SEOKHR March 2025 Meeting
Thursday, March 20th, 12pm to 2:30pm
Holiday Inn Express
613 University Place
Durant, OK 74701
" Welcome to the Dumpster Fire- Major Changes to Employer Compliance in 2025"
Join us for an extended program with Crowe & Dunlevy
Brief Summary:
This presentation will provide HR professionals with a comprehensive overview of key compliance changes expected under the Trump Administration, with a focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, wage and hour laws, and regulations enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). As shifts in federal policy influence workplace regulations, HR leaders must stay informed to ensure legal compliance and minimize organizational risk. The session will analyze past trends, anticipated regulatory changes, and practical strategies for adapting to evolving legal requirements. Attendees will leave with actionable insights to navigate compliance challenges while maintaining ethical and inclusive workplace policies.
HR Specific Learning objectives:
1. Understand the Policy Landscape – Identify key regulatory shifts expected under the Trump Administration in relation to DEI, wage and hour laws, and EEOC enforcement priorities.
2. DEI Compliance Considerations – Examine potential changes to affirmative action, federal contractor obligations, and workplace DEI initiatives in response to evolving legal and political frameworks.
3. Wage and Hour Law Updates – Analyze anticipated modifications to minimum wage, overtime regulations, independent contractor classifications, and other key wage compliance issues.
4. EEOC Enforcement Trends – Assess how enforcement priorities related to workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation may change, and how HR professionals should respond.
5. Risk Mitigation Strategies – Develop best practices for ensuring compliance with shifting legal requirements while upholding fair and equitable workplace policies.
6. HR Action Plan – Outline steps HR professionals can take to monitor regulatory updates, implement policy adjustments, and educate leadership and employees on compliance obligations.
7. This session will equip HR professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to proactively manage compliance risks and maintain legal and ethical workforce practices under the evolving regulatory landscape.
Presenters: 
Madalene Witterholt – Shareholder/Director
With decades of experience, Madalene Witterholt assists clients in the full spectrum of Employment and Labor law issues. Starting with employee hiring, employer policy development and day-to-day advice she provides employee training as well as the defense of administrative charges. Madalene’s regional practice has given her experience in the full gamut of employment litigation.
Madalene understands that employment clients have needs 24/7 and is available to clients at any time, whether it is for the most routine situations or a major crisis. Madalene is experienced in dealing with scheduled and unscheduled OSHA, EEOC, NLRB and DOL investigations. Unique among employment lawyers, Madalene also enjoys a solid reputation in the world of workers’ compensation defense.
At the end of the day, she believes that best way to win a case is to avoid being sued. To this end, she spends a lot of time with clients in planning, unique policy development and anything else that is needed to get the job done.
Madalene has been involved in lawsuits and administrative actions involving Title VII discrimination, harassment, and retaliatory discharge, Fair Labor Standards Act; individual as well as multi plaintiff cases, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Davis-Bacon Act, WARN Act Litigation and all types of pre-strike offensives. Madalene estimates that in I-9 audits alone, she has reviewed nearly 3,000 I-9s.
She has handled matters before the Oklahoma Supreme Court, the Fifth circuit as and the 10th circuit court of appeals.
She is a graduate of the University of Tulsa with a Bachelor of Arts in History and received her juris doctorate there as well. She is a full member of the Oklahoma and Texas Bars as well as the Federal courts in Oklahoma and the Northern and Southern Districts of Texas.
Charles “Chris” Vaught - Director
Chris Vaught is a director at Crowe & Dunlevy’s Tulsa office with more than 20 years of employment law experience. As a litigator, Chris represents management and employers in all areas of employment law including the Oklahoma Anti-Discrimination Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. He also advises employers and human resources departments on best practices related to company policies and procedures, harassment, retaliation, reasonable accommodation, and wage and hour claims. Throughout his career, he has presented extensively on labor and employment matters to both attorneys and human resources professionals.
As a member of the firm’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Practice Group, Chris assists clients in exploring effective solutions to resolve their conflicts outside of traditional legal proceedings. He currently serves as an Adjunct Settlement Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma where he helps to support programs aimed at fostering early resolution of disputes without the need for further court intervention.
Prior to joining Crowe & Dunlevy, Chris served as the Chief Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Civil Rights Enforcement (“OCRE”) before being promoted to Deputy Attorney General for the same agency. At OCRE, Chris was active in managing investigations and resolving discrimination complaints in employment, housing, and public accommodations across Oklahoma.
Chris has been recognized for his employment law practice by both Best Lawyers in America and Oklahoma Super Lawyers publications. Since 2014, he has held an AV Preeminent® Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Chris received his Juris Doctor, with honors, from the University of Tulsa College of Law. He currently serves as President-Elect of the Federal Bar Association – Northern/Eastern Oklahoma Chapter.
Logan Hibbs – Associate
Logan Hibbs is an associate attorney in the firm’s Tulsa office assisting clients with litigation and compliance matters as a member of the Indian Law & Gaming, Labor & Employment, and Litigation & Trial Practice Groups. As part of his practice, Logan represents tribal, government, and private clients in proceedings involving alleged violations of federal employment laws, wrongful termination, and general business disputes. Logan also reviews and drafts employment policies, conducts internal investigations, and counsels employers through federal and state administrative proceedings.
Logan is originally from Durant, Oklahoma, and he is a proud citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. After graduating from Durant High School in 2016, he studied Economics and Sociology at the University of Tulsa, where he won multiple awards for his dedication to public service. In 2023, he graduated With Honors from the University of Oklahoma College of Law where he was on the editorial board of the Oklahoma Law Review, inducted into the Order of the Scribes, and published numerous scholarly works on federal Indian law and employment law.
In-Person only
Lunch will be provided- Lunch will be served from 12pm to 12:30pm
Program starts at 12:30pm
Members and Non-Members are $20.
Submitted for SHRM and HRCI credits.