Conference Schedule: Wednesday, May 6, 2026

We’re no longer in the Information Age – we’re now in the Experience Age, where employees expect work to contribute to their personal growth, well-being, and purpose. Organizations still operating with “churn and burn” strategies are bleeding talent and struggling to meet their growth goals.

In this eye-opening keynote, Ed Krow challenges executive teams and HR leaders at all levels to rethink how they attract, engage, and retain today’s workforce. From strategically reimagining your employer brand to transforming your internal culture, this session explores how to build people strategies that align with business growth and deliver the kind of workplace people don’t want to leave.

Whether you’re struggling with hiring, retention, or engagement, this talk offers a roadmap to become an employer of choice in the modern talent market.

• Design people strategies that fuel both growth and retention
• Create an experience-first culture employees want to be part of
• Build a rewards and engagement model that reflects modern expectations

Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

An easy to follow deep dive into what a company is responsible for on compliance to do’s for government regulations.

• A complete checklist for you to follow -what forms go where
• Learn what State laws that are relevant to your company
• Learn what Federal laws you need to be aware of that are relevant

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

The last year has seen a lot of upheaval at the nation’s foremost anti-discrimination in employment enforcement agency. From the end of “disparate impact” investigations, support for DEI, and the curtailment of transgender rights, to the expansion of religious rights in employment, come hear from a former EEOC investigator just what has been going on and how it impacts both public and private employers alike. In particular, attendees will learn what to look for to identify if the agency is targeting them, how to respond if they are, and steps they can take ahead of time to alleviate some of the risk.

• learn the history of the EEOC’s changes under the current administration
• learn the ethical considerations of EEOC
• learn steps to alleviate the risk of becoming the EEOC’s next big case
• learn steps to take if you are already on the EEOC’s hit list

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

There are a variety of contracts and agreements that change the relationship between the employer and employee in every workplace. This presentation will walk you through the current law and best practices when reading and writing these contracts and agreements as well as administering those same documents for the benefit of the management and employee. This is an interactive presentation. So, questions are expected and welcomed during the presentation.

• Understand employer obligations under the current law
• Understand and implement improvements in employment processes and documentation
• Understand and improve the workplace and employer-employee relationships

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

Healthcare costs continue to rise at an unsustainable pace, driven by factors such as inflation, specialty drug pricing, and increased utilization. These trends have employers urgently seeking strategies to regain control of health plan spend. This session, Beyond the Premium: Creative Approaches to Combat Rising Health Care Costs with Perspective from Legal and Human Resources, will explore the key drivers behind cost escalation, evaluate innovative funding models like level-funded and reference-based pricing, and highlight care navigation tools that empower smart consumerism. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to design benefit programs that contain costs without compromising employee experience.

• Understand the full spectrum of benefits funding models—including fully insured, level-funded plans, captives, ICHRAs, and HRA buydowns—and their respective advantages and disadvantages.
• Analyze how funding choices impact benefit strategies and cost-containment goals, including risk management, compliance, and employee experience.
• Identify actionable approaches to optimize plan design and financial performance by leveraging innovative funding solutions and market programs.

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

Overview of laws affecting employment relationships for local governments.

• Knowledge of requirements.
• Encouraging future compliance.

Intended Audience: Public Sector

Dr. Wheeler will highlight the significant shortage of primary care services, particularly in rural and underserved areas, in Missouri. He will also show how effective the DPC (Direct Primary Care) model is in getting quality, affordable, and accessible health care to patients.

• What is DPC?
• How the DPC models keep patients first; through direct access to a care team, eliminating insurance companies, providing unlimited appointments for one monthly cost, and by not having to wait weeks to see a provider.
• The broad scope of DPC services enhances employees’ health by providing mental health coverage, weight management, hormone regulation, annual wellness exams, and so much more.

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

Succession planning is not just a leadership issue. It is a business continuity issue and a community issue. When businesses fail to plan leadership transitions, the impact extends beyond the ownership team. Employees face uncertainty, customers lose trusted partners, and communities risk losing stable employers and institutional knowledge.

This session explores why succession planning matters long before an exit or transition is imminent and how proactive planning protects the long term health of both the business and the people connected to it. Drawing from real world experience in privately held and family owned companies, the session focuses on the decisions leaders must make today to avoid disruption tomorrow.

Participants are introduced to the ACT framework Alignment, Communication, and Transition as a practical approach to succession planning. Alignment focuses on defining the future direction of the business before choosing or preparing the next leader. Communication addresses clarity around roles, decision making authority, and expectations to reduce friction and confusion. Transition emphasizes building a thoughtful, long term plan that prepares people and processes over time so leadership changes are smoother and more stable.

By the end of the session, participants will have a clearer understanding of how succession planning supports business continuity, strengthens leadership confidence, and contributes to healthier organizations and communities.

Learning Objective

• Participants will learn how to create alignment by defining the future direction of the business before selecting or preparing the next leader.
• Participants will learn how to strengthen communication by clarifying roles, decision rights, and expectations to reduce friction and second guessing.
• Participants will learn how to design a long term transition plan that prepares people, processes, and leadership capacity over time, making the eventual transition smoother, more stable, and less disruptive to the business.

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

Negativity spreads fast — especially in today’s polarized workplaces where every disagreement can feel personal. When tension rises and talk turns toxic, organizational leaders often feel powerless to pull it back. But what if we could change the tone by changing the talk?

In this high-energy, no-fluff session, mindset and performance coach Rae Lyon of Lyon Coaching Group helps HR professionals at all levels learn how to walk back negativity, defuse incivility, and replace judgment with curiosity. Using emotional intelligence and energy awareness, participants will uncover why we cling to “right vs. wrong” thinking and how to reframe it into “understanding vs. assuming.”

Through relatable stories, interactive reflection, and Rae’s signature “Reset Formula,” you’ll leave equipped to calm heated moments, shift energy in real time, and model language that calls people up instead of out. Because when you master the tone, you shift the culture. Your presence is your power. Go Be Great.

• Recognize how energy and emotional triggers influence workplace negativity and divisiveness.
• Apply practical tools to pause, reframe, and reset when tension rises or conversations turn personal.
• Model respectful dialogue and language that builds understanding, inclusion, and psychological safety without losing authenticity.

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

The first 15 months of President Trump’s second term have been some of the most consequential in recent history. Federal Administrative Agencies like the Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and National Labor Relations Board have new members and leaders, which have – and will continue – to change the focus of these agencies. In response, many states have attempted to make up for the perceived loss of federal enforcement at the state level. This presentation will cover all the labor and employment developments employers “must know”.

Learning Objectives:

• Changes in leadership and policy at federal administrative agencies.
• Introduce basics of new state laws; including those intended to fill the gap from perceived lack of federal enforcement.
• Identify current issues that may need to be addressed within your workplace and those to keep an eye on.

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

Substance use is growing and changing in many ways. What is the impact of legal and illicit substance use to your safety culture? What is trending? What is real or myth? Can substance use negatively impact your business? What can you do to protect your safety culture? Join us to discuss these one other relevant concerns in 2026.

At the end of each session, the attendee will:

• Be able to identify steps for development and implementation of a drug and alcohol testing policy. Know recent trends in controlled substances with updates on marijuana.
• Understand options in drug and alcohol testing methodology. Learn an employer’s responsibility for compliance with state and federal regulations, as applicable.
• Be able to define training requirements for employees and supervisors. Recognize the potential impact and benefits of a Drug-Free Workplace.

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

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This session introduced participants to the critical role of a structured new hire orientation program, framed under the “B.U.I.L.T. to Succeed” approach. It emphasized how well-designed onboarding not only welcomes new employees but also builds a foundation for safety, engagement, leadership involvement, and measurable organizational success.

B.U.I.L.T. Building Utility Infrastructure Leadership Training

• Learn about the importance of an organized new hire orientation program.
• Learn how orientation programs are an opportunity to educate about the most common incidents and hazards your organization encounters.
• New hire orientation programs are a leadership opportunity for your existing employees.
• Results: How did the B.U.I.L.T. program affect the bottom line?

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

Neurodiversity and Mental Health Conditions continue to rise as key topics for leave and accommodations professionals.

This presentation will explore how these topics arise in the workplace, ADA accommodation considerations and strategies, when to raise the fitness for duty flag, and related strategies to apply for employee investigations and discipline.

• Understand how neurodiversity and mental health conditions arise in the workplace.
• Learn considerations and strategies for neurodiversity and mental health conditions in workplace accommodations.
• Understand how to manage neurodiversity and mental health conditions in other workplace scenarios including fitness for duty, investigations, and discipline.

Intended Audience: Public Sector

Retention isn’t just about perks. It’s about creating an environment where employees want to stay. In this session, Sheri Zevenbergen shares her 4-step DASH Mindset Framework to help C-Suite, Managerial or HR leaders and organizations reduce burnout, build alignment, and create a culture where high performers thrive.

• Identify patterns that contribute to disengagement and turnover.
• Apply small, intentional shifts to increase employee engagement and loyalty.
• Strengthen emotional intelligence to foster trust and connection.

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

Overview of regulations and practical processes related to collective bargaining in the public sector.

• Identification of regulatory and Supreme Court mandates.
• Suggestions for administrative implementation.
• Management of public communications through the process.

Intended Audience: Public Sector

As AI becomes more accessible, many business owners or organizational leaders are turning to tools like ChatGPT to create HR policies, job descriptions, and employee handbooks. While AI can generate content quickly, it often misses critical legal, compliance, and cultural nuances. This presentation explains why AI cannot replace HR judgment, highlights common risks when AI-generated HR content goes unchecked, and shows how businesses can safely combine AI with human expertise to improve efficiency without creating exposure.

• Understand the limitations of AI in HR decision-making. Participants will learn why AI-generated content often lacks the compliance, context, and judgment needed for effective HR practices.
• Identify common risks and pitfalls when using AI for HR tasks. Examples will illustrate how incorrect assumptions, missing legal requirements, and misaligned policies can create operational and legal challenges.
• Learn how to integrate AI responsibly into HR workflows. Attendees will gain strategies for using AI as a drafting tool while relying on HR expertise to ensure accuracy, compliance, and cultural alignment.

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

​Review NCCI E-mod worksheet, what does it all mean?

How does it impact your worker’s compensation rates, and most importantly, how can you leverage safety to keep those rates down.

• Understand your emod/EMR/experience rating
• How the emod impacts workers compensation premium
• How to use safety to influence the emod

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

Opportunity for attendees to present questions to labor and employment attorneys. Unscripted questions from the audience. Bring your trickiest questions.

• Brainstorm questions for the attorneys.
• Get responses to practical issues for employers and professionals.
• Speak informally with attorneys.

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector

This presentation will explore 6 foundational leadership principles and their application. The goal of the presentation is to understand that “Leadership is not about being in charge. It is about taking care of those in your charge.” Simon Sinek.

• Define the difference between visibility and accessibility
• Recognize the shift between delegation and empowerment
• Develop and implement a sustainable team culture blueprint

Intended Audience: Private Sector/Public Sector