Course Information

Sharon Schneider has over 30 years of human resources experience in the public sector, including 26 years at the State Auditor’s Office. As a Classification Manager, she currently oversees the State Classification Team responsible for maintaining the State’s compensation and classification system, analyzing state workforce issues, performing classification compliance audits, and providing assistance to state agencies and universities on a variety of human resources matters. Prior to joining the State Auditor’s Office, she worked at the University of Texas at Austin, in a role focusing on employee recruitment and selection, compensation management, and employee relations. Sharon earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Texas State University and holds the following certifications: Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Professional in Human Resources (PHR), and SHRM-Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).

Lara Foronda Tai is a managing classification analyst for the State Classification Team at the State Auditor’s Office. She helps maintain the State’s Position Classification Plan, analyzes state workforce issues, conducts compliance audits, provides guidance to state agencies and higher education institutions, and publishes reports on employee compensation and workforce issues for the Legislature.

She has twenty-seven years of human resources experience, including twenty-two years of state government experience at three state agencies. Prior to working for the State of Texas, she worked at consulting firms in the private sector.

Lara earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from the University of Texas at Austin. She is certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR), as well as a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP). She currently serves her community in scouting with the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America. She enjoys traveling with her family to national parks and spending time on beaches on the Texas Gulf Coast.