Susannah Chance
Senior VP of Human Resources
Expertise: Supervisory training, harassment training and investigations; compliance reviews; employee handbook preparation and updates; climate surveys; salary surveys; and assistance with the management of workers’ compensation claims.
Susannah Chance is Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Work Opportunities Unlimited, Inc. She joined the company as a Resource Specialist in the Laconia office and was promoted to Regional Vice President of the Dover, NH market, before being promoted to her current position. As Vice President of Human Resources, Susannah is responsible for overseeing the human resource function for Work Opportunities Unlimited, including legal compliance for the company’s operations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland and Florida. She also leads and delivers the Company’s management and supervisory training programs.
In addition to her responsibilities to the company, Susannah also works closely with the company’s human resource, accounting & finance, and executive and administrative staffing teams. Susannah also provides consulting and training services for Leddy Group Consulting. While serving a wide variety of industries, ranging from banks to sales organizations to motorcycle dealerships to heavy industry, she also has served towns and municipalities and non-profits.
Expertise: Supervisory training, harassment training and investigations; compliance reviews; employee handbook preparation and updates; climate surveys; salary surveys; and assistance with the management of workers’ compensation claims.
Past Experience: Susannah began her career during graduate school as the Program Coordinator of a small biotechnology firm that provided scientific training at locations throughout the United States and Europe.
Education: Susannah earned BBA and MBA degrees from Iowa State University. Susannah has also earned Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the HR Certification Institute and Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certification from the Society for Human Resource Management.
Professional Organization/Community Involvement: Susannah is currently the Chair of the New Hampshire Business & Industry Association’s Human Resources Committee, the Chair of the NH Workers’ Compensation Classification and Rating Appeals Board, a member of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Advisory Board, and President of the Gilmanton Iron Works Library Association.
Personal Experience: Susannah is passionate about animal rescue. She and a friend work with NASCAR teams to bring dogs to NH, and occasionally convinces her husband to fly their small plane to rescue more dogs from southern shelters. If you talk with her when she’s working from her home office, it’s highly likely that a number of her furry friends will be working with her.
Amy Heuer
HR & Risk Manager
Expertise: Human resources, employee relations, and workers’ compensation case management
Amy Heuer joined Work Opportunities Unlimited in 2017 as HR & Risk Manager for the organization, responsible for handling all worker’s compensation claims as well as human resources for the staffing divisions.
Expertise: Human resources, employee relations, and workers’ compensation case management
Past Experience: Amy gained extensive experience in human resources while at her prior position with a major hotel chain, where she was responsible for screening and interviewing all candidates, hosting job fairs, completing new hire paperwork, and completing brand training for all associates. In addition, Amy participated in yearly insurance negotiations, administered COBRA, managed 401(k) quarterly enrollments, ensured compliance with all federal regulations, and managed workers’ compensation claims.
Education: Amy is an SHRM certified professional (SHRM-CP). She earned an MBA with a focus on human resource management from Franklin Pierce University and a bachelor’s in communications from the University of New Hampshire.
Fran Lefavour
Workers' Comp Guru
Expertise: Workers' compensation
Fran Lefavour has 40+ years of experience in Human Resources. She started FPL Services, a Human Resource consulting firm, in 1991 and in 2000 merged her business with Leddy Group HR Consulting, a full-service Human Resources Consulting firm.
She was an adjunct faculty member of the University of New Hampshire’s Continuing Education Department, served as Vice Chair of the Business and Industry Association Human Resource Committee and was appointed and served numerous terms on the New Hampshire Public Employee Labor Relations Board, the NH Department of Labor Wage & Hour Appeals Board, NH Department of Labor Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, NH Job Training Council and the Anthem Advisory Board.
Fran is a member of the Seacoast Human Resource Association Program Development Committee, the Chair of the HR Hero Award committee, and a member of the State Council Leadership Conference committee Fran is the past Granite State Human Resource Conference Director and a past member of the NH Human State Resource Council. Fran was chosen as the 2015 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year and was the 2020 Ry Perry HR Hero awarded by the NH State Human Resource Council. Fran was a founding member and Treasurer of the Run for the Fallen New Hampshire and has volunteered with End 68 Hours of Hunger.
Gayle O’Connor
Human Resources Consultant
Expertise: Employee pulse surveys, compensation analysis, performance management process buildout, recruiting, handbook development or review, employee relations, and Affirmative Action Plan compliance.
Gayle O’Connor is a Human Resources Consultant with our HR Consulting group. She joined our team in the spring of 2023. Gayle brings 25 years of human resources experience between consulting for 2.5 years and over 20 years of in-house HR roles, including HR Generalist and Manager of HR Systems and Operations. Her vast industry experience includes manufacturing, nonprofit, education, and professional services.
Expertise: Employee pulse surveys, compensation analysis, performance management process buildout, recruiting, handbook development or review, employee relations, and Affirmative Action Plan compliance.
Education: Gayle earned her B.S. in Business Management from the University of Maine, Orono, and a graduate certificate in Personnel & Industrial Relations from New Hampshire College. She earned her Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certification from the Society for Human Resource Management and PMP from the Project Management Institute.
Professional Organization/Community Involvement: Gayle is a SHRM (Society for HR Management) and SHRA (Seacoast HR Association) member.
Personal: Gayle loves to be outside and participates in golf, kayaking, and skiing activities. Her newest pastime is hot yoga.
Stacey Plamondon
Director of Recruitment Team
Expertise: Recruiting & hiring process, training, restaurant management
Stacey Plamondon started her career with WOU in 2003 as a Career Resource Specialist and was promoted to Director in 2005, supporting the expansion of WOU in Worcester County, MA and Montgomery County, MD. After leaving WOU for a short period of time, she rejoined WOU in 2014 with a role on the Recruitment Team where she now leads as the Director.
Stacey supports, trains and mentors the team of Recruiters and communicates closely with the organization’s senior management team.
Expertise: Recruiting & hiring process, training, restaurant management
Past Experience: Stacey has over 15 years of experience working in the hospitality industry. She has worked for large corporate chains as well as family-owned establishments. She has experience supporting roles in the hospitality industry as a server/bartender, bar manager, supervisor, and human resources.
Education: Stacey is a SHRM certified professional (SHRM-CP). Stacey holds a MS in Organizational Leadership/Human Resource Management from Southern New Hampshire University and a BA in Psychology from University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Personal: Stacey likes to spend time outdoors with her family hiking in the woods with her two dogs or bike rides and skiing with her husband and kids. She loves spending time in the mountains
Steve Wood
CEO & Leadership Expert
Expertise: Strategic planning, implementation, and tracking; managing organizational change; human resource development; financial and risk management, which includes designing cash flow tools, debt and bank negotiations, and managing insurance relationships.
Steve Wood is President and CEO of Work Opportunities Unlimited, Inc. He joined the company as Vice President of Planning and Chief Financial Officer in 1996, and was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer in 2000. Steve also provides consultation to many executives of Spectrum Consulting organizational customers. An avid student of business for over 45 years, Steve has written over 150 articles, which can be found on his blog at www.steveonleadership.com.
Expertise: Strategic planning, implementation, and tracking; managing organizational change; human resource development; financial and risk management, which includes designing cash flow tools, debt and bank negotiations, and managing insurance relationships.
Past Experience: In his earlier career, Steve spent seventeen years in the banking industry rising to Senior Vice President and Senior Commercial Loan Officer. He also taught courses for the American Institute of Banking.
For the five years prior to joining Work Opportunities Unlimited, Steve launched and grew a human resource and strategic planning consulting practice.
For over 19 years Steve served as an adjunct faculty member at Southern New Hampshire University teaching courses in both the undergraduate and graduate programs in such business subjects as leadership, strategic management, entrepreneurship, and small business management.
Education: Steve received his undergraduate degree from the University of Maine in 1975, where he was a member of the Senior Skull Society, and his Master’s in Business Administration from Northeastern University in 1987. He also graduated from the Williams School of Banking.
Professional Organization/Community Involvement: Steve has been involved in dozens of community and charitable organizations and is currently the Treasurer and Board member of the Portsmouth Rotary Club. Steve also serves on the Economic Development and Fiscal Policy Committee at the Business and Industry Association in New Hampshire.
