Hello Chapter Members! You are welcome to attend our monthly Central Iowa Chapter ATD Board Meetings, where we focus on chapter operations, governance, and strategic planning. Meetings are held on the third Monday of each month.

If you would like to observe a meeting, please sign up to receive the Google Meet link. 

Questions? Let us know! Email us at president@atdiowa.org.

Vibe Coding in Rise: Building Custom Interactive Elements with AI

You asked for it: we're going deeper. In this hands-on Tech SIG session, Talent Management Partner Madison Ehlert will walk through how to use AI to build custom HTML blocks in Articulate Rise from scratch, no coding background required. From bespoke self-assessments and interactive reflection tools to custom course elements you'd normally need hours in Storyline (or even a developer) to build, this session will show you exactly how to describe what you want and let AI do the heavy lifting.

Topics will include:

• What's actually possible with custom HTML, Java, and CSS blocks in Rise
• Using AI to write, test, and iterate on interactive elements
• Live demo: building a self-assessment from prompt to published
• Tips for troubleshooting and refining AI-generated code
• Ensuring what you build matches your brand colors, voice, and identity

Skill level: Beginner to intermediate.

Facilitator Bio: Madison Ehlert is a Talent Management Partner at Ruan, a national leader in logistics and transportation, where she specializes in learning design and leadership development. As a former educator and published author, Madison balances warmth and contagious passion with precise execution in leadership development and adult learning initiatives while incorporating technology to maximize efficiency.

The Technology/E-learning Special Interest Group (SIG) brings the talent development community together for collaborative discussions and workshops to explore e-learning and technology in training. Tech SIG events are hosted by Shelby Fourez (Athene, sfourez@athene.com) and Lauren Fischels (Ruan, lfischel@ruan.com).

Cost: FREE for ATD Central Iowa Chapter Members, $20 for non-members

In a world where change feels constant and hope can feel hard to hold onto, talent development professionals are being asked to do more than ever - develop resilient teams, navigate uncertainty, and equip their people to lead through complexity. But the leadership playbooks of the past weren't built for this moment. In this engaging virtual workshop, social change leader, author, and keynote speaker Catherine Alonzo introduces the framework from her newly released book, The Changemaker's Toolkit: How to Power Social Change in a World That Needs Hope. Drawing on more than a decade of work alongside some of the most influential movements of our time Catherine shares four powerful tools every changemaker needs: Vision, Action, Values, and Conviction.

Participants will learn how to:

• Define a clear vision for the change they want to drive in their organizations and communities
• Build systems and teams oriented for action rather than burnout
• Identify and lead from core values to minimize friction and increase effectiveness
• Cultivate the conviction needed to keep going when the path forward feels uncertain

Meet The Speaker

Topic: The Feedback Gap: What Leaders Aren't Saying--and Why Engagement Is Suffering featuring Danielle Farrell

Time: 8:30 to 10 AM

Description: Between the economy driving job reductions, record levels of employee burnout, and veteran employees leaving, leaders and organizations face challenging employee experience landscape, and employee engagement and satisfaction is hanging in the balance. Yet, feedback, one of the most effective tools leaders have to positively impact employee experience is often overlooked. In fact, employees who receive frequent feedback are up to 3.6 times more likely to be engaged and dramatically more likely to stay and perform at a high level. At the same time, a lack of feedback is directly tied to disengagement and turnover, with as many as 40% of employees becoming actively disengaged in the absence of regular feedback. This session will explore the relationship between feedback and engagement, offering actionable tools to support creating a culture of feedback on your team. 

Danielle Farrell, PhD, brings just shy of 20 years of experience in various learning and development spaces, including 15 years in k-12 education and higher ed. Her work focuses on creating meaningful learning experiences that strength communication, leadership, and employee well-being across diverse industries, including education, retail, healthcare, and insurance. 

Dr. Farrell's research and professional practice are grounded in human-centered leadership and learning design. She authored a dissertation on the impact of compassion fatigue on educators and has applied those insights in organizational settings, designing an employee development program for a midsized healthcare organization focused on reducing compassion fatigue and facilitating leadership development for the Veterans Health Administration. 

Guided by the belief that "people are our greatest asset," Dr. Farrell is passionate about designing learning experiences that foster empathy, strengthen leadership capacity, and support meaningful employee experiences and draws from her cross-industry perspective to bring this to life. 

The purpose of the Leadership SIG is to explore new possibilities, share best practices, and build relationships in order to develop your leadership ability and develop leadership capacity in others.  

The Leadership SIG meets the third Friday of each month from 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. Meetings are held virtually via Zoom. The meeting link will be sent upon registration.  The SIG is hosted by Aaron Barber (Sammons Financial Group, abarber@sfgmembers.com ) and Tony Giudicessi (ITA Group, tgiudicessi@ITAGroup.com).  If you have any questions, comments or ideas for the SIG, please connect with one of them.

Cost:  ATD Central Iowa Members  - FREE

ATD Nebraska and ATD Twin Cities - Free

  Non-members - $20

Topic: Leading Through Change: Resilience and Adaptability for Nonprofit Leaders

Date: Friday, June 26th, 2026

Time: 8:30 AM to 10 AM (program approximately 60 minutes)

Description: 

In this session, leaders will explore how purpose, hope, grit, and resilience serve as the foundation for exceptional nonprofit leadership. Drawing on research from The World Economic Forum in their latest Future of Jobs report and proven psychological frameworks, participants will discover how cultivating an internal locus of control, reframing stress, and adapting proactively to change directly strengthens their ability to serve their communities at the highest level in the Age of AI.

Through interactive reflection and practical strategies, leaders will leave equipped to turn adversity into a competitive advantage for themselves and those they lead and serve.

Participants will learn how to:

* Understand the ways mindset drives positive leadership outcomes

* Apply a practical framework for navigating change in the Age of AI

* Reframe stress and adversity as fuel for leadership growth

Facilitator Bio: 

Dr. Brian Davidson is the founder and president of MindVue. As chief architect of the MindVue Profile assessment and MindVue's AI-powered learning solutions, Brian applies his work in measuring and developing mindsets to support businesses, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, sports teams, and the military in maximizing human performance. Driven to build hope, grit, and resilience across the globe, he has had the privilege to work with leading organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, Workday, and West Point. As a passionate educator, Brian has helped teach the importance of mindset skills and has guest lectured at educational institutions throughout the world.

Brian is a writer on the topics of mindsets, leadership, mental wellness, and performance optimization and is a contributing author for The Handbook of Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Character Development and a reviewer for the Journal of Character and Leadership Development. Brian graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Iowa with High Distinction and Honors, earning a degree in psychology and a teaching endorsement in secondary education. He holds a master's degree in counseling psychology and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies, both from the University of Kansas, where he has also served as a senior research consultant and adjunct professor.

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The purpose of the Nonprofit SIG is to serve our communities by enhancing capability (leadership and professional), employee engagement and wellbeing, and organizational capacity at nonprofit and other organizations in the region. We meet on the 4th Friday of most months (except Nov & Dec) at 8:30 a.m., usually virtually via Zoom. 

The Nonprofit SIG is hosted by Thom Powell (thomleader@outlook.com) and Alicia Vermeer (alicia@cyconcepts.org). If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for the SIG, please connect with one of them.

In this practical virtual session, Jordon Taylor, the "Corporate Training Companion," unveils a robust framework for validating trainer readiness and ensuring consistent, high-quality learning experiences. We will move beyond theory and dive into two essential tools: the Certification Guidelines and the Training Lesson Plan.

Attendees will explore a systematic process for the tracking of trainer capability, ensuring that no critical skill gap is overlooked. You will also learn how to implement a four-step preparation model, covering participant learning, trainer preparation, delivery strategies, and lesson breakdowns. This model empowers facilitators to deliver with confidence. Whether you are building new internal faculty or upskilling subject matter experts, this session provides the actionable blueprint you need to internally certify your trainers for success.

Meet the Presenter: Jordan Taylor 

Jordon Taylor helps new and experienced learning professionals build real skill in modern corporate training, drawing from his own experience as a trainer, consultant, and learning leader. He designs practical, engaging Train-the-Learning-Professional experiences that build strong instructional habits, confident facilitation, and effective learning systems. Blending expertise in corporate training, performance consulting, and instructional design with a magician’s timing and a musician’s creativity, Jordon makes learning stick. He has designed and led 100+ programs across industries, built company-wide train-the-trainer curriculum, coached dozens of facilitators, and created scalable virtual onboarding and continuing education with 90%+ satisfaction. Whether you’re new to training or leading learning at scale, Jordon helps you use modern tools like AI, Google Workspace, and Office 365 to create learning experiences people actually remember.

ATD Central Iowa's newest event is back, and this time KinetIQ Live! is tackling workplace assessments head-on.

What's the difference between feel-good new-age pseudoscience and meaningful, validated insights?

How do talent development and HR practitioners sift through thousands of psychometrics to find one that actually works for their organization?

And why the heck is DiSC spelled like that?

All of these questions and more will be answered as eight expert practitioners dig into what works, what doesn't, and why it matters in a fun, fast-paced, action-oriented format.

This isn't a night of sales pitches. It's a night of healthy skepticism, science-informed practice, and meaningful action.

Individual GA and Reserved Group seating available. Ticket includes heavy apps and two drink tickets.

Questions? Email preselect@atdiowa.org.

Great leaders aren’t born—they’re developed, through self-awareness, intentional coaching, meaningful conversations, and hard work. In this engaging, hands-on workshop, participants learn how to lead from within while using a coach approach to positively influence others.

Drawing on concepts from Leading the Team Within, (Ann Wright) and the OSCAR Coaching Model (Andrew Gilbert and Karen Whittleworth) this session equips leaders to transform everyday conversations into opportunities for clarity, growth, and connection. Participants will examine how self-leadership, purpose, and confidence directly influence communication, decision-making, and team performance. Guided by Ann, they will also explore how traits often viewed as negative, can be reframed into leadership strengths—enabling more confident decisions for themselves and the teams they lead.

Through reflection, discussion, and hands-on application, attendees will build confidence, sharpen communication, and strengthen connections that drive meaningful impact. Participants will practice coaching and be coached, strengthening their ability to ask curiosity-driven questions with clarity and impact.

Walk away with practical tools and one clear action you can apply immediately to lead and influence more effectively—one conversation at a time. Whether you’re leading team members, collaborating across departments, or striving to grow personally, this session equips you to lead from within and make a lasting difference.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Actively listen and ask powerful, curiosity-driven questions that build trust and connection by utilizing a coach approach-one conversation at a time
• Apply the OSCAR Coaching Model to lead and influence others through everyday conversations
• Increase self-awareness and confidence by reframing perceived weaknesses into leadership strengths
• Lead and positively impact others by strengthening communication and relationships to foster collaboration, engagement, and team performance

Fatigue is contagious. Talent developers feel it first. In a world where hybrid work, rapid change, and emotional overload are the new normal, leaders are burning out while trying to keep everyone else motivated.

This session explores how emotional intelligence and body language shape the transfer of energy across teams and learning environments. Using neuroscience, behavioral research, and real-world examples, Dr. Claire Muselman teaches how to identify compassion fatigue, reset emotional energy, and communicate with confidence and authenticity.

Through interactive exercises and practical takeaways, participants will learn how to use their tone, posture, and nonverbal cues to create belonging, trust, and engagement. They’ll leave with a deeper understanding of how presence and self-awareness influence facilitation, leadership, and culture. When we intentionally manage our energy, we elevate our impact and the entire learning experience. Attendees will leave recharged, refocused, and ready to spark connection, confidence, and curiosity in every room they enter.

After the session, the learners will be able to:

1. Recognize the signs of compassion fatigue in themselves and others.

2. Apply emotional-intelligence strategies to build empathy, boundaries, and resilience.

3. Use body language, tone, and micro-expressions to strengthen presence and connection.

4. Design micro-moments of belonging and energy renewal within training and leadership settings.

5. Facilitate with renewed confidence and authenticity to elevate learner engagement.

Meet The Speaker: 

Dr. Claire Muselman is the Chief Operating Officer of WorkersCompensation.com and a Professor of Practice at Drake University specializing in Leadership, Human Resources, and Organizational Behavior. She is also Co-Director of the Master of Science in Leadership program and a nationally recognized keynote speaker. With more than 250 published articles on leadership, emotional intelligence, and neuroscience, Dr. Claire blends academic insight with real-world application to help leaders communicate with clarity, compassion, and confidence. Her signature style, bright, dynamic energy, brings science to life through practical, human-centered strategies that elevate energy and impact. Known for her work with Captive Resources, CLM, and executive education programs, she empowers organizations to build cultures of empathy, accountability, and connection. Whether teaching in the classroom or speaking on stage, Dr. Claire’s mission is to make leadership feel both brilliant and deeply human.

This workshop is designed for Learning & Development professionals who facilitate experiential or participatory learning and want to more effectively engage groups that arrive hesitant, skeptical, or resistant. Crossed arms, eye rolls, and quiet withdrawal are often less about unwillingness and more about unclear expectations, perceived exposure, or unexamined assumptions about what participation is supposed to look like. Drawing from challenge-course facilitation and real-world team-building programs, Janie shares examples and stories from the field that illustrate how choice operates in practice—and how intentionally designed invitations can support comfort, engagement, and readiness. The session explores the concept of “comfort zones” and offers practical approaches for designing experiences that invite participation without pressure or manipulation.

At the end of this session, learners will be able to:

1. Identify and understand facilitation techniques that foster choice, inclusion, and curiosity-driven participation by reflecting on

how language, activity structure, and environment shape natural engagement and willingness to step outside comfort zones.

2. Leverage Experiential Activities for Learning: Participants will experience and practice playful, interactive activities that promote

connection, and inclusion, and together explore how to translate these methods into professional development settings.

Meet the Speaker: