Policy, Compliance & Employee Relations
Collective Bargaining in State Government 2.0
Chris Grab and MG Kopjanski, DHRM
Schedule notice: Conference agenda is subject to change.
Day 1: Monday, September 28
7:30–8:30 AM
Breakfast
7:30 AM–5:00 PM
Registration: Vendor exhibits open
8:30–8:40 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks — DHRM Director Janet Lawson
8:40–9:10 AM
Remarks from the Secretary of Administration — Traci Deshazor
9:15–10:45 AM
Opening Keynote — Karen Michael, President of Karen Michael, PLC
10:45–11:15 AM
Break
Concurrent Sessions
11:15 AM–12:30 PM
Compensation, Benefits, & Payroll
Payroll Accuracy and Compliance: Avoiding Costly Error
Shannon Gulasky, DOA
Talent Acquisition & Workforce
Beyond Mentoring: Reimagining Workforce Development Through the Commonwealth Mentorship Program
Dr. Marta Squadrito and Rik Cropley, DHRM
HR Technology & Systems
Reimagining Onboarding: How Technology Can Improve the Employee Experience Before Day One
McCray Fider, OAG
Leadership, Culture & Organizational Transaction
Culture Is the Story People Tell When Leadership Isn't in the Room: Building Culture Through Intention, Values, and Action
Dr. Millicent Lee, ODU
12:30–1:30 PM
Lunch with Sponsor Spotlight
Concurrent Session
1:45–3:00 PM
Policy, Compliance & Employee Relations
Beyond the Algorithm: Ensuring Fairness, Compliance, and Investigative Integrity in the Age of AI
Leigh Lyons
Compensation, Benefits, & Payroll
Stop Being the Medicare Help Desk!
Bryan Gay, Boomer Insurance Group
Talent Acquisition & Workforce
Virginia's Apprenticeship Accelerator: Exploring the Strategic HR Solution for Today's Workforce Challenges
Commissioner Nicole Overlay and Kara Joyce, Virginia Works
HR Technology & Systems
Securing Secure 2.0: Scaling Compliance and Mitigating Risk Through HR Automation
Krystin Carter and Owen Porter, VCU
Leadership, Culture & Organizational Transaction
From Paper to Pulse: Reimagining Recognition Culture
Sumi Lanneau, Energy
3:00–3:20 PM
Break
3:20–4:35 PM
Keynote - Reimagining Performance in Uncertain Times — Scott Wayne, Envoy Portfolio
4:45–7:30 PM
Networking Social — The Hippodrome Theater
528 N 2nd St, Richmond, VA 23219
Day 2: Tuesday, September 29
7:30–8:30 AM
Breakfast
7:30 AM–5:00 PM
Registration: Vendor exhibits open
8:25–8:30 AM
Welcome and Announcements — DHRM Director Janet Lawson
8:30–9:45 AM
Keynote - Change management fundamentals, including the Change Story and Impact Assessment tools — Ed Cook, PhD and Roxanne Brown, Founders of The Change Decision
9:45–10:15 AM
Break
Concurrent Sessions
10:15–11:30 AM
Policy, Compliance & Employee Relations
ADA Accommodation Bootcamp: Avoiding Common Traps
Ponnette Smith, Justin Shreve, DHRM
Compensation, Benefits, & Payroll
Future-Proofed: Closing the Gap in Compensation
Natalie Brannon and Sara Waterman, DHRM
Talent Acquisition & Workforce
The Brief Is Better Together: Aligning Recruiters and Hiring Managers from Day One
Kimberly Alexander, DHRM and Roselyn Brown, DMV
HR Technology & Systems
Accessibility Reboot: Preparing HR for the New Digital Workplace
Jon Carpenter, DHRM
Leadership, Culture & Organizational Transformation
Breaking Down Silos: Building Strategic Partnerships Between Safety & HR for Better Incident Management and Organizational Performance
Johnny Nugent, Loren Yourgal, Jon Whitby, Zain Afzal, DHRM
11:30 AM–12:30 PM
Lunch with Sponsor Spotlight
12:30–1:45 PM
Employment Law Updates & Hot Topics — Anne Bibeau and Michael Garnder, Woods Rogers
Concurrent Sessions
2:00–3:15 PM
Organizational Transformation
Embracing the Future of HR: Strategic Agility for a Changing Workforce
Deanna Goldstein, DHRM
Compensation, Benefits, & Payroll
Control the Chaos: Navigating Workers’ Compensation, VSDP, Leave, and Payroll (Part 1)
Mike Pote, VRS; Kitty Hughes, DHRM; Shannon Gulasky, DOA
Talent Acquisition & Workforce
Inclusive Hiring and Accommodations: A Strategic Approach for Employers
Melissa Edmonds, Beth Sullivan, Sandra Phipps, DARS
General HR
The CommonHealth Blueprint: Integrating Employee Wellness into Agency Culture
Felix Johnson, Amy Moore, DHRM CommonHealth Team
Leadership, Culture & Organizational Transformation
Tools to Become (and Remain) the Best State HR Leader
Janet Lawson, DHRM Director
3:15–3:45 PM
Break
Concurrent Sessions
3:45–5:00 PM
Policy, Compliance & Employee Relations
From Compliance to Culture: Developing Sustainable ADA Accommodation Programs
Emily Biereder, DMV
Compensation, Benefits, & Payroll
Control the Chaos: Navigating Workers’ Compensation, VSDP, Leave, and Payroll (Part 2)
Mike Pote, VRS; Kitty Hughes, DHRM; Shannon Gulasky, DOA
Talent Acquisition & Workforce
Performance Management That Performs: A Blueprint for Strategic Alignment and Goal Clarity
TJ Bilbrey, DMV
General HR
Beyond Gen Z: Preparing Virginia’s Public-Sector Workforce for Generation Alpha
Alex Smith, Oracle
Leadership, Culture & Organizational Transformation
Leading Change When the Margin is Gone: What Today’s Leaders Must Master to Drive Results in a Resource Constrained Environment.
Fred Gatty
5:00 PM
Dinner on your own
Day 3: Wednesday, September 30
7:30–8:30 AM
Breakfast
7:30 AM–12:30 PM
Registration: Vendor exhibits open
8:30–8:45 AM
Welcome — DHRM Director Janet Lawson
8:45–10:00 AM
Closing Keynote — Fireside Chat with Johnny C. Taylor, President and CEO of SHRM
Concurrent Sessions
10:15–11:30 AM
Repeat
Policy, Compliance & Employee Relations
ADA Accommodation Bootcamp
Ponnette Smith, Justin Shreve,DHRM
Repeat
Policy, Compliance & Employee Relations
Collective Bargaining 2.0
Chris Grab and MG Kopjanski, DHRM
VRS Updates
Andy Feagans, VRS
Repeat
The Brief Is Better Together: Aligning Recruiters and Hiring Managers from Day One
Kimberly Alexander, DHRM and Roselyn Brown, DMV
Beyond the EAP: From Positive Test to Positive Outcome, A Practical Guide for HR Leaders
Dr. James Thompson, Master Center
11:30–11:45 AM
Pick Up Boxed Lunches and Proceed to Roundtables
Roundtables
11:45 AM–1:00 PM
Policy Roundtable - An interactive session to discuss recent policy revisions and review upcoming new policies
DHRM Policy Team
Benefits Administration/Workers’ Compensation Roundtable
DHRM Health Benefits and Workers’ Compensation Staff
Talent Acquisition Roundtable
Kimberly Alexander, DHRM
Compensation Roundtable
Sara Waterman, DHRM
HRD Roundtable
Janet Lawson, DHRM