Metro DC Chapter
Mashaal Ahmed is the 2024 past president of the Metro DC ATD chapter where she also served on the board from 2017-2021, including as president leading the chapter through the disruptions of 2020. In her cross-sector career journey from market researcher to career coach to L&D leader, she has drawn potential out of people, strategies out of data, and productivity out of systems. She is currently associate director of global L&D for DC-based strategic advisory firm APCO Worldwide. Prior, she held roles with Prince George's County Government (Maryland), Urban Institute, The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, and Comscore, Inc.

She holds credentials as a CPTD, CPTM, SHRM-SCP, Strategic HR Business Partner, and Certified Diversity Professional. She is preparing to earn the Certified Foresight Practitioner credential in May 2024. She is a member of ATD, SHRM, the OD Network, the International Society for Organization Development and Change, and the Association of Professional Futurists.

Session
Party Like It's 2034: Futurecasting for a Resilient Chapter | Saturday, May 18, 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Greater Birmingham Chapter
Eric W. Atkins, CPTD, helps leaders from all walks of life find their purpose, cultivate followership, and improve everyone around them. With over 15 years of experience developing, facilitating, and managing leadership programs, Eric understands what it takes to create real-world behavior change, and his passion for helping people grow is evident in everything he does. Eric volunteers extensively in the ATD community, having served as a National Advisor to Chapters and as a board member of ATD Birmingham.

Session
Putting the Pieces Together: How to Construct an Effective Chapter Leadership Team | Saturday, May 18, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Greater Atlanta Chapter
Allison is an Instructional Designer but has been in the learning and development space for over 13 years. As a designer, she focuses on the end-user first by fostering collaborative sessions and relationship with her project teams during the design and development process, and gathering user feedback early, which creates a test and learn approach to building product that matches the audience's needs.

Allison is also a past president of the ATD Greater Atlanta Chapter. During her year as president, she led her board and the chapter through the tail-end of COVID by helping manage the quick transition from online only to in-person or hybrid events and meetings.

Allison always strives to leave the most impactful experience for anyone who participates in her trainings, events, or meetings.

Session
Crafting the Future: Designing an Empowering Leader Journey for Recruiting and/or Succession Planning | Saturday, May 18, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Rhode Island Chapter
Heather Boyle is a Learning Solution Designer at CrossTrainer, which provides eLearning, gamification and XR design and development for the training industry. She helps organizations use innovative learning technologies - like VR and AR - to create highly engaging training that drives impactful results. With a background in instructional design and sales, exceptional service to learners while achieving business goals is at the core of her recommendations.

She holds a BS in Organizational Communication from Providence College, an M.Ed. in eLearning and Instructional Design from Northeastern University and certificates in Adult and Organizational Learning and Managing Learning Programs. She's served as the VP of Marketing for ATD Bay Colonies for nearly two years. Outside of L&D, Heather is an entrepreneur and the founder of buyer-for-hire.com, a negotiation service and advocate for individuals purchasing new or used vehicles. She lives outside of Providence, RI with her husband and two young daughters.

Session
Scrappy and Strategic: Leveraging Digital Marketing for Chapter Engagement | Saturday, May 18, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Memphis Chapter
Eddie Brasher is a Learning and Development Manager at Starbucks, where he supports enhancing employee skillsets and digital competencies. With 14 years of experience in Talent Development, he integrates organizational culture with strategic objectives. Eddie's career started at Youth Villages, leading to roles in Compliance and Leadership Development. At FedEx Logistics, he developed leadership programs and culture tools, later founding a Learning and Development Department in at Ascent Global Logistics, driving training initiatives.

Outside of work, Eddie is a devoted husband and father of three daughters. He is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Instructional Design & Technology, slated for completion in June 2024. Eddie is an active member of the Association of Talent Development and serves on the Chapter Recognition Committee. Additionally, he holds a position on the Board of Directors as the President Elect for the ATD Memphis Chapter. In his free time, Eddie enjoys indulging his adventurous spirit through mountain biking and motorcycle riding.

Session
Identifying, Submitting, and Using an SOS! | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.

Flordia Suncoast Chapter
Jenn is an independent technical writer and instructor, instructional designer, and learning project manager with 25+ years of experience in technical and structured writing, technical facilitation, instructional design, and business software applications. She is a board member of the ATD Florida Suncoast chapter, a National Advisor for Chapters, a board member of the STC IDL SIG, and Past Commodore of BCYC.

Session
Why a Board Orientation is Worth Your Time | Saturday, May 18, 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Nashville Chapter
Lei partners with individuals, teams, and organizations amplifying and elevating their communication skills, relationships, and leadership effectiveness.

Lei is a highly effective Executive Coach, Facilitator, Keynote Speaker, and Learning & Development Consultant with over 20 years of strategic and operational experience in healthcare as well as over 5 years in hospitality.

Lei is a master facilitator certified in a variety of assessment tools, holds the PCC accreditation through the International Coaching Federation (ICF), Positive Intelligence Certified Coach (CPQC), and is a Maxwell Leadership Team Certified Speaker, Coach, and Trainer.

She is known for being a thought partner and has a passion for helping leaders reach beyond their goals through increased self-awareness to empower effectiveness and engagement with each client!

Lei currently volunteers with the Nashville ATD Chapter as a Board Member, serves as a Mentor with Vanderbilt University's Women In Business (WiB), and gives back via coaching through the Humanitarian Coaches Network.

Session
Leading with Learning: The Power of a Professional Growth Series in Your Chapter | Saturday, May 18, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Greater Atlanta Chapter
People say Cornelius is relatable, strategic and open-minded.

With every person he serves, Cornelius Dowdell's strives to align all programs with the corporation's business goals and strategies. His passion is to educate large corporations and small startups on the importance of investing in human capital. As an HR consultant, facilitator and talent strategist, he has a proven track record of creating an environment for personal and professional growth, aligned with continuous learning, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace for all talent.

Building genuine relationships that are inviting and meaningful are important to Cornelius, also known as Neil, in and out of the office. The emotional connection to experiences and the people that are part of them make Neil happiest. Some might say his love language is food (he even owns a spice company called Nelius Spices), and while he does enjoy delicious dishes, to him, they aren't special without soul at the root.

Session
Creating and Cultivating Dynamic Sponsorships | Saturday, May 18, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Kansas City Chapter
With over two decades of experience, Shelley is a seasoned learning and development professional passionate about gathering with clear purpose and connecting others to ways to use their time, talent, and treasure. Her journey into volunteering began unexpectedly at a 2017 chapter meeting, where she enthusiastically jumped in to enhance webinars and the virtual experience. Earning her CPTD certification just over a year ago, Shelley is currently serving as chapter president and is a Senior Learning and Development Manager for JE Dunn, a Kansas City-based construction company. Always learning, Shelley and her husband take dance lessons, if she is not reading, enjoying her family, gardening, cooking, or volunteering.

Sessions
Working with Geniuses | Saturday, May 18, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
RICE: Sowing Seeds of Volunteer Success | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.

Baton Rouge Chapter
Tara Gallope is an HR Consultant Specialist for Louisiana State Civil Service where she serves as a Training Facilitator and Instructional Designer. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Strategic Communication from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a Master's degree from Louisiana State University in Leadership and Human Resource Development. Tara is in her third year of serving on the ATD Baton Rouge Board of Directors. Her people-oriented personality drives her passion for training and talent development, and she looks forward to connecting and engaging with more TD professionals through ALC.

Session
Incentivizing Member Engagement: Designing and Implementing a Rewards System | Saturday, May 18, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Greater Atlanta Chapter
Nicole has a passion for the Talent Development field. She has held a wide range of positions in the Talent Development field such as Human Resources Generalist and Training Systems Lead. She is currently an Organizational Change Management Lead for a large manufacturing company in Atlanta. She is a certified change management practitioner through PROSCI.

Nicole has a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia State University in Human Resources Management. She has a Paralegal Certificate from Clayton State University. Nicole recently received her M.A. in Law from Regent University Law school. While in law school her concentration of studies was in Non-Profit Management.

Nicole enjoys spending time with her family and friends and volunteering for local non-profits in the metro Atlanta area.

Session
Crafting the Future: Designing an Empowering Leader Journey for Recruiting and Sucession Planning | Saturday, May 18, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter
Colin J. Hahn, Ph.D., is the Learning & Organizational Development Manager for Douglas Dynamics. He is responsible for the company's learning strategy and people analytics, including leadership development, performance improvement, and talent development.

Hahn has more than 15 years of experience in talent development. He has led programs that have generated over $2MM in annual impact and attained over 90% rates of behavioral change.

He is a former President of the Southeastern Wisconsin ATD chapter and now serves as an ATD National Advisor for Chapters (NAC). He has also held roles as a VP of Professional Development and leader of the Performance Improvement special interest group. This year, he leads the NAC team focused on improving the CARE process.

Hahn holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Marquette University. He geeks out on improving performance, loves west coast swing dancing, and does woodworking in his spare time.

Session
How to CARE-fully Accelerate Your Chapter's Strategic Work | Saturday, May 18, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Mid-New Jersey Chapter
Juliet Hart, Founder and CEO of Hart & Chin, develops leadership capabilities of scientists & their organizations through workshops, coaching, & consulting. Previously a scientist at J&J, she's seen the impact of her work drive employee engagement, increase collaboration, & stimulate innovation across functions. As co-creator of the Community of DEI Champions, she has supported DEI initiatives across the country. Juliet has a BA, Psychology - City University of NY. She is an ATD NAC and a member of Mid New Jersey ATD Chapter.

Sessions
How to CARE-fully Accelerate Your Chapter's Strategic Work | Saturday, May 18, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Unleashing the Power of DEIB: Transform Challenges into Triumphs! | Saturday, May 18, 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Tulsa Chapter
Sunilyn joined the Tulsa ATD chapter as a member in 2017 and joined the board in 2020 as the Vice President of Accommodations, served as the President-Elect in 2021, assumed the role of President in 2022, and currently holds the position of Past-President for 2023. As a seasoned Talent Development professional, Sunilyn brings two decades of industry experience to the table. She is currently employed with Oklahoma State University as a Local Government Specialist in the County Training Program educating Local Elected Officials and their employees how to understand and comply to Oklahoma state statute. Sunilyn also has extensive training experience that spans across various sectors including non-profit organizations, government agencies, and military institutions.

Session
Identifying, Submitting, and Using an SOS! | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.

Nebraska Chapter
Come and learn how to create a robust sponsorship strategy in this session designed for chapter leaders seeking enhanced community partnerships and stronger financial security. Explore the key components of a sponsorship approach, including in-kind support, formal sponsorship programming, brand recognition, key sponsorship events, and the critical factor of internal collaboration within your chapter teams.

Session
Exploring Strategic Sponsorship: Crafting Personalized Action Plans for Chapter Success | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.

Appalachia Chapter
Rob Hoitt, CPTD is the Past President of the Appalachia Chapter and a National Advisor for Chapters. Rob was able to turn around his chapter from nearly folding to CARE+ in two years. A true "accidental trainer," Rob came into learning and development after a decade of working in the television broadcast industry. Through this rich experience, Rob has spent over 20 years in the learning and development industry. Rob graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Arizona in 2021.

Session
Using Geographical Data to Develop a Targeted Recruitment Strategy | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.

Central Indiana Chapter
I am a talent development leader with global experience in planning, development, implementation, and administration of an organization's talent development and engagement initiatives. As a paradigm pioneer with an aptitude to challenge the status quo, I facilitate the exploration and imagination of new ways to respond to global workplace issues.

As the Vice President of Strategic Consulting and Design at PPS International, I collaborate with clients to align talent development solutions to their unique strategic business initiatives. My oversight includes needs assessment, solution architecture, project management of design and development initiatives, and key account management. I purposefully challenge the status quo to enable organizations to influence and shape the learning culture for optimum performance of their employees.

I'm a degreed chemist who found his way to sales who found his way to Human Resources and talent development in 2010. After joining ATD in 2013, I assumed leadership positions for the Central Indiana chapter in 2022 as VP Programming. I'm currently serving as President for our amazing chapter.

Session
Identifying, Submitting, and Using an SOS | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.

Greater Las Vegas Chapter
Britne Jenke, CPTD has been a member of ATD and an active member and leader of the award-winning Greater Las Vegas chapter since 2017, serving as its president in 2025/26. With a background in web design and educational technology, Britne is passionate about accessibility, disability advocacy, and inclusive design. She holds several certifications such as Talent Development (CPTD), Human Resources (SHRM-SCP), Accessibility (CPACC), and Diversity & Inclusion, and speaks regularly on accessibility and disability inclusion in the workplace. Britne was featured in 2021 on the Association for Talent Development (ATD)'s DEI podcast for her work in designing inclusive training.

Sessions
An Accessibility Audit for Your ATD Chapter | Saturday, May 18, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Why You're Not Getting Chapter Speakers (from a Professional Speaker!) | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.

Baton Rouge
Missy Korduner, PhD has been involved with ATD since 2017 and is a proud member of the Baton Rouge Chapter. She served the BR Chapter as past president in 2021, president in 2020, president elect in 2019, and treasurer in 2017 and 2018. Missy has also served on the Baton Rouge chapter's conference, scholarship, and nominating committees. Missy currently serves as a member of the ALC PAC, the committee that coordinates the ALC experience, and a member of the CRC, the committee that coordinates the SOS process. Professionally, she is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice and MS Graduate Programs Coordinator/Academic Advisor for the LSU School of Leadership and Human Resource Development. In this role, she advises all graduate students in the on campus and online masters programs and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership and human resource development. In 2022, she was recognized with the Excellence in Advising - New Advisor Award by Region 7 of NACADA, the global community for academic advising. She currently serves as President for LACADA, the Louisiana Academic Advising Association and is also a certified leadership development coach with the LSU Leadership Development Institute. She has over 20 years of professional experience in higher education focused on leadership and professional development, extended orientation programs, program planning and evaluation, students in transition, and academic and student organization advising.

Session
Identifying, Submitting, and Using an SOS! | Saturday, May 18, 2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.

Baton Rouge Chapter
Julie Miller currently serves as the Talent Development Facilitation Supervisor at Louisiana State Civil Service. Julie and her team assist Louisiana State Civil Service in fulfilling their goal of attracting, developing, and retaining a productive, diverse, and engaged workforce by creating, designing, and delivering training.

Julie has been involved in training in varying capacities for 15 years. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, reading, and spending time with her husband and 2 year old daughter.

Session
Incentivizing Member Engagement: Designing and Implementing a Rewards System | Saturday, May 18, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Los Angeles Chapter
Anupa Naik, M.Ed., is the current Co-President of the ATD Los Angeles chapter and an experienced corporate Learning, Performance, and Consulting professional with over two decades of rich and diverse industry experience in L&D leadership and client-facing roles within Fortune 500 and global companies. She is also a past Board member of the ATD New York City chapter.

She is the CEO of SmartWork! Inc., a boutique consulting firm utilizing her unique experience as an internal leader and an external consultant to specialize in the strategy and design of performance initiatives. Her expertise lies in defining and executing business strategies by collaborating with executives and stakeholders to address performance and process gaps, and devising suitable solutions. Having worked across various industries, Anupa brings a rich and relatable context to her learning approach, which enhances its applicability in real-world settings.

Session
Running Your Chapter Like a Business: How to Create Value-Driven Strategy | Saturday, May 18, 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Hawaii Chapter
Gwen Navarrete Klapperich, M.Ed., CPTD® is Learning Consultant/Owner of Klapperich International Training Associates (KITA) LLC, a talent development consulting firm that specializes in employee training & development, diversity & inclusion initiatives, performance consulting, and health & safety training. She holds over 20 years of experience in training & development, customer service supervision, and quality assurance initiatives, and has worked in various industries such as retail, call centers, healthcare, government, hospitality, nonprofits, and continuing education. Gwen earned her CPTD® and holds a master's degree in education specializing in Training & Performance Improvement from Capella University. Gwen has served on the boards of two chapters (Greater Las Vegas and Hawaii) and currently serves as National Advisor for Chapters.

Session
Deliver Inclusive In-Person and Virtual Chapter Meetings Using Real-Time Accessibiltiy Tips | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.

Rhode Island Chapter
Dr. Miko Nino is Assistant Vice President for Adult and Online Education at Rhode Island College. In addition, Dr. Nino is adjunct faculty at University of North Carolina Pembroke, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses about digital learning and digital literacy. As a practitioner, he has led the strategic planning for online learning and emergency remote teaching for higher education institutions and had coached and trained hundreds of faculty members in topics related to instructional design and online learning. His work and research have been published in peer-reviewed journals, as well as presented in national and international conferences. In addition, Dr. Nino serves on the editorial review boards for five journals and is one of the mentors of the UPLift program developed by the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) . His education includes a Ph.D. in Instructional Design and Technology from Virginia Tech, an M.A. in Instructional Systems Development from University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), and a B.A. in International Business from Lindenwood University. He is President Elect for ATD Rhode Island Chapter.

Session
Making it Competitive: Redesigning Your Chapter Programming to Offer Relevant Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities | Saturday, May 18, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

New York City Chapter
Rosemary Okoiti is the Learning & Development Manager at Winrock International. She focuses on leadership development, performance management, succession planning, and DEIB for employees across the globe. Her work supports Winrock's mission to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources worldwide.

She is also the founder and CEO of Rosemary Okoiti Consulting, focused on coaching and training professionals who have relocated to other countries to successfully navigate "new country" challenges to grow their careers. She has extensive global experience in three continents covering intercultural leadership, business coaching & facilitation; training delivery, design and management of Leadership development programs. She is passionate about helping individuals achieve their career goals as well as designing and delivering engaging learning solutions that help professionals grow to their highest potential while driving achievement of strategic business goals.

Rosemary's global exposure through talent development as well as her personal experiences have driven her passion for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) leading to her involvement in advocating for it. She has co- facilitated DEIB workshops and coaching sessions for over 12 organizations nationwide in the past three years. She co-created the DEIB Community of Champions for an international organization.

She co-founded "Making Diversity Stick", an organization that is dedicated to offering coaching & training services to leaders on how to start and sustain DEIB initiatives.

She is the current Chair of the ATD Leaders Conference Programs Advisory Committee (ALC PAC 2023/24) having served as a committee member from 2022 to 2023. Prior to that, she served on the Executive Board of the Association for Talent Development New York City (ATD NYC) chapter as the Vice President of Talent Management from 2019 to 2021. Rosemary has been a Speaker at various conferences including the ALC for the last three years (2021, 2022 & 2023).

She holds a Masters of Education in Entrepreneurship Development from the University of Illinois, Urbana- Champaign and a Bachelors of Education in Economics & Business from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. She is a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and a Certified Professional Coach (CPC).

Session
Unleashing the Power of DEIB: Transform Challenges into Triumphs! | Saturday, May 18, 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Houston Chapter
Debbie Richards is a learning architect, self-proclaimed geek, and early adopter of learning technologies. For over 30 years, she has helped enterprise teams design, develop, and deliver immersive learning programs with measurable impact. She is the past president of the ATD Houston chapter, and a past national advisor for chapters. Debbie has authored two TD at Work guides, Seeing the Possibilities With Augmented Reality and Preparing Your Organization for New Technologies. She was also awarded the title of "Guild Master" by the Learning Guild in 2022. The purpose of the Guild Master Award is to recognize those members who have consistently contributed to the community in terms of both quantity and quality of content-and thus helped make the community a vibrant center for learning.

Session
Wild Apricot - Tips and Tricks | Saturday, May 18, 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Kansas City Chapter
Rachel Schell is a Learning & Development professional, committed to empowering peers for leadership excellence. As the Director of Volunteers for the ATD Kansas City chapter since 2023, she thrives on fostering relationships and promoting networking opportunities. Rachel finds joy in the chapter's emphasis on collaboration and community building.

Beyond her role with ATD, Rachel is the owner of RAS Personalized Solutions. She is also the visionary founder behind "Emerging Leaders in L&D," a vibrant community comprising over 850 professionals embarking on their leadership journey in the learning and development field.

Rachel, alongside Shelley, will delve into the intricacies of working with volunteers in the session, "Sowing the Seeds of Volunteer Success." Which promises insights and strategies for effective volunteer management and engagement.

Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn to stay updated on her latest endeavors and to explore opportunities for collaboration and networking.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-schell/

Session
RICE: Sowing Seeds of Volunteer Success | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.

Valley of the Sun Chapter
Kimberle has been in the L&D community for many years and is an experienced training manager with a demonstrated history of working in the training and development of team members with the emphasis on in-person and virtual instruction in customer service excellence. She is passionate about coaching, mentoring and leading teams to reaching their full potential while utilizing experience in operations, logistics and hospitality. Kimberle has been involved with the ATD Valley of the Sun chapter for over 10 years as a volunteer, Board member and is currently serving as the chapter President.

Session
Everyone's Favorite F-Word: Making Chapter Finance Easy and Fun | Saturday, May 18, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Central Indiana Chapter
Rusty Shields is owner and chief performance consultant at Develefy Consulting. His passion, energy, and excitement when facilitating business growth is palpable and contagious. Rusty is considered a thought leader in transformative connection, using his connection model as fuel to create impactful, connection experiences. As a facilitator and consultant in the L&D field for 19 years, Rusty has worked with corporations and organizations of all sizes all over the world. Rusty prides himself in his work with C-level executives, directors, managers, and high potentials. Rusty has experience designing and delivering customized leadership and business development programs, both virtually and face to face. He also has many years of experience designing e-learning and other self-paced training in interactive and engaging ways.

Session
Elevate Your Chapter: 3 Transformative Tactics for Mastering Member Engagement | Saturday, May 18, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Kansas City Chapter
Piper Stone is a talent development professional with over 20 years of experience specializing in onboarding, communication, relationship-building, coaching, and culture evolution. She currently serves as the Talent Management Manager at the KCNSC managed by Honeywell FM&T, supporting employee engagement, performance management, career pathing, and leadership development.

Piper has a BA in English and a BS in Education from Kansas State University (GO CATS!) and an MA in Conflict Management and Dispute Resolution from Baker University. She is a proud member of the ATD Kansas City chapter, and has had the incredible privilege of serving as the VP of Programs, President-Elect, and President in the last five years. Always looking for a challenge, since 2020 Piper has earned her SHRM-SCP certification, learned how to ride a motorcycle, and is currently learning cloisonne by working on an art project.

Session
Working With Geniuses | Saturday, May 18, 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

New York City Chapter
Based in New York City, Callan leads Leadership Development at the global travel tech company, Expedia Group. Her background sits in corporate supply chain management, sales and marketing, and performance consulting across Fortune 500 companies.

Having extensive international work experience in Latin America, Europe, and the US, she quickly developed a passion for coaching, leadership and organizational culture to foster high-performing teams and employees.

Callan acquired her BA through Wittenberg University, an MS in organizational Leadership through Purdue University Global Management and her coaching certifications through CoActive and ICF.

Callan is the 2024 President of the ATD New York City Chapter, and served as VP of programming in 2023.

Session
Programming in the Age of Hybrid & Micro Learning | Saturday, May 18, 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Houston Chapter
Lisa Torreano, PhD, CPTD (Past President Houston Chapter & NAC): Lisa is principal of Cognitive Cohesion, LLC providing advisory consulting in learning and performance. Her experience spans leading teams in academia, a tech startup, global organizations, and working boards of three non-profit organizations. Whether stepping in to serve on a board to turn around a 75-year organization and keep it from disbanding, building an organization from the ground-up, or contributing to a thriving group - she appreciates needing to "meet them where they are" and that each scenario offers the opportunity for strategic decisions and continual improvement in performance.

Session
How to CARE-fully Accelerate Your Chapter's Strategic Work | Saturday, May 18, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Kansas City Chapter
Kathy Woodard is a talent development professional with over 20 years providing operational and leadership development, providing employees with the knowledge, tools, and motivation needed to attain personal and professional growth. She enjoys helping people realize that they can make a difference and equipping them to be successful.

She has been a member of ATD, both nationally and with the local KC chapter, since 2019. She has volunteered as a virtual meeting producer and a marketing assistant, and now serves as the VP of Marketing and Communications. Her love of writing makes this a perfect position as she can share the opportunities and benefits of the talent development community with a wide audience.

Kathy is the Learning & Development Specialist at Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, (Grain Valley, MO), a company that provides advocacy support in Washington DC for the truck driver community.

When away from work, she enjoys quiet time spent reading and writing, and her most peaceful times are in the middle of a thunderstorm.

Session
Identifying, Submitting, and Using an SOS! | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.

Valley of the Sun Chapter
Jason's background in chemistry, marketing, and language has led him to support corporate learning and talent development across an array of industries including consumer products, telecommunications, healthcare, and renewable energy. Taking advantage of some quarantine study time, he earned his CPTD credential in 2020. He owns up to once being described as "an eerie blend of the 3 main characters of Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Thrilled to play an active role in the Valley of the Sun Chapter, Jason has learned so much through the support of ATD Chapters over the years. He sees chapter connections as endless opportunities to learn from others and to solve both common and new talent development challenges. He serves the chapter this year as Secretary & Project Manager, handling the organizational elements and logistical coordination of the learning community.

Session
Identifying, Submitting, and Using an SOS! | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.

Hawaii Chapter
Ric Xavier started his career as a language teacher, and after 10+ years, he started going to business school and transitioning from education to the corporate world. He has been a dedicated member of the Association for Talent Development since 2017, consistently championing best practices in learning, talent strategy, and organizational development. Over the years, Ric applied his learnings from ATD courses such as the Training [& Facilitation] Certificate (2018) and Instructional Design (2022) to improve his learning initiatives. With a keen interest in promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Ric joined as the first ever VP of DEI for the ATD Hawaii chapter in October 2021 and is fervently dedicated to bettering awareness in work environments so that individuals can thrive and bring their authentic selves more freely every day.

Session
Identifying, Submitting, and Using an SOS! | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.

Nebraksa Chapter
Stephanie Blakemore serves as the Vice President of Communications for the Nebraska Chapter of ATD. During the day, Stephanie is a Learning Business Partner for Healthmap Solutions, where she employs her passion for instructional design and facilitation. Formerly a K-12 educator and a trainer for Apple, and having done instructional design for NTT Limited and Home Instead, she has helped thousands of people learn new things.

Session
Exploring Strategic Sponsorship: Crafting Personalized Action Plans for Chapter Success | Saturday, May 18, 2:15-3:15 p.m.