Our Team
A Slice of HR’s Dedicated Professionals
At the heart of any great company is a team of hard-working, smart, dynamic people.
Colleen
Founder, SPHR
Colleen Drennen Pfaller knew that she wanted to be in HR since she was a senior in high school. Legend has it, she told her roommate in college that she was going to launch her own firm one day. So all of this—it’s her dream come true!
She earned her BA & MS In Human Resources Management from Xavier University and has achieved her Senior Human Resources Management Certification (SPHR) and Society of Human Resources Management Senior Certification (SHRM - SCP), which are the highest distinctions in her field. Her background includes 15 years of experience in the field, including companies like Samuel Adams Brewery, Comair, and Jim Beam.
She launched A Slice of HR in 2017 after learning that there is a demand in the market for fractional HR and recruiting, which all paired nicely with a flexible schedule for a growing family and a passion for building dynamic teams.
That’s when she found her life’s work: helping mid-sized companies leverage employee enthusiasm to build their brands.
Outside of work, she enjoys Avenger movie nights, Xavier basketball, Sycamore Youth Sports, long drives across the U.S. (especially when there are lots of stops at weird tourist traps), and everything else that comes with hanging out with her husband, Keith, and their three incredible boys.
She is also a reader, writer and (reluctant) speaker. Her HR expertise has been featured in Money Magazine, NPR’s Marketplace, Thrive Global, CareerBuilder, Spark Hire, National SHRM, Disrupt HR, and she writes a column for HR Today.
Favorite Slice: Lemon Meringue
"You can't compete with me. I want you to win too." - Anonymous
Meagan
HR Consultant
Virtual/Cincinnati Focus
Meagan tried not to follow in the footsteps of her father, who was the Director of Organizational Development at Coors Brewing for more than 20 years. But after earning a degree in Agricultural Business from Colorado State University and a short stint as a Lab Tech, Meagan found her passion in HR!
Meagan was an HR Manager in the medical field at ResCare for more than 10 years and then spent another 3-plus years at an environmental company before joining A Slice of HR in 2019. Her clients adore her, and she has implemented countless strategic HR initiatives, onboarded and greeted hundreds of new employees, and is the “cleaner-upper” of any communication issue.
Meagan enjoys working in HR because we have the ability to help people be successful and happy at work.
She is “mom” to a sporty 8-year-old and twin 3-year-olds. She enjoys cheering on the Broncos, Reeses Cups, and listening to “Oldies” music.
Favorite Slice: Key Lime
"Do what you can with all you have wherever you are." - Theodore Roosevelt
Katie
HR Consultant, PHR
Cincinnati Focus
Katie is full of energy, always smiling, and on the ball when it comes to moving forward and getting things done.
Katie has a Bachelor's in Personnel Management from the University of Cincinnati and a Masters of Human Resources Development from Xavier University. She currently holds her Professional Human Resources Certification (PHR) and has more than five years of experience in HR Management & Recruiting in the Marketing & Advertising and Banking industries before joining Slice in 2020.
When the Slice team interviewed Katie, she was working as a server in a German restaurant in West Cincinnati while raising six kids. We figured if she could do that, she could do anything! We are so lucky that Katie chose A Slice of HR to make her re-entry into the world of HR.
Katie likes HR for the versatility. You never work on the exact same thing twice!
When Katie isn’t doing HR, she’s spending time with her family and being super enthusiastic about them and their activities. And during her down-time, you might find her unwinding with some wine and Keno at a local west-side establishment.
Favorite Slice: Key Lime
"You can never be overdressed or overeducated." - Marilyn Monroe
Miranda
HR Consultant, PHR
Virtual /Dayton Focus
Miranda is thoughtful, well-read, professional and personal. Her calm and confident approach makes her a valuable asset to any project team. You can always count on her to chime in with, “Yep, I heard that expert talk about that on this podcast,” or “Let’s try this that I read about in this publication.” She’s calculated in her approach and brings best-practice ideas to her clients.
She came to Slice after obtaining her BS from Wright State University, obtaining her Professional Human Resources (PHR) Certification and working for 5-plus years as an HR Partner in Fortune 500 Company Assurant Partner, where she helped internal client groups meet business objectives through HR initiatives.
Miranda loves working in HR because she loves to be the bridge between the employees and the business. She likes solving issues and finding opportunities to see things in a different perspective by talking to lots of different people whether she’s interviewing or doing an employee stay-interview.
When she’s not working, she’s chasing the most adorable and energetic 2-year-old and hanging with her witty husband. She loves to travel, gets really into fantasy football, and is a good person to go to fo detective show recommendations
Favorite Slice: Chocolate Mousse
"It’s the little things in life that are the most extraordinary."
Emily
HR & Recruiting Consultant,SHRM-CP
Virtual/Cincinnati Focus
When working with Emily, you can see a literally light bulb go on over her head – and it’s off to the races! She’s achievement oriented, has great ideas, is a great listener and instantly likable. She has a “no-excuses”, “let’s find a way” to get things accomplished. She’s the one everyone wants on their team.
Emily has a BA in Organizational Communication and a Minor in Management in Management and Leadership from Miami University. She is a Society of Human Resources Certified Professional.
Lucky us, Emily came with a mix of HR & Recruiting Background. She worked as a 100% commissioned recruiter for over a year where she learned the value of working quickly and efficiently to find the right match. She spent the next six year in HR Generalist positions, most recently at London Computer Systems which was names a Best Place to Work by the Cincinnati Business Courier. Now, she is helping our clients to achieve the same.
When Emily is not working, she loves to spend time with her family including darling baby Adeline. Her guilty pleasure is watching Bravo shows, she loves listening to any murder mystery podcast and has big travel aspirations (African Safari, Asia, Alaska Cruise, Egypt!).
Favorite Slice: Pizza
Kt
HR & Recruiting Consultant
Virtual/Cincinnati Focus
Kt is kind of a recruiting legend. For over 20 years, she had done every kind of search: contingency, fee-for-service (that’s us), and corporate in-house. She thrives in those needle-in-a-haystack, fast-paced technical spaces. She’s generous with her knowledge to her coworkers and delivers strong results for her clients. She is known for her quick wit, warm heart, and contagious energy.
When Kt isn’t working — wait, she’s always working — she’s the coach for Kings school district in volleyball and basketball, HOA President, Room Mom, Former Soccer Board Member, plays several nights per week on adult volleyball leagues, and was appointed by the Mayor to the Recreational Commission Board. She is “Mom” to three daughters and 1 adorable preschooler with blue hair.
What makes Kt’s favorite thing about HR? She like being able to make matches that are mutually beneficial and being able to see the impact people can have on an organization.
Favorite Slice: Pie
Audrey
HR & Recruiting Coordinator
Audrey is our jack of all trades and secret weapon at the firm. She has a degree in Interior Design which means she likes to approach every problem creatively. You can always count on her to ideate new solutions that benefit the team (and are graphically pleasing, of course). Collaboration is also her thing, so you can always expect to be well-heard when you work with her.
When Audrey left the Interior Design world for an office job at a Benefits Brokerage, you may have thought it wouldn’t be the right fit. Audrey will argue to this day though that office jobs are way cooler than people give them credit for. She there gained a strong foundation in Employee Benefits while also getting her foot in the door in the HR Department when she took an administrative role. It was then she learned that Human Resources is her true calling!
Audrey’s yellow brick has now led her to A Slice of HR where she assists in recruiting projects along with managing our social media accounts. She is currently working on becoming SHRM certified and is looking forward to building her career in HR with us.
When she isn’t working, you can find her at home (probably watching Gilmore Girls) with her husband, a 7-month-old puppy, a 5-month-old kitten, and the senior cat who runs the place. She enjoys reading long books and being outside. And don’t get us started about her love for pancakes!
Favorite Slice: Apple or Pumpkin Pie
Merissa
HR Consultant, SPHR
Virtual /Southern USA Focus
Merissa is a Strategic Human Resource leader with a passion for people-centered problems that call for creative solutions. She loves to turn problems on their heads at every angle and loves nothing more than adding efficiency and meaning to any task thrown her way. She has her BA in Human Resources from Urbana with a Masters in Leadership & Human Development from Louisiana State. Merissa has also achieved her SHRM - SCP, the highest distinction in HR!
She brings to Slice, 10+ years of HR Management skills from a variety of organizations and industries including Reality, Retail, and Utility companies. She currently heads up our Southern Division as she is located in Shreveport, LA with her two cutie kids, two Mini-Aussies, and her husband who is on active duty at Barksdale Air Force Base.
Merissa is a bit of a Harry Potter nerd (and the sorting hat would definitely put her in the Gryffindor house). Despite relocation still cheers for Ohio State and prefers Esther Price Chocolate and Schuler's Donuts due to her Dayton/Springfield roots.
Why does Merissa love HR? She gets the ability to make a positive impact on someone's life, help people evolve, come up with creative solutions and meet the need of the organizations she serves!
Favorite Slice: Berry Chantilly Cake