure legal compliance for investigations and risk management.
His scope of experience encompasses organizational development, staff restructuring, start up and acquisitions projects within business sectors spanning pari-mutuel, utilities, electrical / mechanical services, accounting and production companies. Additionally Stan has held operational management, supervisory and training positions in hospitality, distribution and social service environments.
Stan has a BS in Sociology from the University of Central Oklahoma and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).
About Stephanie Van Lue
Stephanie Van Lue is a Director of Human Resources for Achilles Group, providing strategic and operational expertise to her clients. Stephanie joined Achilles Group in May of 2006, where she brought over 10 years of progressive HR experience to the company. Stephanie has proven accomplishments in the areas of 
compensation and benefit planning, workforce planning, employee relations, mergers and acquisitions, and affirmative action planning.
Stephanie comes to Achilles Group from Gevity, where she was an HR Consultant responsible for account management and human resources activities for 60 small business clients, with an employee base of 500-700 client employees. Prior to that, she was involved in all aspects of Human Resources for Checks In The Mail, where she advanced from Generalist to Human Resources Manager. While there, Stephanie spent 2 years specializing in compensation and benefits, before becoming a Generalist dedicated to Call Center Operations. Ultimately, Stephanie was promoted to Human Resources Manager, managing the seven-person HR department. During her tenure with Checks In The Mail, Stephanie was involved in a company spin-off, an HRIS Implementation, and the start up of a second call center and a second manufacturing facility. Stephanie has also worked with Garrett Aviation, a subsidiary of GE, as a recruiter and specialist in Affirmative Action planning.
Stephanie is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and holds a certification as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR). She has a BS in Human Resources Management from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA.
Stephanie enjoys spending time with her husband, Jason, kids, Peyton, Noah, and Abigail. Most weekends she can be found at a baseball park, cheering her boys’ teams on to victory!
About Noel Wagner
Noel Wagner is the Staffing and Placement Director for Achilles Group in Houston. Noel is a Talent Acquisition and HR Professional with a 15 year track record of success in the staffing industry creating and delivering strategic and proactive initiatives that include HR policy and procedures, management, training, coaching, recruiting and designing and implementing comprehensive recruiting programs.
She is skilled at creating value-added partnerships resulting in best practice business strategies and understands the financial implications of Talent Acquisition in the marketplace.
Noel is active with the Greater Houston Partnership, InHouston and SHRM where she has held board positions and volunteers her time on committees.
About Melissa Williams
Melissa Williams has 12 years experience in the staffing industry, 7 of those being management and training. She is currently part of the Talent Acquisition Group in the Houston, TX. office. She works side-by-side with clients helping them figure out the best route to take when hiring the right person the first time. She understands that turnover can kill a company’s production and moral.
"I love that I can help hire the staff, train them and continue to support them!” –Melissa
Melissa has a 14 year old daughter and does Stand-up comedy on the side. She loves what she does, she enjoys helping companies solve their staffing needs.
About Carol Wood
Carol Wood is a Human Resources Director with a legal background. She assists clients in compliance with federal and multi-state employment regulations, employee relations, training, retention and program development.
Prior to joining Achilles Group, Carol received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Alabama in 2005 and previously, her BA in Psychology/Anthropology and the equivalent of a minor in French from the University of Alabama. Carol gained broad legal experience at a variety of non-profit law firms such as the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, WildLaw and the Office of the Public Defender, Tuscaloosa, Alabama and a license to practice law, Tennessee, 2005 - 2006.
Carol returned back home to Houston, Texas, to transition into Human Resources as a Generalist for Baker Hughes, Inc. in charge of compliance and community relations.