Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of OFCCP compliance and EEO regulations requires a steady hand and a wealth of experience. Earlier this year we announced a partnership with Alicia Wallace, and now we are equally thrilled to announce that PJ Rossi has joined the DirectEmployers team as our newest compliance consultant!
With a career spanning well over two decades, beginning in recruitment and evolving to HR compliance and executive-level leadership, PJ brings an experienced and highly relatable practitioner perspective to our community. She serves as the Chief Advisor of Forté Advisory Group where she helps HR leaders sleep better at night by bringing clarity to the areas that keep them up in the first place: workforce risk, regulatory exposure, and AI. Her deep expertise in navigating complex regulatory environments makes her an invaluable asset to our Members as they face new challenges in 2026 and beyond.
Let’s get to know PJ a little better!
You’ve been a dedicated supporter and (previously) long-standing Member. Can you take us back to how your relationship with the Association first began?
In 2010, I was serving as the SVP of Recruiting & Employment Services for a large super-regional bank. We were in the middle of a whirlwind, managing four mergers in just twelve months. It was chaotic, to say the least. We were drowning in the complexity of trying to ensure our open jobs were listed in the right places for compliance, and honestly, the manual outreach felt like a losing game.
Back then, the landscape was a fragmented mess. We had some state offices requesting faxes, others wanting physical mail, and I’m fairly certain a few were holding out for courier pigeons. To make matters worse, many of our outreach targets turned out to be dead ends—fake organizations, scams, or offices that had been closed for years. It was incredibly frustrating and a massive drain on our resources.
That frustration is what finally led me to say ‘yes’ to AJ Selvey and DirectEmployers in 2011. I needed a partner that understood the intersection of innovation and compliance—someone who could automate the ‘noise’ so my team could focus on the people.
DE was instrumental in helping us eliminate much of the pain and inefficiency, especially as we doubled down on veteran and disability outreach. They’ve supported my teams through everything from mergers, acquisitions and new market expansions to massive restructures and RIFs. Even when I changed roles in 2017, seeing that my new employer was already a DE Member was a massive sigh of relief. It’s been a partnership built in the trenches!
During your time as a Member, how did DirectEmployers help you overcome the daily challenges HR compliance practitioners face?
DE hasn’t just been a vendor; they’ve been a cornerstone during some of the most ‘head-spinning’ regulatory shifts our community has ever faced. I look back at the 2015 overhaul of VEVRAA and Section 503 reporting—the sudden intensity of data collection and proving outreach—and then the wave of Pay Transparency changes starting with the 2016 executive order. From California’s pay range requirements in 2018 to Colorado’s salary posting laws in 2021, the landscape is constantly shifting under our feet. And don’t get me started on the tornado of activity with Executive Order 14173.
What I value most is that I’ve always been able to lean on DE and its leaders to brainstorm, vent, and even occasionally debate these new obligations. When you’re trying to figure out how to translate a new mandate into a functional business process, having a trusted partner who understands the nuance of compliance as well as you do is invaluable. They provide the clarity that helps us move from ‘compliance panic’ to ‘strategic execution’.
How has your perspective on HR compliance changed now that you are looking at it through the lens of a consultant?
Early in my career, HR compliance often felt like the department of “no.” The job was to interpret the rules, prevent problems, and occasionally show up like Darth Vader when someone’s creative idea wandered too close to a legal or regulatory cliff. As a consultant, the perspective is different. Compliance becomes a decision framework, not a policing function. My role now is helping leaders understand where risk lives and how to build guardrails that enable organizations to move forward with confidence. That is especially true with AI. Many companies are moving quickly to adopt new tools that influence hiring, employee data, and workplace decisions without fully understanding the downstream impact. Instead of stopping innovation, I help organizations put the right governance, oversight, and accountability in place so they can adopt AI responsibly while protecting their people, their data, and their reputation.
For Members who want to lean on your expertise or learn more about your AI readiness frameworks, where is the best place for them to find you?
The best way to reach me is to check us out at www.forteadvisorygroup.com or connect with me on LinkedIn. I’m always happy to talk through AI readiness challenges, share frameworks, or explore how we might work together. Don’t hesitate to reach out—whether it’s a quick question or a deeper conversation, I’m here to help.
We are incredibly excited to have PJ’s leadership and passion for compliance on our side. Please join us in giving her a warm welcome! Members can also find her active in DE Connect, where she is already engaging and sharing insights.
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