An Industry Update 2016: Attendees will gain valuable information on key elements of the self-funding model compared to other models and as a long-term strategy for employee health benefits. They will learn more about level-funding, onsite clinics, telemedicine and value based benefits and steerage.

Takeaways include
* Gaining a better understanding of self-funding for an employer’s benefits.
* Learning about the difference between self-funding and fully-insured benefits.
* Exploring the trending items self-funded employers are utilizing; level funding, onsite clinics, telemedicine and value-based benefits.

Calvin Rigsby, II, joined The Alliance in 2011 as business development manager. He is responsible for securing new employer members into the cooperative by managing distribution channels through direct sales efforts.

Rigsby came to The Alliance with over 15 years of sales and leadership experience in insurance, corporate finance and technology industries. He previously worked in large group sales at Physicians Plus Insurance Corporation, Ameritas Dental and Vision Group and as group manager for First Insurance Funding Corporation. He received his degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and served active duty airborne infantry in Operation Desert Shield/Storm.

Rigsby holds his Wisconsin Insurance License (Health and Accident, Life; Individual) and a certificate in sales management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a member of the Wisconsin Association of Health Underwriters and participates in many of the local chamber organizations as well as SHRM chapters.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

This presentation provided an overview of work authorization compliance, primarily focused on Form I-9 obligations including refresher information on Form I-9 completion, anti-discrimination protections, good-faith compliance and other defenses, retention requirements, self-audits, electronic I-9 vendor section and recent trends in government audits and compliance reviews.

Takeaways include
* Identifying common errors when completing Form I-9, including addressing SSN or name discrepancies, reviewing and documenting identity and work authorization documents, meeting timing obligations, and performing due diligence.
* Identifying benefits/risks and implement best practices regarding self-audits and correcting improperly completed Forms I-9.
* Understanding government’s current enforcement focus and recent audit trends.

Monica Santa Maria is an associate in the Labor, Employment & Immigration Practice Group in the firm's Madison office, focusing her practice on strategies and compliance for hiring international personnel. Monica works closely with businesses seeking temporary work authorization for foreign national workers through H-1B, L-1, TN and O-1 nonimmigrant status, advises both businesses and individuals on the various processes available for obtaining immigrant status (legal permanent residence), and on collateral issues affecting foreign nationals such as obtaining a Social Security Number or Driver’s license.

Monica's recent experience includes: Counseling employers on the PERM Labor Certification process; Preparing employment-based and family-based immigrant petitions and applications for legal permanent residence; Preparing petitions for nonimmigrant status; Counseling employers on Form I-9 compliance, including assisting in I-9 audits; Counseling employers on E-Verify; Counseling employers on hiring-related discrimination issues; Responding to Department of Labor PERM audits, responding to Citizenship & Immigration Services Requests for Evidence, and appealing benefit denials.

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Successful HR professionals effectively operate from a strategic “business partner” framework to impact business goals. In this session, HR professionals will learn to identify and communicate the unique value HR Business Partners bring to the business.

Takeaways include
* Discovering the traits successful Human Resource Business Partners possess
* Exploring the Human Resource Business Partner's role in driving organizational strategies
* Rounding out the impact of Human Resources by leveraging unique tools and insights

Certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and as a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), Jenny is an accomplished human resource professional with nearly 20 years of comprehensive human resource and management experience in dynamic environments. She has proven experience collaborating with leaders at all levels. Her expertise includes extensive knowledge of employee relations, training and development, employee engagement strategies, performance management initiatives, coaching, recruitment and retention, and organizational change initiatives.

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: Senior
Competency: Business Acumen

With no intention of eventually becoming a CHRO, I took a job as an Office Manager and things grew from there. When we listen to our guts, pay attention to lessons along the way, and find mentors to turn to in times of success and times of struggle, you can build the career of your dreams. In this bold talk, participants will peek behind the curtain and learn how to take life moments and wrap a career around authenticity.

Takeaways include
* Learning to look back and forward at the same time
* Learning to lean on others; asking for help is not a crime
* Learning to recognize your strengths

As CHRO, Kathleen is responsible for building a culture focused on supporting professionals and providing an environment where employees can thrive. Kathleen was previously Vice President of People and Culture for a 43-year-old technology services and consulting firm. Under her direction, turnover reduced from 23 percent to 13 percent in two years. Previously, Kathleen served as senior HR manager of Business HR for a medical device company, where she led the company’s change management strategy following an acquisition. In 2014, she was named one of the “Most Powerful and Influential Women” in Colorado by the Colorado Diversity Council. She also serves on the board of Rocky Mountain HR People & Strategy.

Kathleen holds a degree in psychology and human development from Marymount University and is a Six Sigma Greenbelt.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: Early Career
Competency: Leadership and Navigation

Many companies are still asking whether and when they should concern themselves with change management. The answer is simple: whenever an initiative requires people to work or behave differently.

Organizations that accept the need for change management wonder whether they should go it alone or hire a consultant. Six questions determine which direction to take:

How well does this initiative fit into our business context?

What risks are associated with the proposed change?

Does our organizational structure and design enable the change?

Is our culture conducive to the change?

Do we have the right resources to execute change management activities?

Do we have access to change management methodologies and tools?

This disciplined process forces organizations to scrutinize factors that they as "believers" might otherwise gloss over, revealing insights that lead to successful change.

Takeaways include
* Understanding the complex organizational environment in which change occurs
* Identifying the six questions an organization should ask when determining if and how it should pursue change management
* Becoming familiar with evaluative tools to assess risk, change readiness, structure, and culture, and to identify resources and roles

Susan Richards, founder and CEO of SteelBridge Solutions, Inc., has more than twenty years of human resources experience helping clients improve business performance by aligning their human capital programs and practices with business strategy. Susan has successfully led and delivered HR technology, strategy, organizational effectiveness, change-management and transformation engagements. Her clients span a broad range of industries, including the public sector, energy, healthcare, telecommunications, manufacturing, financial services, consumer business, and professional services. Previously, Susan was a partner in Wipro's Human Capital and Change Management practice, a principal in Mercer's HR Effectiveness Practice, the Southeast Market leader for Human Capital at Buck Consultants, and a Senior Manager in Deloitte's HR Operations practice. Susan earned an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BA from Maryville College. Her certifications include SPHR, PMP, Workday HCM and Project Management. She is active in SHRM, IHRIM, APA, World at Work, and PMI.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Employers continue to struggle with engagement and ROI on wellness programs, but the investment isn’t going away. How do we spend our wellness dollars in a way that will drive value and potential long-term savings? We may have to look outside of health habits and help our employees with every day, real-life, challenges they are struggling to overcome and acting as barriers. Results have shown us that an individual’s wellbeing is made up of four dimensions: health, purpose, belonging, and security. And if one is lacking in any of those areas, each of the others are impacted as well. Join me to learn more about how you can help eliminate the root cause that leads to poorer health decisions and improve both the culture and health of your workplace.

Takeaways include
* Expanding benefit solutions to help employees overcome the root cause of their health issues
* Rethinking the culture of the workplace to be better prepared to attract and retain new talent with the culture and benefits they are looking for.
* Understanding why simply implementing a wellness program focused on physical health isn’t going to make the changes necessary for true organizational benefit.

Alexandra Paul is a National Sales Executive for Humana’s Wellness Solutions Channel. Over the past several years, she has helped employers across the county achieve their workplace wellbeing goals. Ms. Paul has served in various roles within the Humana organization focusing on wellness strategies that meet the client’s needs through both account management and business development. She has championed initiatives with large employers developing strategies that include: multi-year wellness program development, participation and outcomes-based contribution models, and shared savings models based on ROI to name a few. Alexandra has a passion for total wellbeing and continues to research the effects of our lifestyles on our physical health. The goal is to identify solutions for employers to help address the root cause of our poor health habits.

Ms. Paul is a Broadcast News major from the University of Georgia and a member of the Executives Club of Chicago. She resides in Louisville, Kentucky working out of the Corporate Headquarters of Humana. Connect with her on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrakoetterpaul

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Explore how inner biases in the workplace can affect the hiring process, from recruiting to interviewing to on-boarding. We’ll work together in this workshop to identify biases in job descriptions and interview questions and processes. Learning from organizations that have implemented changes, participants will be able to see real life examples of what has and hasn’t worked. This is an interactive learning experience hosted by the Step Up: Equity Matters team.

Takeaways include
* Understanding the role of inner biases in the interviewing process and how to overcome them
* Gaining a new perspective on traditional recruiting efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in hiring
* Walking away with concrete action steps you can take to make your job descriptions and interview questions more equitable

Amy Kesling graduated from UW-Madison with a B.A. in Sociology and Geography with a Certificate in Environmental Studies. Amy’s commitment for environmental and social sustainability led her to Sustain Dane in 2010, working to improve social and environmental sustainability efforts within the business community. The Step Up: Equity Matters initiative is a collaborative effort between Sustain Dane, the Latino Professionals Association, and Madison area entrepreneurs to promote more diverse and inclusive workplaces.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness

In employee benefits, the HR professional is generally advocating for a comprehensive, yet affordable, benefits package, and the CFO is concerned with the bottom line. By closely monitoring the seven metrics described in this presentation, you can identify areas of your health plan that might be leading to drastic overspending. Once you know your health plan’s seven metrics, you’ll be able to craft a plan to drive better financial sustainability with your health care costs.

Takeaways include
* Learning seven metrics that you should be monitoring to determine the financial wellbeing of your health plan.
* Discovering how to calculate these metrics with your own health plan data and compare to benchmarks.
* Coming away with strategies to reduce health plan overspending.

Nicole Pfeiffer is a Vice President of Employee Benefits for Cottingham & Butler. Nicole has been with Cottingham & Butler since April 2004. Nicole offers consultative advice to business decision-makers regarding their employee benefit plans. Prior to Nicole’s role in Employee Benefits, she worked as the Vice President of Human Resources and Director of Marketing for the firm. Prior to joining Cottingham & Butler, Nicole worked for Procter & Gamble in a Business Development role.

Room Number: Tamboti
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Onboarding has become a key business strategy to accelerate talent development, retention and engagement. In this session you will explore onboarding best practices for building a successful program tied to critical business goals.

Takeaways include
* Explore components of successful onboarding programs.
* Design a template to use for your organization’s onboarding program.
* Discuss metrics to measure success.

Certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and as a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), Jenny is an accomplished human resource professional with nearly 20 years of comprehensive human resource and management experience in dynamic environments. She has proven experience collaborating with leaders at all levels. Her expertise includes extensive knowledge of employee relations, training and development, employee engagement strategies, performance management initiatives, coaching, recruitment and retention, and organizational change initiatives.
Room Number: Cypress
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Consultation

Mindfulness programs continue to draw interest across corporate America. Learn why organizations like Google, General Mills, Aetna and Intel have introduced such programs and the keys to their success. Become aware of potential pitfalls and capitalize on important learnings that are scalable to all organizations regardless of size or industry.

Takeaways include:
• Being introduced to the concept of mindfulness in a work setting.
• Learning why organizations have adopted mindfulness programs and the workplace challenges they are designed to address (e.g., stress, emotional intelligence, leadership effectiveness).
• Receiving tips/lessons from early adopters and understand the role HR can play in launching a successful mindfulness program.

Dana Lobocki is a Human Resources consultant with 20 years of experience in Fortune 500 manufacturing and professional services industries. Dana’s local clients include Johnson Controls Inc., Brady Corporation, Robert W. Baird and Quad/Graphics.

Prior to consulting, Dana held HR management positions with ExxonMobil and was a Global Talent Management director with Hewitt Associates. She earned a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Illinois and resides in the Milwaukee area.

Throughout her career, Dana has witnessed the difficulties leaders and employees face in maintaining focus amid demanding work environments. She has also observed the impact increasing technology use is having on employee attention. These factors have sparked an interest in her to investigate the role mindfulness might play in helping organizations cultivate greater clarity and focus in their workforce. In addition to HR consulting, she also serves as a partner at Mind-Groove LLC, an organization that teaches mindfulness practices to individuals, organizations and community groups.

Room Number: Banyan
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Identity Theft is currently the fastest growing white collar crime in the country and the risk has never been greater. From employees to customers, there is a major need to educate on all levels and protect sensitive data. In this presentation, participants will learn about the major types of identity theft, as well as how to be more prepared to protect non-public information (NPI).

Takeaways include
* Having a better understanding of what identity theft is, and how it affects HR professionals.
* Having a better understanding of what to expect if their organization is a victim
* Understanding how to educate employees on protecting company data and safeguarding non-public information (NPI).

Kris Evans is a professional speaker, entertainer, and partner with the Harvard Risk Management Corporation., a consulting company specializing in identity theft protection. Having worked in this industry for over fourteen years, completing numerous trainings, seminars, and certifications; he is a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Consultant. His blend of humor with his knowledge on the subject matter has made Kris one of the most sought-after speakers on this topic. He has spoken with countless organizations, including SHRM, Chambers of Commerce, many associations and government organizations, as well as thousands of individuals nationwide about the devastating effects of identity theft, and how to more fully protect their private information.

Room Number: Ironwood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Communication

In today's litigious environment, performing background checks is more important than ever. An employer can improve applicant quality, reduce employee theft and violence, AND protect themselves from negligent hiring, which is very much in the headlines today. However, not understanding what makes a background check truly comprehensive or the differences between bad data and good data can almost render a background check useless. Additionally HR professionals are challenged to keep up with the ever-changing regulatory environment regarding the use of criminal records and consumer reports, while there's NO education provided on background screening. This presentation covers comprehensive reports, data sources, credit reports and many legal compliancy problems and how to avoid them. It is a must attend for all HR professionals who are responsible for talent management, hiring & recruiting or compliance practices in their organization.

Takeaways include
* Learn the real reasons an organization should perform employee background checks & the components of a truly comprehensive background check: what you need & what you don’t. This covers negligent hiring liability.
* Learn where criminal records come from, what constitutes “good data” and the differences in manual county searches vs. “online,” instant searches, and the dangers instant data poses.
* Learn how to avoid common compliancy problems & hot areas for litigation, including applicant authorization forms, adverse action & what charges you can consider and for how long, including state & federal regulations.

Debra Keller is VP of Operations at Reference Services, Inc. (RSI), one of only 58 background screening firms in the entire U.S. (out of 2000) to be nationally accredited. Deb is a national authority on background screening, regulatory compliance, the FCRA, the use of criminal records in the employment process and the EEOC New Guidance of 2012. She’s a frequent speaker at State SHRM conferences across the country, is speaking at the 2016 NATIONAL SHRM Conference in DC and has published background screening articles in numerous HR & trade publications. Deb is one of only 77 people in the U.S. to hold the FCRA Advanced Certification credential, which designates an advanced expertise in the FCRA & background screening. It’s equivalent to passing the bar for her industry. Deb leads an internal team of background screening professionals, as well as a top industry compliance team. She and her firm care for clients in all industries, of all sizes, in all 50 states & internationally.

Room Number: Crown Palm
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

This presentation will address the many traps that employers must navigate to avoid labor and employment law violations during the hiring process, including job postings, job applications and the onboarding process that takes place on the first day of work. The presenters will provide an update on legal changes to background check, drug and alcohol testing, and medical testing laws, and a preview of changes to come. This hands-on presentation will review sample documents, including an employment application, an offer letter, a restrictive covenant agreement and more, to discuss some of the most common mistakes employers make with these documents that lead to significant legal liability down the road.

Takeaways include
* Understanding current federal and state laws related to the hiring process, including current administrative agency enforcement guidance and actions.
* Experiencing working through real life examples of hiring scenarios that take place throughout the hiring process, including how to respond to a request for an accommodation at an interview and what to do when a background check comes back with a criminal record.
* Drafting and update standard hiring documents to protect your company and assist in defending against frivolous claims

Meg Kurlinski is a shareholder in Godfrey & Kahn's Labor and Employment Practice Group. Meg assists clients with a variety of labor and employment matters, including the management of day-to-day employment matters, drafting and enforcing restrictive covenant agreements, administering family and medical leave laws, litigating federal and state discrimination claims, conducting unlawful harassment investigations, and drafting affirmative action plans.
http://www.gklaw.com/attorney.cfm?attorney_id=152

Rebeca is an associate on Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.’s Labor, Employment & Immigration Law Practice Group in the Milwaukee office. Rebeca assists clients with a wide variety of labor and employment matters, including the management of day-to-day employment matters, wage and hour and discrimination issues, litigating federal and state discrimination claims, and conducting unlawful harassment investigations. Rebeca also assists clients with drafting and enforcing employment and severance agreements and employment policies.

Rebeca graduated magna cum laude from Marquette University Law School. While in law school, Rebeca served as Business Editor of the Marquette Law Review, clerked at the United States Federal District Court for Judge Lynn S. Adelman. Prior to law school, Rebeca was a Regional Coordinator and an Office Manager for a United States Senator.

Room Number: Bamboo
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

In this session, participants will learn about Crisis Management Planning while walking through a practical scenario. Creating a Crisis Management Plan can be a lengthy process, with little perceived value by management who may assume they will never need it. But when a crisis hits a business, lack of planning can amplify the emotional, physical, and financial damage to the organization and its employees. We’ll walk through the planning process, as well as how to actually handle a crisis, including different types of crises that most businesses will encounter. In addition, we will walk through how to handle the media and other officials.

Takeaways include
* Participants will learn the steps in developing a Plan, and what should be considered.
* Participants will learn about types of crises and appropriate responses for most situations, with guidance on what the organization should focus on.
* Participants will learn about effective and appropriate communication with staff, families, the media, etc. Participants will get specific Do’s and Don’ts in handling communication during and after a crisis.

Rick has over 20 years of experience in safety and risk control, working with clients many industries including Construction, Mining, Trucking, Manufacturing, and Hospitality. He specializes in assessing risk and developing solutions to reduce loss potential using safety assessments, loss analysis and developing solutions, including safety management techniques, training and engineering. Rick carries a number of professional designations including Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), and Associate in Loss Control Management (ALCM). He is an Authorized Instructor of OSHA Regulations Construction and General Industry Regulations. He serves as an active member of the safety committee for the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association (WTBA) and Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC). Rick is a past president and active member of the Wisconsin chapter of The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), and an active member in the Association of General Contractors (AGC). He is also on the Advisory Board of the Safety Studies Department at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater. Additionally, Rick has been asked to speak at safety conferences locally, statewide, and nationally on safety topics such as "How to manage safety on a jobsite," "What it takes to be a safety leader," "Demolition," and "Robotics" to name just a few.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

More and more organizations utilize background checks as an important tool in the hiring process. Order a background check, get the results, apply the results to the decision making process, and you’re done, right? Wrong! With the growing use of background checks there is also growing litigation surrounding compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Failure to comply with the FCRA is one of the fastest growing categories of class-action lawsuits today. Examples abound. Amazon was hit with a class-action lawsuit for not following the FCRA Adverse Action process. Kohl’s Department Stores was hit with a class-action lawsuit under the FCRA for unclear and ambiguous language in their background report disclosures.

This presentation will first offer an overview of the criminal justice system as it relates to background checks. The four sources of criminal information will be discussed including the strengths and weaknesses of each source. The Fair Credit Reporting Act will be discussed in length including what steps you need to take to stay compliant with the FCRA and minimize your exposure to litigation. This includes the acknowledgement and disclosure, the adverse action process, and the underlying intent of the FCRA. Bill will also touch upon other relevant topics such as “ban the box” legislation. Please note, Bill is not an attorney so he cannot provide legal advice.

Takeaways include
* To have a working understanding of the FCRA, minimize your organization’s risk and how to stay compliant.
* To give participants an overview (or review) of the criminal justice system and how it ties together with the FCRA.
* Participants will become better educated regarding the background check process and the FCRA. It will be of great help when implementing a background check program, improving their current program, and/or working with background check vendors. Has your current vendor educated you about the FCRA and what do they offer to help you stay FCRA compliant?

Bill Wons is the President and Owner of Wons Background Investigations LLC. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and an M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Bill has over 22 years experience in the background investigation field including 15 years as the owner of Wons Background Investigations LLC. Wons Background Investigations is a member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS). He holds the Advanced FCRA certification through NAPBS. Wons Background Investigations currently provides background screening services for over 450 companies and organizations nationwide.

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Often Human Resource professionals are utilized by companies as de facto conflict resolution. "Two employees are in a disagreement; send them to HR." What is implied in that is that HR needs to find ways of helping these employees find a way of resolving the issues. The basis of any form of conflict resolution is negotiation. Professionals in HR need to be good negotiators in order to perform their jobs effectively. This presentation will provide attendees with 7 Tools for Effective Conflict Resolution in HR.

Takeaways include
* Attendees with gain a working knowledge of the seven tools for effective conflict resolution and examples of how they can be used.
* Attendees will learn ways that conflict can be managed before getting out of control.
* Attendees will become better communicators and better negotiators.

Michael D. Rust, J.D. is the Executive Director of the Winnebago Conflict Resolution Center, Inc. He is the Past-President of the Wisconsin Association of Mediators and the Past-Chair of the Dispute Resolution Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin, being the first person ever to hold both positions. Mr. Rust graduated from Carthage College with degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology before attending Marquette University Law School. He practiced law for several years before devoting his practice to conflict resolution. As Executive Director of the WCRC, Mr. Rust oversees a roster of over 50 volunteer mediators and a caseload of over 500 mediations a year with a huge case variety in addition to having performed hundreds of mediations himself and having trained hundreds of mediators. He has received recognition by the American Bar Association and the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris, France, for his work in mediation. He is also a frequent speaker on topics ranging from conflict, ethics, communication, and leadership having spoken to groups from coast to coast.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Relationship Management

Chronic disease on the rise. Lack of coordinated medical care. Growing medical costs. These are challenges that employers are facing today in the wake of our healthcare. One solution to such a challenge is the adaption of the co-op clinic model . There had been an increasing number of employers adopting employee clinics to reduce health plan costs, increase productivity and retain employees with this valuable benefit. The results of adopting an employee clinic can include lowering healthcare costs directly impacting their bottom line. With the co-op clinic model, companies can reduce health plan costs for employees and employer, employ healthier employees, and work to improve employee morale and satisfaction.

Takeaways include
* Learning the benefits of co-op clinics to a company’s bottom line.
* Learning what results are typical in the first year
* Learning key components that you need to implement a cost clinic.

Jan Stage assists employers in designing, implementing and managing their employee benefit plans. With the continued increase in cost for health insurance, most of Jan’s time is focused on controlling this expense. Success has come in finding the right solution for each employer. The process starts with strategic planning. Solutions can include finding the right insurance company, offering consumer driven plans, partially self-funding, wellness, on-site medical services, data analysis and educating employees on how to be better consumer healthcare services.
Jan has been with Associated Financial Group since 1998. Prior to joining Associated Financial Group, he worked with a major insurance provider and a managed care organization. Jan has been in the industry for over 25 years.
Jan is licensed for health and life insurance in the states of Wisconsin and Michigan.
Jan is originally from Nadeau, Michigan. He graduated from Carney-Nadeau High School in 1982 and Michigan Technological University in 1986 with a degree in Business Administration with a Marketing emphasis. Jan now resides in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Jeff Froh is currently the Human Resource Manager at Rockline Industries in Sheboygan. He has been with Rockline since 1993 and over his 22 years of Human Resource experience has been involved with maintaining functions such as recruitment, policy development, compensation, benefits administration, regulatory compliance, performance management, training, wellness promotion, recognition, and associate relations/goodwill. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Augustana College and a Masters in Organizational Behavior from Silver Lake College.

Room Number: Tamboti
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Consultation

Have you been hearing about the trend for companies to DRASTICALLY change their performance management processes? Whether you use the word SCRAP or RE-ENGINEER, there are more and more companies who have decided to do away with traditional performance ratings and dramatically change their annual appraisal process.

Join us for an interactive LIVELY discussion about this topic. Your facilitator, Rena Somersan, Principal of Compensation Consulting at Newport Group, will provide handouts to those who want to attend and gain more knowledge of the trend, share a summary of how some organizations are going about this, and then facilitate conversation from the group on pros and cons as well as opportunities and threats posed by this change.

This discussion is not for the faint-of-heart ~ come prepared to think, challenge, question and debate!

Takeaways include
* Articulating what several Fortune 500 companies are doing to “reboot” their performance management processes
* Understanding what a small organization might do to employ some of these tactics
* Being able to pinpoint the rationale for what you expect out of a performance management system

Rena Somersan is a Principal with Newport Group's Compensation Consulting group. She has over twenty years of consulting and industry experience assisting clients in executing their strategic human resources and compensation initiatives. Her focus has been in the areas of workforce and executive compensation, performance management, leadership development, talent motivation and retention.

Room Number: Cypress
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Unmask the talents of a diverse and multi-generational workforce. Employers are grappling with a changing and challenging workplace shift as baby boomers retire and Millennials are poised to occupy 50% of the workforce in the next few years. In addition to age, diversity encompasses race, ethnicity, gender, and even personality, education, and background. Tap into the power of today’s inclusive and diverse workforce to give your company a competitive advantage.

Takeaways include
* Embracing and honoring the diversity of a multi-generational and multi-cultural workforce
* Exploring inclusion strategies to create a powerful workforce

Cheryl’s more than 18 years of experience includes the development programs in human resources, leadership, customer service, and diversity. Her career has also included management of training department operations and supervision of a basic education program for adult learners in the nonprofit arena. During years as an independent consultant, she advised and trained numerous managers in effective communication techniques and leadership skills.

Room Number: Ironwood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness

The prospect of an OSHA inspection can cause any owner or HR Manager more than a few sleepless nights. The intrusion, disruption, citations, and resulting fines, which in 2016 will increase by 56%, are not easy to ignore. Many employers are not prepared for an inspection and end up going into panic mode. Employers have very specific rights under the Occupational Safety and Health Act and need to know what these are. Sadly, there are no Miranda rights with OSHA.

This presentation, given from the prospective of a former OSHA compliance officer, will address these rights as well as explain what to expect during and after an OSHA inspection. The goal will be to equip each attendee with a solid response plan that will help you stay in control of the OSHA experience.

Takeaways include
* Learning how the Occupational Safety and Health Act is enforced.
* Learning the employers’ rights under the Occupational Safety and Health Act and how to exert those rights
* Learning how to develop and practice an OSHA inspection response plan that may reduce the impact of an OSHA inspection.


Richard Johnston is a health and safety professional with over 30 years of experience in the areas of loss control, safety and industrial hygiene, including over 16 years of specialized experience in indoor air quality, risk assessments, health and safety program development, employee training development and delivery and OSHA compliance. He has performed over 120 IAQ investigations and mold assessments at facilities throughout the country including daycare centers, schools, office complexes, multi-family dwellings, restaurants, private homes and public buildings. Rich brings extensive safety expertise to our firm’s consolidation health and wellness service component.

Room Number: Crown Palm
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Creativity and innovation are among the key skills needed to address today’s most pressing business challenges, especially during times of frequent change. This program explores the change process, debunks some of the myths surrounding creativity, and introduces a series of innovative strategies to cultivate change both for ourselves and for our teams. Through exercises and examples, participants will better understand how to positively influence change and how to better inspire others to think and work more creatively to enhance individual, team, and organizational performance.

Takeaways include
* Exploring and debunking common myths that often prohibit creativity to flourish and apply innovative strategies that more effectively cultivate change.
* Better managing reactions that can negatively impact responses and take accountability for actions within your control.
* Positively influencing change and inspiring others to think and work more creatively, enhancing individual, team, and organizational performance.


Tracy Butz, owner of Think Impact Solutions, is an inspirational keynote speaker, captivating author and successful consultant. She has 20 years of experience actively engaging both large- and small-size audiences from a wide range of industries, including the US Army, Motorola, and Subway Restaurants, just to name a few. Her reputable experience includes working as Director of Learning & Development for a regional mutual insurance company, where she was responsible for talent management and employee development. She is well known for engaging individuals and organizations with actionable tools to further engage employees, energize workplace culture, and empower high performance.

Room Number: Banyan
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation

M&A activity can be a key strategy to grow a business. According to the report, the role of human capital in M&A suggests that the more capable the HR department is, the greater the chances of M&A success. Yet the most common responsibility given to HR during the M&A process is to provide ad hoc advice, rather than carrying out a structured and formal role. The role that HR needs to play throughout this process is necessary to help ensure a successful transition to avoid costly mistakes, capture synergies, and improve overall results. From advising senior management of key benefit issues to outlining strategies for integrating employees of benefits, culture, compensation structure, workplace engagement, retention, and more, the HR professionals plays an integral role to a successful merger and acquisition.

Takeaways include
* Identification of common employee benefit issues that arise during M&A activity
* Understanding the importance of due diligence
* How to educate senior management on benefit issues in a merger and acquisition

Rebecca Kellner advises employers on leave policies, accommodations, discrimination, and early intervention with claims. While in private practice, she focused on defending workers' compensation claims and handling Medicare-related issues arising from those claims. Previously, she interned with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Rebecca received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where she majored in Human Resource Management. She graduated from Marquette University Law School. Rebecca obtained her Senior Professional in Human Resources certification in December, 2012.

Linda Evans has been serving as our Vice President, Human Resources for Douglas Dynamics since June 2008. Ms. Evans is known for her insights into talent and leadership management, corporate culture, organizational structure and benefit administration. Ms Evans is an active member of the Society of Human Resources Management and has her Senior Professional HR (SPHR) certification. Prior to joining Douglas Dynamics, Ms. Evans served as the Director of Human Resources for Pentair Filtration from November 1998 to June 2008. She was responsible for the HR strategic direction for the Commercial and Industrial Water Filtration Business Units, which included seven (7) company divisions. Prior to Pentair, Ms. Evans served in the capacity of Assistant Volley ball Coach at Butler University, Baylor University and Volunteer Assistant Volleyball Coach at Iowa State University. Ms. Evans obtained her bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University, Ames, IA and her MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, Milwaukee, WI.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Leadership and Navigation

With the ever-increasing number of litigation and administrative matters employers are forced to address in the workplace, companies can no longer ignore the legal basis for training. In the past decade, courts have examined employer training programs with a closer eye when evaluating liability and available defenses. Since the seminal Kolstad v. American Dental Assn case, we have seen companies who do not recognize the importance and value of training to their organization’s bottom line fall victim to liability, punitive damages and unable to avail themselves of affirmative defenses.

In the wake of Kolstad, employers who have failed to heed this message have suffered the consequences. Other employers, in the hopes of avoiding similar disastrous results, have turned to off the shelf-videos or on-line training programs as the foundation for their training program. Courts have found this minimalistic approach to training, while perhaps cost effective in the short run, inadequate, ineffective and not sufficient to satisfy the type of robust training program necessary to avoid liability.

During this session, Speakers Brian Benkstein and Jennifer Nodes will review the EEOC’s enforcement guidance on liability for supervisor’s behavior, review Kolstad and other case examples wherein the employer has failed to properly train its employees, and discuss strategies to develop an effective training strategy to help improve an employer’s odds and reduce liability.

Takeaways include
* Understanding the EEOC's guidance on liability for supervisor's behavior.
* Identifying circumstances wherein the employer has failed to properly train its employees and the consequences of such.
* Identifying strategies to develop an effective training strategy to help improve an employer's odds and reduce liability.

Brian T. Benkstein is a Principal in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He is certified as a Labor and Employment Law Specialist through the Minnesota State Bar Association.

Mr. Benkstein exclusively represents employers in matters that arise from employment and labor laws and he defends claims filed against them with state and federal administrative agencies and in the Minnesota state and federal courts.

Mr. Benkstein is an experienced, hands-on litigator. In addition to a successful motion practice, he has litigated multiple jury, bench and arbitration matters to verdict or decision. He defends companies in cases involving a single plaintiff and also complex collective and class action cases involving hundreds of plaintiffs, and he has particular expertise in defending businesses involved in collective and class action litigation related to wage and hour issues.

Mr. Benkstein combines his legal training with eight years of management experience in the health care industry. Prior to his law firm experience, he served in a variety of management positions for a health care corporation that operated healthcare facilities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In his legal practice, Mr. Benkstein uses this business experience when litigating cases and when helping clients navigate complicated legal issues.

Mr. Benkstein rounds out his active litigation practice by providing employment law and business law advice and counsel to clients on employment matters and general business issues ranging from employee performance issues to legal compliance to overall business strategy. He works with his clients in responding to everyday problems and, most importantly, developing legal and practical solutions to avoid such problems.

He is a regular lecturer on employment law and litigation topics, presenting statewide in Minnesota and Wisconsin at conventions for the Society for Human Resource Management, Care Providers of Minnesota, Aging Services of Minnesota, and the Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute.

Jennifer A. Nodes is an Associate in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. She devotes her practice exclusively to counseling management in a wide variety of employment matters and litigating employment claims before administrative agencies and state and federal courts.

Ms. Nodes's litigation practice includes the defense of employers in single and multi-plaintiff actions in state and federal court on claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, breach of contract, retaliation, non-competes and protection against unfair competition, family medical leave laws, wrongful discharge and other employment compliance matters.

In her counseling practice, Ms. Nodes regularly advises employers on issues such as best practice employment policies, employment agreements, including non-compete, trade secret and confidentiality agreements, disability and leave administration, performance management and separations, and compliance audits.

Ms. Nodes is a frequent speaker before business and employer associations, including the Society for Human Resource Management.

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Critical Evaluation

It’s a new world of work out there. Organizations are facing challenges that require HR to construct a new playbook to be more flexible, forward-thinking, and innovative in developing solutions that test the status quo. As the workplace continues to evolve, the traditional practices we’ve used for years must also be transformed.

Just what is the “new normal? Trends indicate that HR professionals might consider eliminating annual reviews, offer differentiated benefits such as unlimited PTO and paid parental leave. They contemplate revamping work design, complying with changes in FLSA, paid sick leave, minimum wage laws and more.

They start integrating, but not necessarily balancing, work and life, and re-doubling efforts to truly engage a multi-generational workforce. Many HR departments are already shifting their mindset and strategizing how to adapt the prevailing trends to drive business results. This is no easy task, especially if you do
not fully understand the strategic challenges and outcomes.

Takeaways include
* Innovative paid time off policies, paid parental leave (beyond what is required by law), and culture of flexibility that says, “Come work for us!”
* Trend of continuous coaching, feedback, conversation, and other forward-looking
approaches to achieve high performance.
* Proactive ways to reduce labor costs, improve productivity, and create more efficient processes through work redesign, technology, and process improvements. Litigious employment compliance, including:
*EEOC scrutiny of religious, same sex marriage and transgender issues.
*Major shifts in overtime and minimum wage rules
*Contractor vs. employee relationships

Marina has more than 20 years of HR experience and provides consultation, best practice guidance and support to companies on a variety of topics. Her clients comprise a wide variety of industries including retail, manufacturing, health care, professional services, not-for-profit agencies, utilities, government, software development, technology and telecommunications.
Prior to joining Willis Towers Watson, Marina held a senior-level HR consulting and account management role with a professional employer organization (PEO) for six years and was a director of human resources in the sports and entertainment industry for 14 years.
She has spoken on numerous HR topics at national and local events and is a regular contributor to Willis Towers Watson blogs and publications.

Marina earned a bachelor’s of arts degree in public administration with an emphasis in human resources from San Diego State University. She currently holds the Professional in Human Resources, the California Human Resources and the SHRM Certified Professional certifications.

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

We live in a hectic and fast-paced society. Many diseases and physical conditions are directly related to negative consequences of stress. You’ve likely heard people say that laughter is the best medicine, but is it really true? Will laughing more and having a good sense of humor help you be healthier and even live longer? The research is now overwhelming, laughter helps connect us with other people, improves our mood, decreases pain, reduces stress, and can even help protect us from having a heart attack. Regretfully, many employees don’t have opportunities to laugh in the workplace. This informative and interactive session will give you permission to laugh more, identify ways to incorporate humor at work, and help you improve your overall health.

Takeaways include
* Identifying how laughter and humor positively impact health.
* Identifying how laughter and humor positively impact health.
* Leaving the session feeling rejuvenated and encouraged to incorporate more healthy behaviors into daily life.

Brian Udermann is a health and motivational humorist, and the author of “TV Rots Your Brain…Or Does It?” and “25 Ways To Cure The Hiccups.” Brian has been a professional speaker for over 20 years and his interactive and energetic style is entertaining and appeals to a wide variety of groups and organizations. Brian speaks to school districts, colleges and universities, government agencies, small and large businesses, hospitals, non-profit organizations, and national and international associations. Brian's passion is encouraging people to laugh a bit more, stress a bit less and regain the healthy balance most people desire.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation

Reducing health care costs is everyone’s objective. This session gives you some practical tips to support our overall company benefits strategies and recommendations on teaching employees to compare costs and quality before they use their benefits.
High deductibles and fear of how to navigate the system prevent employees and their families from getting the care that they need. This session provides tips that help employees reduce their costs and reduce the company’s costs. The session will also address access to care.

Takeaways include
* What is transparency and how can it reduce health care costs?
* The importance of "be well"-focused choices (tips for keeping people out of the emergency room).
* Private exchanges and defined contribution products.

Jane Cooper is founder, President and CEO of Patient Care. She has over 30 years experience in the health care industry, and has started and led five healthcare companies since the early 1980s. Ms. Cooper has a Bachelor's of Liberal Arts from Augustana College in Illinois and a Master's of Art from Western Illinois University, with a major in speech and communication.

Room Number: Tamboti
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Everyone has heard of the “3 Ps of Business” - People, Process, Product. This model applies to Talent Acquisition as well. In this session, we will examine the current state of Talent Acquisition today - trends, challenges, and opportunities - by framing the topic around the 3 Ps:

- People: refers to both the talent companies pursue as well as the recruiters who pursue them.

- Process: this is the heart of the pursuit for talent - the Candidate Experience. We’ll focus on how candidate expectations are shaping the way companies should be approaching the attraction and selection process.

- Product: if you’re in talent acquisition, you’re selling a product - the job/work, the company, the total rewards package, in short, the value proposition.

Takeaways include
* Defining the candidate needed for a position, as well as define the qualities of a top-notch recruiter.
* Identifying the key components of a candidate-friendly recruiting process.
* Explaining how to package and sell your “product” to attract the candidates you want for your organization.

Mary is a talent strategist and business leader with over 10 years experience in helping organizations achieve their goals. After working on the Operations side of start-ups and small companies, Mary landed in HR by way of learning and development, with extensive experience in leadership and organizational development, coaching, key talent planning, performance management, business partnering, HRIS, process and policy creation, and instructional design.

Mary has worked in a number of industries and companies, from privately held small start-ups through global publicly traded corporations. She has held jobs of increasing responsibility throughout her career, both as a people manager and a key member of project teams tackling some of the challenges of a business going through massive change.

In addition to her work within companies, Mary authors a leadership development blog (survivingleadership.wordpress.com) to continue the dialogue around the challenges of leadership, both being a leader AND being led. Mary is also the co-chair of the Denver chapter of DisruptHR

Room Number: Cypress
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Exit interviews have the ability to enhance your human resource practices, but only if you create an effective exit interview process. Attend this session to learn how to leverage the greatest HR value from exit interviews, identify the best methods to gather information from your exiting employees, explore what questions you should always/never ask, and develop a “next steps” plan for creating an effective exit interview process in your organization. An example exit interview will be shared as a catalyst for discussing what to include and not include in your exit interview questions. Attend this session to better understand the power and the limitations of exit interviews and develop a plan for integrating the insights from this session into your HR practices.

Takeaways include
* Defining the purpose of exit interviews and identify questions to include/exclude from your exit interviews to achieve this purpose
* Developing strategies for extracting useful, actionable information from your interviews
* Discussing why “exit” interviews are actually too late and why conducting “stay” interviews might be a better strategy

Jeffrey Russell, of Russell Consulting, Inc., specializes in guiding organizations in successfully responding to the challenges of continuous change. With a focus on leading change, strategic thinking and planning, employee engagement surveys, leadership, and performance management, Jeff has worked with organizations as diverse as Fortune 500 firms, nonprofits, the public sector, and small family businesses. Jeff is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences, including Wisconsin State SHRM Conferences, Minnesota State SHRM Conference, HR Florida State Conference, Twin Cities HRA Spring Conference, ATD International Conferences, and Jamaica Employer’s Federation Conferences.

Jeff received his Masters Degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he serves as an adjunct faculty member. Jeff and his life/work partner Linda have co-authored nine books. Titles include Leading Change Training, Change Basics, Strategic Planning Training, Strategic Planning 101, Engage Your Workforce, and Fearless Performance Reviews (McGraw-Hill, 2014).

Room Number: Ironwood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

In a day and age where talking about the “M” word may be taboo, it is critical to break down barriers and address financial wellbeing, especially in the workplace. How can organizations break through the complexity and stigma associated with money? This session will address the merits of financial wellness and outline actionable organizational strategies for promoting financial wellbeing in the workplace.

Takeaways include
* Understanding why financial wellbeing merits attention - especially in the workplace - and learn how to utilize existing organizational resources to overcome common obstacles in addressing financial wellbeing
* Studying what components are needed to make financial wellness resonate at an organizational and individual level
* Recognizing why the value of financial wellbeing matters to organizations

Joe leads Francis Investment Counsel’s business development efforts. A Certified Public Accountant since 1985, Joe has over 30 years of progressive financial management experience. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer of a Wisconsin printing operation, providing a valuable organizational perspective to his business development efforts. Joe is an active member of Metro Milwaukee Society for Human Resource Management (MMSHRM) and served on the Board of Directors of Wisconsin Retirement Plan Professionals, Ltd. (WRPPL). His previous speaking experiences include presentations to the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants (WICPA), Financial Executives International (FEI), MMSHRM, and the Wellness Council of Wisconsin.


Room Number: Bamboo
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

HR is under attack. The media has been calling for major disruption in the HR space, demanding for it to become more strategic, to solve more imminent business problems, and to step up its game or be replaced. The future of HR is now, and we have to solve this strategic need now. Using the famous Business Model Canvas as a lens, we’ll introduce an all-new approach to HR that will wake up your department and your organization to the real value HR can provide.

Takeaways include
* Learning how to gain relevance, influence and authority in your organization
* Learning immediate steps you can take to reinvent your department and be more strategic
* Learning the economic drivers of organizational and industry sentiment toward HR

Rusty is the vice president of HCM strategy and intellectual property at BambooHR, where he studies the intersection of organizational behavior, business, and HR strategy. Before that, he spent 18 years as head of product in technology companies in the learning and development, and technology industries. Rusty is also a writer and public speaker, focused on human performance engineering, both for individuals and organizations. BambooHR is focused on powering strategic HR in small to medium-sized businesses.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Bob Simandl of the boutique HR law firm of the Simandl Law Group, S.C., will discuss the employer obligations of religious accommodation and tolerance in the workplace. The program will address the legal and best business practices employers need to evaluate in minimizing legal liability. Bob will discuss how to define accommodation opportunities/options, the evaluation of an “undue hardship” on the employer for accommodation purposes and defining if the request is within the scope of religious accommodation.

Takeaways include
* What defines “religion?”
* Religious accommodations in the workplace and considerations in applicant processing
*Best practices in evaluating accommodation responsibility and affecting change

Robert J. Simandl, founding member and principal at Simandl Law Group, S.C., has over 25 years of experience advising clients on a wide range of employee benefit, labor and employment law issues. Simandl advises clients on human resources (HR) law issues taking into consideration all areas of opportunity and vulnerability. This includes hiring, disciplining and terminating employees, accommodation obligations, wage and hour issues, immigration, affirmative action, discrimination complaints, non-competition agreements and employee handbook design and development.

Having earned his undergraduate degree, with honors, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and graduated, cum laude, from Marquette University Law School, Robert Simandl is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin and is also a certified public accountant. Simandl has authored a variety of publications that include “Family and Medical Leave Law Compliance Manual” (1993) and co-author of “The COBRA Guide: COBRA Compliance for Wisconsin Employers” (2000).

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Let’s face it. Hiring new staff can be a very painful process for a variety of reasons. It can also be a very exciting process. As an HR Professional/Recruiter, your ability to bring together the needs of the hiring manager, department, and organizational goals are not small tasks.

In this program, we’ll discuss tools and strategies to help streamline the hiring process to drive strong candidate selection process which delivers both tactical and strategic results.

Takeaways include
* The HR Business Partner approach to setting the expectations.
* A proactive approach to recruiting
* Developing realistic expectations with hiring manager regarding availability of talent in the market (skill level, compensation level, and development needed)

As an HR business partner, she looks to connect the talent strategy with the organization’s business strategy. Beth’s primary area of expertise is partnering with C-Suite and Senior Leadership to identify and implement actionable changes to advance the talent life cycle. She enjoys partnering with leaders to build the business case for desired talent strategies and help companies ensure the best return on investment for their talent acquisition and offboarding strategies.

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Business Acumen

In today’s world, most organizations call them themselves a diversity employer and yet still have difficulty managing diversity in a fully effective manner for greater organizational success. This session will focus on understanding what diversity and inclusiveness is and how and why organizations can use diversity for mutual benefit. Specifically, attendees will examine their own experiences, values, and beliefs to understand how to implement their own diversity management plan. Attendees will learn various personal tools and approaches to improve diversity and inclusiveness management in creating more effective organizations. The session will involve several activities that require audience participation in an effort to increase their understanding of diversity.

Takeaways include
* Understanding what diversity and inclusiveness is and their strengths and weaknesses.
* Understanding how diversity and inclusiveness improve organizational effectiveness
* Developing better skills for understanding and promoting diversity through inclusiveness

Dr. Justin Rueb is a full professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and is also President of Aspiring Heights, an independent training and organizational consulting firm specializing in leadership, team-building, and organizational culture and climate. He has worked with a variety of organizations in the military, academic, and corporate sectors. His doctoral research examined potential predictors to identify emergent leaders within an organization. He has also performed research in areas as diverse as human factors, cognition, motivation, systems design, human resources, leadership, statistics, and sexual harassment, having authored over 90 articles/presentations. A nationally recognized speaker, Dr. Rueb has presented papers at numerous prestigious conferences, including the Academy of Management, Society of Industrial/Organizational Psychologists, American Psychological Society, and the Human Factors Ergonomics Society.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Global and Cultural Effectiveness

This session will cover how employers are utilizing account based plans (FSAs/HRAs/HSAs) together to provide associates more choices and flexibility with meeting their individual needs. The session will detail how the programs can and cannot interact together as well as how to take into account the Affordable Care Act rules that pertain to the programs. It will make the complex understandable.

Takeaways include
* Learning how account based plans can work together and the options employers can offer their associates.
* Understanding the impact of ACA rules and other laws on the programs and how they impact the programs interaction.
* Developing an understanding of how employers are utilizing account based plans to meet their diverse work force's need.

Chris Kramer is the Sales Manager for DBS and has over 22 years of experience designing, implementing and administering account based benefit plans. Chris has conducted numerous seminars on HRA, HSA and FSA programs for various colleges, Chambers of Commerce, Education Associations, SHRM and other trade groups. He is also involved with training DBS staff on FSA, HRA, and HSA rules and regulations. Chris has a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and a certificate in International Marketing from UW- Madison.

Room Number: Tamboti
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Companies work hard to protect both their assets and their reputations, but this endeavor can easily be undermined by employees’ activity on social media. Throw in wasted work time, poor employee morale, and the potential for negative interactions between coworkers, and it’s no wonder employers are asking what they can do to control employees’ social media activities.

This session will take attendees through 8 of the most common real-life social media scenarios in the workplace, addressing employers’ options to address each one and also offering tips on prevention when applicable.

Takeaways include
* How the National Labor Relations Act might protect employees' social media activity.
* When employers may discipline employees for online activity.
* When employers can access employees' social media posts.

Katie Loehrke is an Editor on the Human Resources Publishing Team at J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc. Since 2007, she has created content on employment law issues and best practices for HR professionals, writing a number of HR newsletters (Employment Law Today) and manuals (I–9 and E-Verify Essentials and Employment Law Essentials) for employers. Ms. Loehrke specializes in the areas of privacy and social media, I-9 compliance, EEO and Affirmative Action reporting, discrimination, unemployment, and wage and hour issues. She also has been published in nearly 100 U.S. newspapers, had her work featured on sites such as Monster.com, and has been a subject matter guest on National Public Radio. She is a certified Professional in Human Resources through the HR Certification Institute, and also holds the SHRM-CP certification.

Room Number: Cypress
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Critical Evaluation

How come some meeting facilitators are able to navigate through challenging group dynamics productively and almost effortlessly, while other meeting facilitators fail to maintain control and keep emotions in line? Being a skillful meeting facilitator is a skill that can be learned and mastered! Discover best practices and helpful techniques to create a collaborative meeting environment designed to better ensure respectful interactions and build common ground. Learn to ask helpful questions, remain neutral and calm in the face of differences, and avoid negative and destructive conflict while skillfully guiding the group to generate creative and productive solutions.

Takeaways include
* Effectively manage meetings and foster productivity as a meeting facilitator, increasing understanding and acceptance of differences in others.
* Ask the right questions to uncover difficult issues, successfully work through common group dynamics that meeting facilitators or group leaders face, and fostering collaborative and healthy outcomes.
* Manage difficult situations that arise by more effectively preventing negative conflict and addressing challenging behaviors.


Tracy Butz, owner of Think Impact Solutions, is an inspirational keynote speaker, captivating author and successful consultant. She has 20 years of experience actively engaging both large- and small-size audiences from a wide range of industries, including the US Army, Motorola, and Subway Restaurants, just to name a few. Her reputable experience includes working as Director of Learning & Development for a regional mutual insurance company, where she was responsible for talent management and employee development. She is well known for engaging individuals and organizations with actionable tools to further engage employees, energize workplace culture, and empower high performance.

Room Number: Banyan
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Relationship Management

From ERISA responsibilities to compliance regulations, you face many challenges as a retirement plan administrator. Join us for an in-depth look at the design and execution of retirement plans, where we will review ERISA “the key body of law governing retirement plans” and how it impacts the roles of human resources professionals. We will discuss industry best practices for plan administration, provide strategies for consistently managing and benchmarking plan costs, and deliver insights for communicating retirement plan benefits to participants. Whether you’re new to retirement plan administration or an experienced plan oversight committee member, this discussion will provide strategies to improve both your plan and employee utilization of this significant benefit.

* Understand the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and how it impacts your role
* Gain insight into best practices for plan oversight, design, cost management, and benchmarking
* Learn strategies for addressing and increasing employee engagement

Joe leads Francis Investment Counsel’s business development efforts. A Certified Public Accountant since 1985, Joe has over 30 years of progressive financial management experience. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer of a Wisconsin printing operation, providing a valuable organizational perspective to his business development efforts. Joe is an active member of Metro Milwaukee Society for Human Resource Management (MMSHRM) and served on the Board of Directors of Wisconsin Retirement Plan Professionals, Ltd. (WRPPL). His previous speaking experiences include presentations to the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants (WICPA), Financial Executives International (FEI), MMSHRM, and the Wellness Council of Wisconsin.

Room Number: Bamboo
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Business Acumen

Attendees will receive valuable understanding of the financial impact of a workforce unprepared for retirement. Viability Advisory Group has developed a patent pending technology to accurately predict the retirement readiness of their employee population. The retirement readiness analysis is then overlaid with each employers’ actual wage, healthcare, and disability and other marginal cost factors.

Takeaways include
* Understand the association between your retirement program and an aging workforce that may choose to continue working rather than retiring.
* Understand the marginal cost drivers inherent with an aging workforce and predict the financial impacts that will effect the viability of your workplace.
* Know how to evaluate, explain, and predict the financial impact of your organization.

Michael has presented throughout the nation as Senior Vice President for Mass Mutual a leading record keeping provider in the United States.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

There are many words that describe getting hit with an employment suit -- draining, expensive, painful -- and the list goes on. Here are 10 proven ways to avoid litigation or minimize the risk, including best practices for discipline and discharge, investigations, avoiding wage and hour claims, the latest updates on policy language and tried-and-true methods for documenting. Human Resource professionals will get the information they need to put these cost-effective, business-friendly tips into practice

Takeaways include
* Attending this program will help attendees address employment issues proactively, instead of reactively, and allow them the opportunity to focus on tasks that are more productive than litigation.
* Attending this program will lead to a better understanding of how employment laws apply to important human resource functions
* This program will help the attendee implement practices that lead to better employee relations.

Mark A. Johnson has a wide range of experience representing businesses in matters involving labor and employment law. Mark has represented employers in hundreds of cases in federal and state courts and before federal and state administrative agencies in Wisconsin and throughout the country. His practice also includes advising employers on how to avoid litigation. Mark is a frequent speaker on topics related to litigation and labor and employment law.

Mark has extensive experience defending employers against claims of employment discrimination and retaliation under federal and state law. He has also represented clients in ERISA litigation in courts throughout the country. Mark regularly counsels employers and tries cases involving covenants not to compete and non-disclosure agreements. Areas of focus include wage and hour, hiring and discharge, arrest and conviction record, employment contracts, covenants not to compete, downsizing, fiduciary duty of loyalty, non-disclosure agreements, employee handbooks, harassment claims and investigations, retaliation, union organizing, unfair labor practices and arbitration.

Mark is admitted to practice in Wisconsin and before numerous courts, including the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

This program will help you understand how you use the seven different types of power to influence others on a daily basis. You'll have the opportunity to consider leaders throughout history and develop a deeper appreciation of the power within each of us.

Takeaways include
* Learning to recognize how you use power to influence - intentionally and unintentionally.
* Learning techniques to purposefully choose what type of power style is most effective in different scenarios.
* Considering how you use the power we all possess within us to develop positive traits associated with influential business leaders.

Lori has lead the human resource consulting services division at HKP for the past three years and has more than 20 years of expansive knowledge in the human resource field.

Lori partners with senior leadership at businesses to consult on workforce management solutions that address compliance, return on investment, process improvement opportunities and bottom line enhancements. Throughout her HR career she has worked in staff and management positions for Fortune 500 companies.

Lori is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources. She is an active member of the National Society for Human Resource Management and the Tri-State Human Resource Association (TRIHRA) and serves on the organizations Diversity Committee. She is also a current board member for Camp Albrecht Acres and past board member for the Camp Albrecht Acres Foundation and the McKesson Corporate Foundation Committee.

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Leadership and Navigation

Upon communicating change to employees, did you ever hear: "When is management going to understand it is the real world down here?" How about, "If my boss would just get off my back and let me do my job, everything would be okay!" How about, "Why can't they leave well enough alone?" These expressions reflect symptoms of employees not only resisting change, but more importantly, leaders potentially not fulfilling their responsibility in communicating change. This presentation has been designed to help leaders and professionals on all levels to communicate change and helping employees overcome resistance. Common sense says, if employees are good at resisting change, a leader needs to be just as effective in getting them to accepting change.

Takeaways include
* Recognizing how a leader's behavior impacts employee acceptance.
* Communicating unpopular mandated changes.
* Learning a method to confront employees who resist change.

John Graci is an Author, Consultant, and Leadership Adviser with more than 20 years of management experience in production, office, union and non-union environments. He has the unique ability to look at the leader and employee relationship in straightforward terms which allows him to coach managers through the process of changing their employees’ attitudes and performances. John also assists leaders in understanding the responsibilities that go along with their position and the consequences of not applying their knowledge. John possesses a folksy, tell-it-like-it-is approach that comes across as refreshing and riveting. Executives often thank him for articulating, in very practical terms, what they have been trying to get across to their employees for years.

John has a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication from UW-River Falls and is a frequent presenter at SHRM events.

Key Accomplishments:
* Authored a practical and in-the-trenches book, “The Buck Stops With You” to guide and inspire leaders to reach their potential
* Frequent keynote speaker on change, motivation and communication for Fortune 500 companies, national conventions, and SHRM chapters across the Midwest
* Recognized by VIP’s for teaching management skills that instantly improve the work environments
* Developed techniques to enhance the likelihood leaders remember the importance of executing their leadership responsibilities
* Interviewed by CNN and radio stations across the country on employee motivation and conflict resolution
* Commended by HR professionals nationwide for helping them support the work of managers who supervise and lead the work of their employees

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.00
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Leadership and Navigation

TITLE – Are You Enabling Mediocre Leadership?
SPEAKER – Vince Molinaro

The stakes in leadership have always been high—but they are getting higher. At the very moment that we need our leaders to be truly great and accountable, we see many leaders who disappoint and fail us. Only 37 percent of organizations are satisfied with the level of leadership accountability demonstrated by their leaders. Other studies show that only 7 percent of employees currently have trust and confidence in their senior leaders to look out for their best interest.

These statistics strike at the heart of the leadership accountability gap that exists in organizations today. This session tackles this problem head on and explores why leaders can’t settle anymore and must commit to do better.

You'll learn:
•Why leaders can’t afford to settle anymore and must commit to do better
•Why a leadership culture is the real differentiator between organizations that sink or swim
•How to cascade leadership accountability deep into an organization


Dr. Vince Molinaro is an author, speaker and leadership adviser and Global Managing Director of Strategic Solutions practice with Lee Hecht Harrison. His passion and focus have been to help senior leaders and executives create compelling organizations that drive sustainable growth. How? By building strong
leadership cultures where every leader demonstrates personal clarity and commitment to the execution of the business strategy. Dr. Molinaro has been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Inc., Oracle Profit and CEO World and is the author of The New York Times Best Selling book, The Leadership Contract (Wiley, 2016).

Room Number: Suites A-H
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Leadership and Navigation

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are voluntary, employee-led groups that serve as a resource for employees and companies by fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with organizational vision, values, goals, business practices, and objectives. Learn how you can leverage ERGS at your company to fuel diversity and inclusion at your organization.

Takeaways include
* Understanding the association between your retirement program and an aging workforce that may choose to continue working rather than retiring.
* Understanding the marginal cost drivers inherent with an aging workforce and predict the financial impacts that will effect the viability of your workplace.
* Knowing how to evaluate, explain, and predict the financial impact of your organization.

Darcy Pierson joined Associated in January 1994 and is currently working in the position of senior vice president, Director of engagement & change leadership in human resources. In her role, she is responsible for colleague engagement, diversity & inclusion, and change management.

Pierson brings more than 26 years of banking experience to Associated. Most recently, she held the position of Senior Vice President, Director of Engagement & Change Leadership where she is responsible for colleague engagement, diversity & inclusion, and change management. Before that, she served as Senior Vice President, Director Development & Change Leadership 2012- 2014
Senior Vice President, Director of Learning & Development, 2008 – 2012
Vice President, Senior Organizational Development Consultant, 2004 -2008

Pierson holds a Masters of Business Administration – Organization Development and a Bachelor of Business Administration – Marketing and Management. She serves on the board of the Northeast Wisconsin Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, member of Associated Bank’s Diversity & Inclusion Council, and leader with Associated Women’s Network.

Elizabeth Strike grew up in Milwaukee, WI and graduated from Alverno College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and minors in Computers and Spanish. She went back to school to obtain her MBA in Human Resources Management.
Her greatest achievements throughout her career have been making a difference in people’s lives and the community. She serves on the board for Walker’s Point Youth & Family Center to help the needs of runaway, homeless, and other troubled youth and their families from Milwaukee’s diverse communities. She is a SHRM D&I Committee member where she learns about best practices and Diversity and Inclusion strategies to help Associated Bank become the employer of choice.
Elizabeth is the Diversity and Inclusion Consultant of Associated Bank and most of her experience has been managing talent through creative recruiting, attraction/retention/development strategies, and the implementation of Diversity and Inclusion outreach strategies and programs to help bring in diverse talent to the organization. She is a member of Associated Bank’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, and leader with Associated Cultural Awareness Network.
She has over 7 years of HR direct experience in both corporate and non-corporate environments. She has experience in offering support in many functions such as; Marketing/Adverting, Legal, Finance/Accounting, Engineering, and Talent Acquisition – Management.

Room Number: Wisteria/Portia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Human Resources professionals are frequently presented with situations in the workplace involving individuals with disabilities. Effectively engaging in the interactive process with disabled employees is an essential skill, but how can you be sure you are complying with Wisconsin law while addressing the needs of the business and the individual? The task can be daunting. This presentation will cover a variety of common workplace scenarios involving the interactive process and disability accommodation under Wisconsin law, many of which are drawn from real cases in Wisconsin. The presentation will outline tips and tactics that can help you improve your interactive dialogue with disabled employees and reduce the risk of the most common missteps that may result in legal liability.

Takeaways include
* Learn the state of the law on disability accommodation in Wisconsin and how the Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission has analyzed disability accommodation cases.
* Develop tactics for effectively engaging disabled employees in the interactive dialogue.
* Obtain familiarity with legal and practical considerations regarding disability accommodations and the interactive dialogue in Wisconsin.

Sofija Anderson represents employers in litigation of labor and employment-related disputes in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies, as well as in the arbitral forum. Experienced in both single plaintiff matters and class actions, her practice includes defending claims of: Employment discrimination; Unlawful harassment; Retaliation/whistleblowing; Wrongful discharge/violation of public policy; Breach of contract; Interference with prospective economic/business advantage; Unfair business practices; Wage and hour violations; Fraud; Defamation; and Privacy violations. Sofija also has extensive experience obtaining workplace violence injunctions on behalf of employers and affected employees.

In addition to representing clients in mediation and arbitration, Sofija litigates claims arising under federal and state law, such as: Title VII; The Americans with Disabilities Act; The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act; The Age Discrimination in Employment Act; The Family and Medical Leave Act; The California Family Rights Act; The Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act; The California Fair Employment and Housing Act; and The Wisconsin Fair Employment Act.

Aside from litigation, Sofija assists employers of all sizes with customizing and implementing state-of-the-art employment policies and procedures. She also offers compliance counseling and advises employers on a variety of employment and labor-related issues, ranging from employee on-boarding, performance management/discipline, accommodation, contract negotiations and plant closures. She also offers training seminars on a variety of topics.

Room Number: Tamarind/Guava
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Midlevel
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Becoming a “Best Place to Work” is at the top of many organization’s priority lists. To attract and keep the best talent requires fostering an engaging culture where people want to work. But, building an extraordinary workplace is easier said than done. In fact, it’s hard to even know where to start.

Join Jason Lauritsen as he reveals the insights gained from hearing the voices of millions of employees through Quantum Workplace’s “Best Places to Work” programs. This dynamic session will reveal the what, why and how behind building and sustaining a “Best Place to Work” for your employees. And (spoiler alert) it’s not about installing ping pong tables or sleep pods.

Takeaways include:
• Understanding what organizations with exceptional workplaces do differently than others to engage and retain their best talent
• Discovering the common elements found within “Best Places to Work” and what they tell us about how to create the most engaging workplaces
• Gaining practical advice for how to take action within your organization to implement the lessons from “Best Places to Work” in order to increase employee engagement and performance within your own organization.
Jason Lauritsen is the reformed corporate guy. For nearly a decade, he spent his days in the belly of the beast as a corporate Human Resources leader where he drove change from the inside.
Today, he leads Talent Anarchy’s consulting practice to build cultures that fuel innovation. A born innovator, Jason has been making change happen since his grade school years.
Classically impatient, curious and well groomed, Jason’s early career was a rapid progression of sales and management roles including launching, leading and ultimately selling a small business in his mid-twenties. He’s a leader, sales guy, entrepreneur and corporate executive — all rolled up into one.
He is an accomplished and well-traveled keynote speaker. His speaking credentials include several SHRM Annual and National Conferences; SHRM state conferences including HRFlorida, Illinois, and Ohio; and talent management events in London, Mexico City, and Istanbul. He is a passionate, engaging and thought-provoking speaker who always scores high marks from his audiences.

Room Number: Mangrove/Aralia
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: Senior
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

We can all admit to making poor financial decisions. They happen. However, when it comes to employees, these financial decisions can impact productivity, morale and healthcare costs. Physical and mental wellness programs are essential, but improved health outcomes also depend on a third essential pillar - financial health. This program reviews the three barriers to employee financial wellness, how to overcome them, how to improve benefits utilization, understanding vendors, employer best practices, how to measure ROI and more. Whether you are a tenured professional or just starting your wellness initiative, this program will help you understand the science behind workplace financial wellness.

Takeaways include:
• How employees can overcome the three barriers to financial wellness.
• Employer best practices in financial wellness programs.
• How to measure ROI
After watching his family survive on food stamps as a child, Travis Freeman became obsessed with understanding the power of money. He later studied finance and economics at Missouri State University. Today, as a regular TV guest, author, and president Four Seasons Financial Education, he helps audiences around the US understand the science behind workplace financial wellness programs. Travis is also a board-Certified Financial Planner and president of the St. Louis Financial Planning Association. He and his wife, Marina, have identical twin boys, Bruce and Dominic.

Room Number: Marula/Aloeswood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Vendor Summits are a way to get all of your benefit vendor partners together to discuss and create specific strategic benefit goals for your organization. This presentation will show how you can use the sustainable change cycle as the foundation of these vender summits to identify and collect data specific to your employee population, how to integrate that data, use the data to classify risks and establish goals to reduce or minimize the effect of those risks and finally how to measure and evaluate outcomes for each of these goals. Vendor Summits make you as the employer the focal point and breaks down the silos of managing these vender partners, ultimately leading to integrated health management strategies specific to your population and measurable goals that make your venders accountable.

Takeaways include:
• Learning the detailed steps to conduct a vendor summit
• Learning how to set goals and action items specific to your group population’s health.
• Learning how to coordinate vendor partners to help you reach company specific goals

Jesse began his time at Hausmann-Johnson Insurance in 2015, bringing over 15 years of Employee Benefits experience to his position. Prior to joining Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, he was Manager of Member Services at The Alliance. He has a strong background in risk management and account services, and specializes in working with self-funded employers. He also has a Group Benefits Associate designation from the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist Program. He is a member of the Wisconsin Association of Health Underwriters, and participates in local community chambers and SHRM chapters. Jesse graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Finance & Investments, Risk Management & Insurance, and Human Resources Management.

Room Number: Tamboti
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Insanity has been defined as doing the same thing repeatedly - while expecting different results. So, if your organization needs to hire innovators to beat the competition, it’s imperative that you rethink your recruitment strategy.

In this session, a group of corporate talent acquisition leaders moderated by Carl Kutsmode will discuss how recruiting innovative talent starts with being innovative in how you recruit talent. For some it is about educating the business about hiring outside their comfort zone and considering talent outside their industry. For others it's about training recruiters to assess talent on the basis of how creative they are in problem solving or how to find and recruit people who are proven innovators in their field. Drawing upon their experiences in uncovering the best talent, including women, minorities and military veterans, our panelists will share their insights on the processes, talent sourcing strategies, candidate experience enhancements and technologies that are working for them.

Takeaways include
* Developing innovative ways of reaching diverse talent pools using the latest technologies
* Conducting effective employment opportunity and branding communications outreach
* Ensuring efficient tracking and compliance as well as measure success

Carl is a Partner at TalentRISE, a talent acquisition management consulting and recruiting services firm based in Chicago that provides tailored, high-touch consulting and recruitment solutions to meet an organization’s most pressing talent acquisition challenges.

Carl and his team specialize in addressing corporate talent acquisition challenges and offer management consulting expertise to assess talent acquisition-related risks and operational gaps. As expert recruiting professionals, the team also provides retained executive search and managed “On-Demand” contract recruiting services to help employers meet rapidly changing talent needs. Through a partnership with ConnectVETS.org, TalentRISE provides solutions to employers seeking to optimize their military veteran recruitment efforts.

Carl is a graduate of Loyola University with a B.S. degree in Psychology. In 2010, he was awarded the Staffing Management Consultant of the Year award by the Chicago Area Minority Recruiters Association. He is an invited speaker, trainer and expert panel facilitator at numerous industry events, trade shows and corporate meetings focusing on topics relevant to talent acquisition operations, recruiting best practices and trends.

In his off hours, Carl’s passion for helping employers and job seekers connect effectively extends to his volunteer work with STAR Chicago as an active volunteer and past board member. Carl also serves on the Chicago Leadership Advisory Board for www.UpwardlyGlobal.org which helps new immigrant professionals successfully navigate a U.S. job search in order to secure meaningful employment in their professions. In 2013, Carl was asked to join the corporate advisory board of the Center for Research and Service at Illinois Institute of Technology to provide market insights into future corporate talent management trends and best practices.

Room Number: Cypress
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

Today, employees ages 45 to 65 make up a larger segment of the workforce than ever before. While many companies across the country are embracing their senior workforce due to their expertise, loyalty, and maturity, other companies are finding out that older workers pose a significantly greater risk for workplace injuries than their younger counterparts. This equates to higher Worker’s Compensation costs.

Are you ready for the loss of so many older professionals which will create shortfalls of qualified workers? Or, how can Human Resource Professionals prepare for the aging workforce as many older workers are extending their careers past normal retirement dates? Will it cost you more money to keep the “Gray Workforce?”

Takeaways include:
• Learning the impact of age on recovery times for workplace injuries. And learning the importance of managing them appropriately to reduce lost time and the financial impact on your company.
• Learning how to prevent injuries through retooling jobs by using job rotation, revamping job descriptions into “job designs,” and changing body mechanic requirements to prevent injuries to older workers.
• Learning that an ounce of prevention equates to less dollars and cents paid in worker’s compensation costs by using baseline testing, creating wellness programs on and off the work site, and doing daily exercises and stretches in the work place prior to starting work.

Peg has over 20 years of experience in the Claims field. She joined Hausmann-Johnson Insurance as a Claims Counselor in 2014, and focuses primarily on Workers Compensation. Prior to Hausmann-Johnson Insurance, Peg was an All Lines Field Adjuster, and also managed QBE’s Workers Compensation Claims Department. She graduated from UW Platteville with Bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice and Psychology.

Room Number: Ironwood
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

The word “authenticity” is thrown around very casually as if it were a simple, safe, common thing, but it is not. Authenticity, or being true to who you are, is hard work and always involves some real or perceived risk, especially in the workplace. This leads to a less than inclusive work experience, and a staggering amount of waste in the workplace as folks already on the payroll choose to keep ideas, perspectives and talents to themselves in order to more neatly fit in.

Takeaways include:
• New clarity regarding authenticity; what it is and why it is difficult.
• Understanding the role that authenticity plays in individual and collective performance, across the organization.
• A simple and practical model for pursuing greater authenticity in their professional and/or personal life.

Joe Gerstandt brings a unique and powerful perspective to everything he does. The bulk of Joe’s career has involved bringing fresh perspectives and new tools to diversity and inclusion work. Listening to Joe speak, you will hear lessons learned from his days as a U.S. Marine, growing up on a farm and professional experiences with organizations of all shapes and sizes.

Joe’s perspectives have been published in numerous print and online journals including Diversity Executive, HR Executive, The Diversity Factor, The American Diversity Report, the Corporate Recruiting Leadership Journal, and Associations Now. Joe also serves on the board of directors for the Global Diversity and Inclusion Foundation.

To say that Joe is intense and passionate about his work would be an understatement. He is one part professor, one part philosopher, and one part “not quite right.” Be prepared.

Joe speaks at numerous corporate events and conferences, has spoken at many SHRM national, regional and local events and a wide variety of other conferences and events such as South by Southwest and The Great Ideas Conference.

Room Number: Crown Palm
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise

TITLE – UnManagement: Confronting the Inconvenient Truth about Innovation
SPEAKER – Joe Gerstandt and Jason Lauritsen

In their provocative keynote, “UnManagement: Confronting the Inconvenient Truth about Innovation,” you will gain a deeper understanding of innovation and discover many common misconceptions about how it works. You will confront the inconvenient truth that much of modern management practice is anti-innovation and that innovation begins with culture. You will learn that leading for innovation requires new thinking and a different approach. "

Joe Gerstandt is the sage consultant. He’s a middle-aged white guy who is a national thought-leader on issues of diversity and inclusion — need we say more? He brings a unique and powerful perspective to everything he does. The core of Joe’s work is to help organizations solve issues of diversity, culture and innovation through consulting, training and speaking. Jason Lauritsen is the reformed corporate guy. For nearly a decade, he spent his days in the belly of the beast as a corporate Human Resources leader where he drove change from the inside. Today, he leads Talent Anarchy’s consulting practice to build cultures that fuel innovation.

Room Number: Suites A-H
Credit Hours: 1.25
Level: All Levels
Competency: Human Resource Expertise