Tyrone Spears
Works’ Compensation Division Chief,
City of Los Angeles

Tyrone Spears is the Chief of the Workers’ Compensation Division at the City of Los Angeles. Tyrone is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Workers’ Compensation programs. Commissioner Spears also was recently appointed by Governor Newsome to the Fraud Assessment Commission.

Tyrone holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Management, Executive MBA in Management, and a Doctorate in Theology. Professionally, he holds the Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Workers’ Compensation Claims Professional (WCCP) designation from the Insurance Educational Association and is certified by the Department of Industrial Relations, Self-Insurance Plans, as a Workers’ Compensation Administrator.

William Zachry
Executive Director,
CompSense

Background and Education

William M. “Bill” Zachry is a prominent figure in the field of workers’ compensation, known for his extensive leadership and reform efforts in California and nationally. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on Personnel & Industrial Relations and Wage & Salary Administration from San Francisco State University.

Career Highlights

• CompSense:  As the executive director,  Zachry and the CompSense team have been directly involved in creating and implementing compensation regulations for California since 2004.
• Safeway/Albertsons Companies: Zachry served as Group Vice President of Risk Management, where he implemented transformative changes that reduced the company’s workers’ compensation costs by over $100 million annually and cut open claims inventory by more than half between 2001 and 2016. His approach emphasized injury prevention as well as early intervention for at-risk employees and a focus on returning injured workers to productive roles, which significantly reduced litigation and costs.
• California State Compensation Insurance Fund: Chair of Audit Committee; Appointed to the board by Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown, Zachry played a key role in shaping state-level workers’ compensation policy and oversight.
• Fraud Assessment Commission: As Chair, he contributed to anti-fraud initiatives, appointed by Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• Other Leadership Roles: Zachry has also held senior claims and risk management positions at Zenith Insurance Company, HIH (C.E. Heath), and CareAmerica. He has served on the boards of the California Self-Insurers Security Fund and the California Chamber of Commerce Amicus Committee, the Self-Insurers Securuty Fund, among others.

Industry Impact and Philosophy

• Zachry is recognized for his commitment to equity and effectiveness in workers’ compensation, advocating for policies that balance the needs of injured workers and employers.
• He has been instrumental in designing and passing key California workers’ compensation legislation (including AB-227, SB-228, SB-899, and SB-863), as well as contributing to federal Medicare Set-Aside legislation.
• His philosophy centers on prompt, fair settlements, minimizing administrative burdens for injured workers, and aligning incentives to encourage recovery and return to work. He has written extensively on claims management best practices and the importance of evidence-based guidelines.
• Zachry’s early personal experience as an injured worker shaped his empathetic approach to claims management, emphasizing that “doing the right thing” for the injured worker ultimately leads to better outcomes and cost savings.

Awards and Recognition

• RIMS Risk Manager of the Year (2014).
• CCWC Workers’ Compensation Professional of the Year (2016).
• Summa CompLaude Award (2020).
• Numerous community service and industry awards for his leadership and advocacy.

Nelson Gonzalez
Executive Director,
Rehab Without Walls

Nelson Gonzalez is an esteemed occupational therapist with over 20 years of transformative experience in healthcare. He is a passionate advocate for mental health, resilience, and the critical need to address chronic stress, an invisible and insidious force that is affecting everyone, regardless of profession or background. Chronic stress is not just a personal struggle; it is an epidemic silently destroying our health, our communities, and our ability to thrive. Nelson has dedicated his career to shining a light on this pervasive issue and empowering individuals to take charge of their well-being before it’s too late. As a published author and national and international keynote speaker, Nelson has captivated audiences around the world, inspiring profound change in the way we understand and manage stress. His impactful presentations have been featured at prestigious events, including the Brain Injury Florida Conference, the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) Conference, and numerous other high-profile platforms.

Nelson’s ability to connect deeply with his audiences has made him a sought-after speaker, delivering messages of hope, actionable insights, and the tools needed to combat the effects of chronic stress. Nelson is also a Florida Ambassador for the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center, advancing life-changing resources for individuals with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, and burn injuries. His expertise and leadership have positioned him as a thought leader within the rehabilitation community, where he continues to advocate for those suffering from both visible and invisible conditions, including the growing mental health crisis brought on by stress.

Bob Wilson
President & CEO,
WorkCompCollege.com

Bob Wilson is President of WorkCompCollege.com. Previously he served as President & CEO of WorkersCompensation.com, a position he held for 23 years. He is an experienced presenter for the workers’ compensation industry and is the author of “From Bob’s Cluttered Desk”, a blog repeatedly named as a top workers’ compensation blog by LexisNexis. He has been named one of the “50 Most Influential People in Workers’ Comp” by the SEAK National Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Medicine Conference. In 2025 he received the “Changemaker Culture Shaper Award,” and in 2019 he received the Industry Leader award from CompLaude. Known for an exceptional sense of humor, his presentations reflect both entertaining and practical advice for both people managing claims as well as the people “picking up the tab”. Bob serves on the Board of Directors for Kids’ Chance of America, Inc., and was a founding board member and past president of Kids Chance of Florida, Inc.

Mark Pew
Co-founder,
The Transitions and Advancing Advocacy

Mark Pew is an award-winning international speaker, author and jurisdictional advisor in Workers’ Compensation. The RxProfessor has focused on the intersection of chronic pain and appropriate treatment since 2003. Mark created “Qualified Medical Intervention” that won a 2012 Business Insurance Innovation Award. He received WorkCompCentral’s Magna Comp Laude award in 2016, IAIABC’s Samuel Gompers Award in 2017, named “Top 100 Healthcare Leader” by IFAH in 2021 and received the Health 2.0 Outstanding Leadership award in 2022. He is co-founder of The Transitions and Advancing Advocacy and has served on the Advisory Boards of Harvard MedTech, Simple Therapy, and Goldfinch Health. Mark was inducted into Who’s Who in America in 2024.

Bryan Conner
Senior Manager for Workers’ Compensation,
American Airlines

Bryan Conner is the Senior Manager for Workers’ Compensation at American Airlines. Bryan has 20+ years of operational / aviation management and workers’ compensation administration experience. Bryan played a significant role in leading and inspiring the American Airlines Workers’ Compensation team and business partners to overhaul and restructure the Airlines Workers’ Compensation program following the merger of US Airways and American Airlines. The award-winning program has received national attention and covers over 150,000 employees. Bryan leads an extraordinary team of Workers’ Compensation professionals that specialize in caring for injured workers through life’s journey, by elevating the workers’ compensation experience through a supportive problem-solving approach of personalized and caring service. Bryan is renowned for inspiring change and creating an environment of coordinated, collaborative teamwork. He “Walks the Talk” to validate the trust with the injured worker while thinking outside of the box to move claims to closure.

Rosa Royo
Director of Workers’ Compensation and Loss Prevention,
Miami-Dade County Public Schools

As Director of Workers’ Compensation and Loss Prevention for Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Rosa Royo has redefined what it means to care for employees in one of the largest school systems in the nation. Recognizing that wellness and recovery go hand in hand, Royo transformed an underused on-site nurse program into Rebuilding ME—a dynamic health and wellness movement that empowers employees to take charge of their physical and emotional well-being. What began as a small initiative among transportation staff grew into a district-wide culture shift, blending fitness, meditation, cooking demonstrations, and even community adventures that brought together colleagues across departments and cultural lines. Through Royo’s vision and persistence, Rebuilding ME became more than a program—it became a community rooted in connection, inclusion, and prevention.

The results speak volumes. Under Royo’s leadership, Miami-Dade’s workers’ compensation claims dropped by 61% in just three years, saving the district millions of dollars—but her true impact lies in the lives changed. Employees once disengaged found purpose, resilience, and belonging. Through creative incentives, acts of service, and accessible wellness opportunities, Royo proved that prevention and compassion are not opposites but partners in progress. Her pioneering approach has earned national recognition, including two Theodore Roosevelt (“Teddy”) Awards and multiple Risk & Insurance honors. Rosa Royo’s legacy is one of leadership through humanity—turning a large, complex organization into a model of wellness-centered recovery that continues to inspire the workers’ compensation community nationwide.

Josh Schuette, DPT, MBA, WRP
Executive Director of National Workers Compensation Sales & Account Management; Physical Therapist in Behavioral Medicine Department,
Brooks Rehabilitation

For over 20 years Dr. Josh Schuette has worked as a physical therapist specializing in the field of workers compensation. In his current position with Brooks Rehabilitation, he currently performs 4 main roles: National Sales, Assisting case management, performing Functional Capacity Evaluations, and developing new workers’ compensation programs including 2 value-based care programs for injured workers with spinal cord injuries. Dr. Schuette is the National 2023 Comp Laude “Be the Change” award winner. In 2024, he was a finalist for the Bloom Person of the Year award and he was the SAWCA Comp Talks Champion. He is on the faculty of WorkCompCollege.com and is the host of its “Voice of the Provider” program. Josh is a member of the Florida Board of Kids’ Chance and also volunteers for Give Kids The World and Ainsley’s Angels assisting adapted athletes compete in endurance events like running races, triathlons & Spartan races.