Vice President, William L. (Bill) Smith, Jr.
President & CEO - Michael G. Severns
Mike Severns, 50, was elected President and CEO of Mountain States Employers Council effective July 1, 2002. Only the fifth president in MSEC s 63-year history, Severns joined the company in 1979 out of law school.
Previously, Severns was Vice President of MSEC having responsibility for the thirty labor and employment law attorneys on the staff, information technology, facilities management and the Council s Southern Colorado office. Severns began his career with the Council as an attorney in the Labor Relations Department, then moved on to become Director of that department in 1989, before taking on the position of Vice President in 1996.
Employed by the Council for over 25 years, Severns' legal career focused on representing employers in labor and employment matters; more specifically, unionized employers in union contract negotiations, election campaigns, and arbitrations. He also assisted employers in administrative proceedings that arise before the EEOC, Colorado Civil Rights Division, OSHA, Department of Labor and other administrative agencies. In addition, he counseled and assisted employers with day-to-day employee relations problems.
Severns has contributed time and energy to the community through various organizations. He is past president of the Kiwanis Club of Denver and the Industrial Relations Research Association where, in both organizations, he also served on the Board of Directors, chairing various committees. He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Judicial Institute, the Workers Compensation Coalition, the Samaritan Institute, the Employers Association Group and Denver Kids, Inc. He is serving now as the President-Elect of Denver Kids, Inc. and Vice President of the Employers Association Group, the national trade association for employer councils. He is also the Vice President of the Colorado Judicial institute. Presently, Severns is very active in the Rotary Club of Denver, serving on the Branch Rickey Award Executive Committee. Severns served as Section Chairman, Technical Manufacturing, for the Mile High United Way campaign and has performed volunteer work for Junior Achievement. He is a graduate of CACI s 50 for Colorado program and a member of the Colorado and Denver Bar Associations.
Severns grew up in Broomfield, was named the Outstanding Senior Student in his graduating class at the University of Colorado, School of Business Administration, and obtained Order of the Coif honors as a CU Law School graduate.
Mountain States Employers Council is the cost-effective resource for employers in all areas of employment law, human resource consulting, training and surveys. MSEC currently serves more than 2500 member organizations of all industry and business types and sizes located throughout the Rocky Mountain region.
Executive Vice President - Barbara A. Thompson
Barbara serves as Executive Vice President of Mountain States Employers Council, Inc. Her responsibilities include membership development, oversight of the labor and employment services and the southern regional office located in Colorado Springs. Prior to being appointed Vice President, Barbara was Director of the Labor Relations Department from 1995-2002. Barbara first joined MSEC in 1983 as a labor attorney after serving as a Special Agent with the F.B.I. in New York and Denver. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in American Studies from Union College in Schenectady, New York and her juris doctorate from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Vice President - Deborah Dale Brackney
Deborah oversees four MSEC Departments: HR Services, Organizational Development and Learning, Outsource Consulting Services and Surveys. Deborah began working at the Council in 1988. She was promoted to Director of the Management Development Department in 1996, the Outsourced Consulting Services Department in 2002, and our newest department, Membership Development in 2004. Before coming to the Council, Deborah worked with associations on legislative analysis and the development and design of training for state and federal agencies. Deborah has a BA and MA from the University of Colorado and is a SPHR. She serves on the Boards of the Red Cross and Metro Volunteers and is active with Rotary and the Denver Metro Chamber Foundation.
Vice President - William L. (Bill) Smith, Jr.
Bill's responsibilities include marketing, membership development, geographic expansion and support to MSEC Regional Offices. Bill has been with the Council since 1994. He started in the Employment Law Services Department, later transferring to the Labor Relations Department. In 2000 Bill was appointed Director for the Southern Colorado Regional Office. A graduate of the Mississippi College School of Law, he received an MBA from William Carey College and his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Jacksonville State University. He previously worked at Mississippi Power Company, the Birmingham Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in Birmingham, Alabama, and was a Petty Officer for the United States Coast Guard Reserve.
