2023 Sessions

We are excited to share the list of selected presenters and sessions for the 2023 conference. You can hover over a speaker's image to view their bio. Session times and tracks will be announced at a later date. 

Many thanks to everyone who submitted a proposal, and many thanks to the Design Committee for their work on this year's lineup!

Become a Learning Super Hero: Strengthen Your Spidey "LearnSense"

Dr. Trudy Mandeville

Anne Devaney, TCP Program Manager

Anne Devaney has worked in higher ed event management, student advising, and facilities operations; as well as HR and recruiting in hospitality and manufacturing. The common thread through her career has been workplace learning and development. Whether development is people knowing themselves better to reach their potential or increasing their knowledge and skills at work, learning as a profession is and has been exciting, challenging, and rewarding. Anne believes that learning about learning and how individuals learn to grow and develop is fundamental to individual, organizational, and, indeed, her own success.Dr. Trudy Mandeville has committed both her education and expertise to design, development, and delivery of professional learning. All of her efforts focus now on enhancing the learning capabilities of all participants expected to build their careers and engage in the trope of lifelong learner. While it is expected since we have been “students” we have automatically developed our learning skills which we can then apply in our professional careers. Through her work, Dr. Mandeville found that these assumptions are not always accurate and dramatically impact how we engage in learning at work or in life.   What could make you a learning superhero? You begin by strengthening your “spidey” LearnSense which demonstrates your expertise as a sophisticated learner required for you to participate in a Mars Mission. A sophisticated learner takes control of their learning because they possess the knowledge, skills, and ability required to plan, monitor, and reflect on their experiences in any environment or related opportunities.

As learning professionals, we often focus on the optimal design of content or context. The focus of this workshop connects game-design thinking with learning science addressing the sophistication of a learner and how this knowledge could improve the outcomes of any learning experience.

We will address this question: How do we ensure our audiences demonstrate the expertise of sophisticated learners so that they maximize the investment in any learning experience?

L&D Technology: Key Findings from the Latest Industry Research

Tom Stone, Sr. Research Analyst, i4cp

Tom Stone is a Senior Research Analyst at i4cp, the Institute for Corporate Productivity. He has led major research studies on workforce readiness, hybrid and remote work, leadership behaviors, succession management, automation and AI, and other topics. Tom has over 20 years of experience in the Learning and Development and broader Human Capital industry, and is a popular speaker having presented at over 150 regional, national, and international conferences on a wide range of topics. He is also co-author of the book Interact and Engage! 75+ Activities for Virtual Training, Meetings, and Webinars (ATD Press, Second Edition, 2022).There is seemingly no end to the dizzying array of Learning and Development technology concepts, acronyms, and vendor solutions. To gather fresh data on this head-spinning landscape, the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) recently conducted a study of L&D related technologies in the workplace. The study focused on a broad range of categories and vendors, and provides insights on user satisfaction levels to critical feature and priority considerations, to barriers and challenges. In this session, i4cp Senior Research Analyst Tom Stone will share the key findings from the study, and provide recommendations for how to prioritize and align L&D technology decisions.

Positive ROI: Effective Mentoring for Workforce Development

Sarah A. Scala, President and Principal Consultant, M. Ed & OD, PCC (She/Her/Hers)

Serving as consultant, coach, and educator, Sarah Scala’s high-energy approach increases client revenue, reduces turnover, creates business value, and transforms performance of executives, leaders, and teams, helping them reach their highest potential. She provides organization and leadership development, executive coaching, change management, public speaking facilitation, and team development solutions. She supports US-based and global clients across cultures, generations, geographies, and diverse industries. Sarah has extensive experience working with organizations that strive to balance excellent performance, in addition to supporting LGBTQ+ leaders. This workshop will explore both formal and informal mentoring. Mentoring is one of the best ways to strengthen skills or to take a leadership role in developing future leaders or followers. Mentoring can also be very cost effective for organizations. Through interactive group activities and the sharing of best practices, this program will provide examples of mentoring successes with a strong return on investment. Examples of New England and national companies we have partnered with on designing and evaluating a mentor process will also be shared.

Beyond Active Listening: The Head, Heart, & Hands Model in Professional Practice

Kymberly Dakin, M.Ed, Director, Voice Into Learning, LLC

Kymberly Dakin-Neal is a coach specializing in effective communication and professional presence for over a decade. She’s works successfully with newly promoted employees, women running for office, entrepreneurs pitching new products. Kym helps train medical professionals in more productive listening and patient communication. She has trained as a mindset coach with Positive Intelligence and her book “Using Head Heart & Hands Listening in Coach Practice” has just been released by Routledge Publishers.Effective listening is the unsung superpower. If we have ears, we assume we can listen. If we’ve been instructed in “active listening”, we believe we are all set. As trainers, coaches and mentors, we may know how important nuanced listening is in our exchanges with trainees, co-workers, clients and mentees, but until we can identify our own listening habits and modalities - we are missing more than we think in our daily interactions.

How we listen and the filters and biases we use in listening can determine much about what we absorb, the nature of our trainings, the quality of our partnerships, and the actions we decide to take personally and professionally.

Here’s a chance to discover our natural inclinations as listeners - what we listen for, what we listen with, and how we can strengthen our listening skills to become more effective, productive and engaged trainers, coaches and program developers. Amplified listening skills improve performance through more accurate information gathering and assessment, enhanced peer to peer trust and active EQ applications.

Free, Cheap, and Easy: A Resource Toolkit

Jennifer Buckley, M Ed, MBA, CPTD

Jenn Buckley is a technical writer/instructor, ID, project manager of learning projects, and sole proprietor of J Buckley Consulting, LLC, celebrating 13 years as an independent consultant. She is also a member of the ATD Florida Suncoast chapter and an ATD NAC.Every TD Professional needs a toolkit of go-to resources that are free, cheap, and/or easy to use. This review of what's available, with participant input, will enable TD pros to take a few shortcuts to make their work a little bit easier. From graphics, text, fonts, and design to productivity, research, and video, a (somewhat) comprehensive list and review of what tools and websites are available will engage and enable anyone working in the Talent Development space.

Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

Jon Haverly, Master Practitioner with The Wiseman Group

Jon Haverly is a Master Practitioner for the Wiseman Group where he leads Multipliers workshops, delivers keynotes and provides leadership coaching. Based on the New York Times best-selling leadership book “Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter” by Liz Wiseman, this highly engaging and interactive program provides an understanding of the research behind Multipliers and practices that participants can apply immediately. The main topics of the session are:

1) The Multipliers Effect

2) The Accidental Diminisher

3) Becoming a Multiplier

Effective Strategies to Compete for Talent in the Digital Marketplace

Susan Russell, M.S., Global Learning and Development Manager

Susan Russell is an accomplished and influential Learning & Organizational Development Leader with a passion for developing effective learning strategies. With a Master's degree in Training & Organizational Development from Lesley College School of Management, she brings years of experience across various industries including technology, staffing, telecommunications, financial, retail, healthcare, and manufacturing. Currently serving as the Global Learning and Development Manager at Munters, Susan has demonstrated her expertise in driving transformational and sustainable business results. She has successfully led projects such as the implementation of Workday HCM, migration of the LMS from SumTotal to Skillsoft Percipio Compliance, and the development of a comprehensive global training strategy for Munters. Susan's exceptional skills in data-driven decision-making and project management enable her to manage multiple high-profile projects concurrently.In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, attracting and retaining top talent is a critical priority for organizations of all sizes. The ability to compete for talent in the digital marketplace requires a comprehensive understanding of the latest strategies and best practices. This workshop offers invaluable insights and practical guidance to help you develop and implement effective talent acquisition and retention strategies.

This interactive workshop, designed for HR professionals, talent acquisition specialists, hiring managers, and learning and development professionals seeking to gain a competitive edge in the digital talent marketplace, provides a deep dive into the techniques and approaches that will set your organization apart in the competitive digital marketplace. Participants will gain actionable knowledge and learn proven strategies to attract, engage, and retain high-performing individuals. Join us to enhance your talent acquisition and retention capabilities, and position your organization as an employer of choice in today’s competitive talent marketplace.

When Cultures Meet (taste test)

Jeff Boudro

Jeff Boudro is the Executive Director of Power & Systems.  He has been an avid practitioner of Barry Oshry’s work for 20 years. Jeff has deep experience working with a wide variety of organizations to leverage Power + Systems workshops to strengthen leadership at all levels, build robust cultures, and accelerate their key initiatives.  Jeff is a results-oriented leader with significant global experience helping unleash the power of people at all levels of their organization.  He is a dynamic facilitator and a highly energetic leader with a proven track record of leading high performing teams and identifying and developing talent.The workshop is a blend of experiential activities, reflection, and group debriefs along with strategic frameworks and application to the work setting. In a dynamic, experiential activity participants are put in small groups and given a set of culture rules to follow as they complete tasks.

Groups with different culture rules are merged and need to connect across differences to complete a task. The exercise gets to the heart of issues created when two cultures meet. Reflection and strategic frameworks enable participants to identify the costs of failing to connect across differences as well as a concrete road map for creating a robust, new culture.

Leadership Skills for a Hybrid World

Nancy Settle-Murphy, President, Guided Insights

Nancy helps distributed teams work more effectively by helping leaders and members alike to find new ways to build trust, cultivate healthy relationships and collaborate more successfully across time, cultures and distances. A renowned expert in the fields of virtual/hybrid leadership, remote collaboration and navigating cross-cultural differences, she is the author of Leading Effective Virtual Teams published by CRC Press, and is a frequent contributor to articles, blogs, white papers and newsletters, including her own online newsletter, Communique.  Drawing from more than two decades of experience in facilitating, coaching and training global teams, Nancy works with clients like TripAdvisor, the National Park Service, IBM, HP, NASA, Biogen, Partners Healthcare, Seqirus, AstraZeneca, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the National Institute for Children’s Healthcare Quality to help them work more effectively across time and distance.In this interactive workshop, I’ll start by sharing the results of my recent research with CHROs, Learning and Development and Talent Managers to find out what leadership skills they see as most crucial in today’s hybrid world, explore why so few managers have those skills, and brainstorm ways learning and development organizations can help cultivate those skills in a world where managers are consumed by fighting fires almost every day.

We’ll explore the skills, competences, attitudes and behaviors workshop participants that are essential for hybrid leaders, and then brainstorm different ways we can cultivate and apply those skills and shift behaviors, depending on a variety of factors such as: senior management commitment, number and location of managers, existing coursework and tools that can be leveraged, skills most needed, etc.

We’ll conclude by having each participant map out an action plan, including one tangible step they can take in the next month to close the leadership skills gap as quickly as possible.

We’ll use a combination of small-group activities and large group discussions.

Increase Engagement with AI tools in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace

David V. Dec, Director of Professional Development

Director of Professional Development & Trainer for KnowledgeWave in Burlington, Vermont, Dave brings his unique passion for helping others to the classroom, online, and on the job. Dave has written and delivered courseware for multiple applications across many industries. He specializes in MS 365 Apps and Google Workspace and how they implement AI within these apps. He has in-depth experience in professional development skills training that include excellence in customer service, public speaking, communications, and more. He is certified in Creating Leadership Programs from ATD, Microsoft Service Adoption, and a Dale Carnegie Coach.Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are already using Artificial Intelligence (AI) within their applications. Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Docs, and Sheets all use AI and Machine Learning to help you create courseware as well as improve your training delivery. These tools will help you create material that will best engage your learners and talent, while making your work more efficient and exciting.

ahul Singh, Senior General Manager and Poonam Jaypuria, VP eLearning at Harbinger Group

Designing an AI (Artificial Intelligence) based Learning Ecosystem for Talent Development

In this session you’ll learn how to implement AI enabled virtual coach for establishing a continuous process of tal

WAIT! Don’t toss out your existing Learning Technology, at least Not Yet

Barry Richman, Learning Technology Consultant

Barry is a Business Consultant helping clients create Learning Ecosystems that Empower People’s Growth and add Measurable Value to the Business. Barry assists in moving organizations from their current learning technology state to whatever future state they are beginning to envision. He starts by helping to define the Why, How, What, Where and When of that vision. He bridges the gap between the Business and the Technical, the Objective and the Actual. Barry is a former NEAC member, now semi-retired and living the Lake Life in upstate NY.  Like the weather, everyone talks about their LMS but they don’t (or can’t) do anything about it. Ever wonder why this is the case? The ‘bad’ reputation earned by a learning system is often unrelated to the system itself, but more to the way in which it is used, administered, configured, and designed.

There are many reasons for this, and most of them can be resolved simply by attending this session!

But seriously, during our time together, we’ll dive into those reasons and some of the steps you can take to either rehabilitate your existing system, or select a new one.

We’ll talk about creating User Stories and Use Cases and how to turn those into Business Requirements. We’ll discuss how carefully constructed Personas can help shape those Requirements and connect them directly to Key Performance Indicators that positively impact the Business.

You’ll leave this session with a number of practical tips and tools you can use immediately to ensure that your technology solution leads to a more impactful learning program for your organization, through either a rehabilitation or a selection process.

Design Magic: Ignite Talent

Lisa Crockett, CPC, PMP, Learning Experience Designer, Career Coach, and Webcast Host

Lisa is a talent development visionary, expert instructional designer, and a guardian of growth. With her extensive background as a Human Resources and Organizational Development leader, learning designer/developer, and professional development coach, she has honed her exceptional skills in stimulating learning and shaping long-term success. Experienced in communication, training, and the provision of "just-in-time" resources and support programs, Lisa has consistently empowered leaders and entrepreneurs across diverse industries to achieve remarkable results. As a trusted guide, she is committed to helping individuals unlock their true potential and create positive change. Get ready to embark on an extraordinary journey under Lisa's guidance, as you harness the magic of design and unlock your path to growth and success.Embark on a journey into the realm of design magic and unlock the extraordinary power to delight and inspire learners. Join us as we delve into the art of creating transformative programs and learning experiences that leave a lasting impact.

This workshop offers a unique opportunity to uncover the secrets of captivating design. Through engaging activities, real-world case studies, and dynamic design challenges, you will nurture empathy, foster collaboration, and unlock your problem-solving skills. Discover the magic of gathering insights, activating feedback loops, and embracing continuous iteration to create learning experiences that resonate.

Prepare to unleash your creative genius, gain practical insights, and embark on a quest that will ignite growth and success for you and your organization. Join us and let's make design magic together!

Gathering All You Need: Allocating Resources for the Development of Your Online Learning Program

Miko Nino, Ph.D., Asst. Vice President for Adult and Online Education
Jenifer Giroux, Vice President for Corporate Relations and Professional Studies

Jenifer Giroux, Vice President for Corporate Relations and Professional Studies, at Rhode Island College is a seasoned professional working with diverse populations to provide programming that supports the attainment of employment, career advancement and/or educational goals. Under her leadership the Office of Professional Studies and Continuing Education has grown to workforce development, adult education, professional development, personal enrichment and cultural/community programs, certificate and adult bachelor completion programs and the development and oversight of the Rhode Island College Workforce Development Hub.  She works with a multitude of public and private organizations and businesses to develop and offer programming that meets the ever-changing needs of employers, students and employees living and working in Rhode Island. In this presentation, participants will explore a ten-step process for the development and management of online learning programs, from the initial idea to the final evaluation. Participants will engage in small activities and exercises that will result in an action plan that they can implement in their organizations to develop, manage, and evaluate learning programs. The content of this presentation is based on project management and learning management strategies. In addition, this presentation will provide a list of resources and considerations needed before deciding to develop or enhance an online learning program.

Ignite, Empower, Propel: The Dynamic Mindset for Engaging, Retaining, and Innovating!

Julia Geisman, Founder & CEO.

Julia Geisman is a dynamic speaker and facilitator who has spent the last 30 years laser-focused on the people side of business. She founded CareerAgility 15 years ago to attack the root causes of workplace inequities and to build environments which foster engagement, increase retention, and stimulate innovation.  Geisman is a frequent panelist and speaker at national and international conferences, conducts and facilitates workshops and webinars, and is a coach and trusted advisor to senior executives. She is known for her ability to engage her audience, provoke new thinking, and leave them a little wiser. In this engaging workshop we will explore why an inclusive mindset is the key to unlocking higher levels of engagement, improving employee retention, and fostering a culture of innovation. By encouraging diverse perspectives, experiences, and ideas, teams and organizations can tap into a wealth of creativity and problem-solving capabilities.

Using practical strategies and techniques this highly interactive session builds upon known behaviors that promotes an inclusive and learning work environment enabling individuals, teams and organizations to thrive.

Through interactive discussions, case studies, and practical exercises, participants will leave workshop equipped with actionable insights and tools to develop and nurture an inclusive mindset within their organizations. Join us and unlock the potential of an inclusive mindset to create a more engaged, resilient, and innovative workplace.

Shifting From Onboarding to Everboarding: Lessons from Top Gun

Amber Watts, Director of Learning & Talent

Amber has over 10 years of experience in Talent Development and Sales Enablement. No matter the industry, she implements a culture of learning wherever she goes. Currently, she is the Director of Learning & Talent for Magnet Medical, Past President for ATD Nebraska, and a PAC member for ATD’s Annual Chapter Leader Conference (ALC). Amber is a builder and a collaborator at heart who combines humor and creativity with vulnerability and a bias for action. Through a mix of interactive exercises and inspiring stories of trials and failures, Amber will challenge the audience to embrace new ideas.  Amber holds a B.S. in Business Management & Leadership and a certification in Virtual Training Design. She was recognized as an Emerging Training Leader by Training Magazine, 2019 and earned a Stevie Award for Sales Training/Coaching Program of the Year in 2020.Organizations may aspire to cultivate a learning culture in a virtual world but they struggle to maintain engagement once Onboarding ends. Many have an "Exit Day" where Onboarding ends and their new hires' independence begins and often times, their new hire isn't ready for the abrupt end. Certifications help prepare them, but a "one size fits all" approach won't cut it in a real world environment.

In this session, we'll draw inspiration from TOPGUN. Not the movie, but the actual naval flight academy. Participants can expect to learn how to best prepare employees to embrace a continuous learning experience with them in the pilot's seat. I'll take them through misconceptions around Everboarding and the 4 phases to launch it as a holistic learning strategy.

1. Creating your map and frameworks

2. The anatomy of your everboarding program

3. Establish your learning technology ecosystem

4. Continuous reinforcement

You will walk away with inspiration and clarity around what Everboarding is and the value it adds in our complex, modern working environment.

Beat Burnout with the Basics

Monique St. Paul, Training Program Specialist

Monique St. Paul started her L&D career as an Instructional Designer for virtual reality training. Broadening her scope, she joined an established training program for the pleasure of refining it to the new world of work. Monique's leadership, facilitation, and public speaking experiences led her to become an adjunct professor at the University of New Haven. She holds a Master’s degree in Communication Management with a concentration in Learning and Development and a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. She served as a local ATD chapter board member. She is the Technology Coordinator for the Connecticut Society for Psychoanalytic Psychology.In the aftermath of a worldwide pandemic, talent development professionals get the Herculean task of engaging learners that are zoomed out and have stamped out roles and responsibilities that no longer serve them. There’s only one problem - the trainers are just as exhausted as the learners. If this sounds even a smidge too familiar, come to this session to get back to the basics. Reconnect with your motivation to train, and use that to develop training that will keep your learners from checking their email the whole time. Finish up by creating a plan to stay motivated, keep learning, and decompress. You owe it to yourself to engage with your training foundational knowledge as a way to beat burnout with the basics.

Cultivating Emotional Wellness: The Key to Innovation, Collaboration, and Resilience. For L&D Professionals and Their People

Anna Annette, CEO, Teacher and Coach

Anna Annette is the CEO of Edelweiss Academy of Mastery.  With over 22 years of experience in experiential learning, she teaches and coaches people and organization to grow and succeed from a place of authentic self, inner peace, and joy. Anna has created and integrates in her work innovative and powerful tools blending psychology, human energy, nature, art, and experiential learning. Anna teaches on the topics of: change resilience, learning design that empowers change, business finance, emotional wellness, personal growth, and innovation. Anna is the creator of Bloomtica® method for personal growth and resilience.People at all levels of their organizations across all industries and of all sizes have experienced tremendously challenging conditions over the last few years leading to stress, depletion, anxiety, apathy, and mental and emotional instability. In this state of being and in addition to continued changes many organizations are undertaking to respond to the business environment, sustaining engagement, collaboration, productivity, engagement has become very difficult.

In this workshop, participants will learn why and how the global pandemic impacted our emotional and mental well-being so deeply and discover and experience powerful techniques rooted in psychology, human energy, nature, and art, to restore inner peace, balance, joy and inspiration for present and future leading to self-motivation, collaboration, innovation, and fulfillment.

Reigniting Leadership Development Post-Pandemic

Dan Collier

Dan Collier is the Senior Director, Talent and Leadership Development at Suffolk. In that role, he leads the design, development, delivery, measurement, of leadership, management and professional development programs. Programs include Suffolk’s Management Excellence Academy, Rising Leader Program, Executive Leadership Program and various professional skills workshops that drive strategic organizational outcomes. Dan innovates in the learning and development space, with a focus on solutions that scale and connect employees in meaningful ways, allowing them to learn from each other. Prior to joining Suffolk, he served in similar learning and leadership development roles at Fresenius Medical Care North America and TrainingPros.  Dan is certified in a variety of learning and leadership assessment instruments and has served in several board roles including President for the Boston Chapter of the Association for Talent Development.According to recent Association of Talent Development's State of the Industry reports, the vast majority of the percentage of in-person training occurring in organizations has been predominantly focused at leadership, management and professional skills programs.

In March, 2020, that paradigm became disrupted. Organizations around the world grappled with conducting daily operations (performing work, managing meetings, hiring and managing team performance) in an online, virtual environment. Our kids came home from college and school and took their classes from their bedrooms. Words like Zoom, Teams, Connect took on new meaning. The challenge in 2020 was how to adapt. How do we not only deliver content through a new modality, but do so while creating and engaging and effective learning experience? Multi-day programs were deconstructed and reconstructed 60-120 minute bites. What used to be accomplished onsite in a couple of days was now redesigned and delivered over weeks. We discovered the obstacles created by "multitasking" and the value of "cameras on". Virtual facilitation and the need for class producers became the standard.

Then slowly, after almost two years in the darkness, the sun came out. Masks were coming off. People were congragating, meeting in person, socially distanced at first. Planes began filling up again and our kids went back to their schools. And almost immediately, there was a demand to bring our development programs back to the physical classroom. L&D teams scrambled to buckle together weekly Zoom sessions into days-long, interactive learning experiences as if COVID never happened.

What were the lessons we learned from the dramatic swing back and forth in just a couple of short years?

How should we be looking at design and delivery differently from these lessons?

Are there benefits in both virtual and in-person delivery that can be leveraged for improved programs going forward?

This workshop is designed to share my personal experiences while facilitating the participants journeys' into a shared conversation.

THE SEESAW LIFE: It's Not About the Balance, It's About the Sway!

Lisa S. Griffith, CPO

Lisa S. Griffith is a Productivity Coach, Certified Professional Organizer®, speaker, and trainer who draws upon her experience from her thirty-year career as a teacher, director, and administrator of performing arts in schools, churches, and community organizations. Since 2008, she has utilized her extensive skills in her business, Griffith Productivity Solutions, to inspire, coach, and teach those who want to understand how to best organize their work spaces, inboxes, calendars, and to-do lists in both their professional and personal lives. Where others see mayhem, Lisa sees potential and a pathway to productivity. Her mission is to generate positive change in people’s personal and professional lives by helping them create sustainable structures and systems that encourage and stimulate growth through outer order and inner calm.

Where does work life end and personal life begin? In today’s post-pandemic world, it can often be hard to distinguish. With so many of us working from home, working in a hybrid situation, or back to working full time in a brick-and-mortar office, it’s easy to let our paid work bleed into our unpaid, personal time. Answering emails at midnight, SENDING emails at 2 am, scrolling through your phone at all hours of the day and night, juggling family and home responsibilities – all can lead to a serious case of burn-out.

If your state of mind is in constant overwhelm from trying to balance your personal and work lives, this presentation will help you find your way out from under the overwhelm. We will discuss the five obstacles that can get in the way of your ability to balance work and personal obligations, from dealing with your physical space, to managing your time, energy, and focus. Learning how to effectively manage that seesaw-like “sway” between the personal and professional will lead to increased productivity, an improved perspective, and hopefully a less stressful, more fulfilling and well-rounded life.

Harnessing the Power of ChatGPT for Talent Development

Stan Skrabut, Director of Instructional Technology and Design

Stan Skrabut is a card carrying lifelong learner who has spent his career helping people and organizations achieve improved performance. He is a scholar, teacher, author, veteran, martial artist, and avid reader. Throughout his working life, he has changed roles and responsibilities countless times. He worked as a guard, organizational trainer, instructional technologist, webmaster, systems programmer, lecturer, and director. He uses informal learning, especially reading, as a way to improve himself and subsequently his teams. His interest in informal learning inspired his dissertation topic, Study of Informal Learning Among University of Wyoming Extension Educators.  He lives with his wife and two dogs in Rhode Island. Nomadic in nature, he loves to travel and has lived in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Turkey, and various locations across the United States. His number one passion is helping others achieve their goals. He has been a member of ATD for over ten years and this is his third chapter.Are you looking for an innovative way to enhance your talent development programs? Look no further than ChatGPT. This session will introduce you to the capabilities of this powerful language model, and show you how it can be used to support your talent development efforts.

In this session, you will learn:
    • What is ChatGPT and how it works
    • How to use ChatGPT to support your talent development initiatives
    • Examples of how ChatGPT has been used in the talent development space

By the end of the session, you will have a clear understanding of the potential of ChatGPT and how to use it to support your talent development efforts. You will also have the opportunity to set up an account and ask ChatGPT questions to see the technology in action. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to transform your talent development programs with the power of ChatGPT.

The Secret to Unleashing the Can-Do Spirit of Your Workforce

Jamie Millard, Co-Founder & Executive Partner
Frank Satterthwaite, PhD, Professor

Dr. Frank Satterthwaite, co-author of "Becoming a Can-Do Leader: A Guide for the Busy Manager" (ATD Press), is a professor of organizational leadership at Johnson & Wales University. He is also the author of "The Career Portfolio Workbook: Using the Newest Tool in Your Job-Hunting Arsenal to Impress Employers and Land a Great Job" (McGraw-Hill). He studied psychology at Princeton and received his Ph.D. in organizational behavior from Yale. He was a member of the U.S. national men's squash team. Jamie Millard, co-author of Becoming a Can-Do Leader: A Guide for the Busy Manager (ATD Press), is the Executive Partner and co-founder of Lexington Leadership Partners, an executive coaching and customized leadership development and training firm focused on developing can-do leaders. He formerly led consulting and training practices at CSC Consulting, PwC, Harbridge House and KPMG. He holds a BS degree from the US Military Academy at West Point and an MBA from the University of Rhode Island. Jamie was Past President of the Bay Colonies Chapter, a member of ATD's National Advisors for Chapters  and co-founder of the New England Area Conference.Discover the secrets to energize your employees and unleash their can-do spirit so they are excited to come to work every day. Help your managers learn to check the VITALS of their people to identify and tap into the motivational triggers that lead to high levels of performance, job satisfaction, motivation and retention. Learn proven, practical tips to motivate and fully engage people.

Things your brain does when you’re not looking

Wendy Picard, Learning & Development Consultant

Wendy is a Learning Experience Developer for FM Global through Axiom Learning Solutions. She has been transforming woes to whoas in L&D for almost 15 years. Most of her time is spent in instructional design but she loves finding innovative solutions for organizations even if it’s outside the instruction box. She earned her master's degree in training and development from Roosevelt University. As a lifelong learner, she has earned her D&I certification from Cornell University and positive psychology certification through Coursera. Aside from combating learning myths, Wendy enjoys board games, letting her geek flag fly, and being with her family.Ever wonder what’s happening in that unconscious of yours? In this session we’ll peak in real time to see how your brain uses shortcuts, why we need it to, and how to make sure it’s not making big decisions without you. We’ll share some tips and tricks to use that will quite literally change the way you think and how to use this superpower change your world.


Ignite and Inspire: Unleashing Employee Engagement for Lasting Organizational Success

Mariah Bradbury, MBA, MSOL, Learning & Organization Development Manager
Cameron Mastrodomenico, Learning & Organization Development Manager

Cameron is a Learning and Organization Development professional of the Greater Boston Area with a demonstrated history of working in the banking industry. Following his time at Johnson & Wales University he began his career in the retail industry where he established several management skills including leadership with empathy and interpersonal communication. Having then made his transition to the banking industry he navigated his way to Learning & Organization Development. As a learning professional he is a Crucial Learning certified facilitator and active member of ATD. Throughout his career he has successfully implemented several virtual and in person initiatives to drive learning and engagement for employees, acted as a co-chair to his organization’s Pride Acceptance Network, and established processes and procedures to drive team results.  Mariah is a dedicated leader and educator with a passion for coaching and developing others to achieve success throughout their career journeys. With a background in Learning & Development, Career Coaching, and DEIB, Mariah excels in guiding individuals and teams toward continued engagement and business success. Mariah brings a comprehensive understanding of the value these principles hold in fostering a thriving organizational culture and cultivates workplaces that influence meaningful and inclusive experiences. At her current organization, Mariah is a member of the DEIB Council, Employee Education Initiative Committee, and serves as leader of the Employee Engagement Committee. In her first year as a leader, she increased employee engagement drastically within her team and is dedicated to helping others do the same. She is an active member of ATD and certified facilitator of Crucial Conversations and SLII.In today's competitive business landscape, organizations recognize that employee engagement is crucial for achieving lasting success. Engaged employees are motivated, committed, and enthusiastic about their work, leading to higher productivity, improved performance, and a positive work environment. This workshop, "Ignite and Inspire: Unleashing Employee Engagement for Lasting Organizational Success," is designed to equip leaders, managers, and HR professionals with the knowledge, tools, and practices to cultivate a highly engaged workforce.

In this session, we’ll cover:

    • Understanding the Importance of Employee Engagement
    • Assessing Current Engagement Levels
    • Creating a Culture of Engagement
    • Empowering Employees
    • Effective Communication and Feedback
    • Building Trust & Connection
    • Nurturing Employee Well Being
    • Sustaining Engagement through Change
    • Measuring & Monitoring Engagement
    • Action Planning

Hybrid Workplace Maturation Model

Stefanie Heiter, Founder & CEO, Bridging Distance
Kim McGonagle, 
PHR, SHRM-CP, Founder and Principal, Alchemize People Strategy Solutions

Kimberly McGonagle is an experienced People Strategy Leader with a passion for fostering employee-centered cultures and building high-performing teams. She has nearly two decades of experience in Human Resources spanning different industries and company stages.       Prior to starting her HR consulting business, Kim was Vice President, Head of HR at Intergalactic Therapeutics, an early-stage non-viral gene therapy company. She has held various HR leadership roles in life sciences, venture capital, renewable energy, and commercial facilities companies.     Kim received her B.S. in Business and Economics from the State University of New York at Oneonta. She is currently enrolled in William James College’s Master of Organizational Psychology program where she collaborated with Bridging Distance on a practical model to help organizations optimize hybrid work.Stefanie pioneered the field of dispersed teaming and leadership since 1997 and is among the nation’s leading thinkers and consultants on the human side of virtual work.  She has authored numerous published articles and workshops used by multiple companies world-wide. Stefanie unconsciously looks for patterns everywhere: “I am passionate about getting to know people, learning about how they think, what motivates them, where could they improve, what they are doing to live their best lives.” Stefanie earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Clark University and went on to earn her master’s degree in organizational management. Her master’s thesis was Building Trust in Global Teams. The game has changed, and no doubt your role and responsibilities have too. With the corporate initiatives to support hybrid work environments, talent managers are tasked with developing and instituting more effective ways for distributed teams to lead, manage and grow their employees. The ongoing push and pull of remote, hybrid, and in person work creates new demands for how to onboard and develop key talent. You need real-time insight about how your organization is doing, with particular focus on how hybrid impacts who joins, who stays, and who goes in your organization. This is all the while navigating the shifting realities of employee expectations.

We get it. Our Hybrid Optimization model provides a foundation for examining and understanding the complex dynamics of your hybrid workplace experience–your people, processes, policies, and technology. We make the ambiguous concrete, with actionable ideas for strengthening hiring, onboarding, and promoting your top talent.

Join us for a session to learn to map your challenges onto our proven model, focusing on skills and abilities in performance management.

As organizational psychologists and social scientists, working with executive leaders, managers, and thousands of virtual and hybrid teams across the globe for over 25 years, we have developed a best-in-class capability to evaluate your organization’s mindset/culture and performance to identify critical gaps blocking you from achieving your goals.

So You Want to Write a Book: The Journey of Writing, Publishing, and Marketing a Book

Stan Skrabut, Director of Instructional Technology and Design

Stan is a Director of Instructional Technology and Design at Dean College, helping faculty and students reach the next level.  He has over 30 years of experience as an instructional technologist and trainer. He has a doctorate in education from the University of Wyoming. Author of "80 Ways to Use ChatGPT in the Classroom: Using AI to Enhance Teaching and Learning."Are you an aspiring author looking to navigate the intricate path of writing, publishing, and marketing your book? Join us for an informative conference session where we will explore the essential tools and step-by-step process for successfully bringing your literary masterpiece to life. From initial research and creation to publication and marketing, this session will equip you with the necessary knowledge and demonstrate a range of helpful tools to streamline your journey.

Researching and Creating the Book:

Discover the crucial tools and steps for effective research and content creation. Learn how to leverage tools like Otter.AI, an innovative dictation and transcription software, to capture your thoughts and ideas effortlessly. Explore the power of Mindmeister, a mind-mapping tool, to organize and structure your research. Additionally, explore Zotero, a reference management tool, to streamline your bibliography and ensure accurate citations.

Publishing the Book:

Take a deep dive into the publishing process and explore the tools that will facilitate your journey. Uncover the capabilities of Scrivener, a comprehensive writing and editing software, designed specifically for authors. Understand the importance of layout and design and how tools like Atticus can help you create visually appealing and professional book layouts. Gain insights into publishing platforms such as Google Books, Bowker, IngramSpark, Amazon KDP, and Draft2Digital, and understand the steps involved in making your book available in various formats and channels.

Marketing the Book:

A well-crafted book deserves an audience, and marketing plays a crucial role in reaching potential readers. Learn about the essential tools and steps to effectively market your book. Explore BookFunnel, a platform that facilitates book distribution and helps you engage with readers. Discover how to harness the power of MailerLite, an email marketing tool, to build and nurture your author platform. Understand key marketing strategies and techniques to enhance discoverability and boost book sales.

Throughout the session, our expert presenters will demonstrate the practical use of these tools, providing you with a hands-on experience and actionable insights. By the end of the session, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the entire book creation and publishing process, along with the tools necessary to embark on your own authorial journey.

Join us for this enlightening conference session and equip yourself with the knowledge and tools to turn your writing dreams into reality. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from experienced authors and industry professionals. See you there!

ATD New England is a partnership between the existing ATD Chapters located in the New England Region.

Learn more about the Association for Talent Development.  Visit www.td.org.

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