2026 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE (subject to change)

  • The full conference is approved for 17 SHRM PDC's and 17 HRCI General credits. For those with SPHR designations, 16 sessions are approved for HRCI Business Credits and are noted within the schedule.  Two of the 16 HRCI Business Credits are also eligible for Ethics credit. Sessions also have been pre-approved individually.
  • Recertification information will be emailed to attendees shortly after the event.
  • Sessions will take place at the Marriott and Embassy Suites and are noted on the schedule as M=Marriott, E=Embassy Suites.  Session rooms are subject to change!
  • Please note that seating is limited in rooms M:Calloway and E:Leeward.
  • Attendees receive a printed schedule and use of the conference App - information coming soon.
  • Included with your registration: Sunday Reception, Breakfast M,T,W, Lunch M,T, Breaks M,T,W
Sunday, April 12, 2026
2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Location: Marriott 2nd Fl
Conference Check-In and Information
 
 
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Room: M-Executive Meeting Room 4th Fl
SHRM Virginia and DC State Council Meeting
 
 
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom & Prefunction Spaces
Marketplace Grand Opening, Networking, and the Lip Sync Battle
 
 
Monday, April 13, 2026
6:00 AM - 7:00 AM
6:00 AM - 7:00 AM
Marriott Entrance 1st Floor, outside of Starbucks
Sunrise Yoga - Guided by WorkLife Wellness
 
 
6:30 AM - 8:30 AM
6:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Marriott 2nd Fl & Embassy Suites 1st Fl
Breakfast
 
 
7:00 AM - 5:30 PM
7:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Location: Marriott 2nd Fl
Conference Check-In and Information
 
 
7:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Room: M-Sinatra
SHRM Foundation Raffles and Silent Auction
 
 
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom & Prefunction Spaces
Marketplace Hours
 
 
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Room: M-Calloway
Wearing Your Superhero Cape While Handling The Unthinkable
 
Melissa Del Ferraro
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Room: E-Mainsail West
We’re Not a Family- We’re a Team: Why Workplace Boundaries Matter
(HRCI-Ethics)
Maria Wood
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Room: E-Mainsail East
Investigations as Culture Work: The Quiet Power of HR to Shape Trust
 
Patrick Noonan
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Room: E-Leeward
The 3% Rule: Building Margin and Mastery to Fight Captain Chaos
 
Travis Dommert
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Room: M-Goodman
Empathy as a Superpower: Attracting and Landing Exceptional Talent
 
Angie Tinnell
8:40 AM - 9:05 AM
8:40 AM - 9:05 AM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom
Welcome and SHRM Virginia and DC Chapter Recognition
 
 
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: HR Without Boundaries - Deconstructing How We Practice to Move Organizations Forward
 
Steve Browne
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom & Prefunction Spaces
Break in the Marketplace
 
 
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Room: E-Mainsail East
Deepfakes and Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Legal Risks and HR Responses
(HRCI-Business)
Joon Hwang Leslie Currie
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Room: M-Calloway
Tailor-Made Mentoring
 
Chris Slininger
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Room: M-Goodman
Overwhelming Ownership: Why You’re Exhausted (and How to Stop Doing Everyone’s Job)
 
Jamie Lewis Smith
10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Room: E-Leeward
Empathy Driven Performance Management
 
Michael Cohen
10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Room: E-Mainsail West
Unboxed Leadership: Advanced Flight School for HR Heroes
(HRCI-Business)
Elizabeth Veliz
11:45 AM - 1:45 PM
11:45 AM - 1:45 PM
Location: Marriott 2nd Fl
Lunch
 
 
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Room: M-Goodman
Beyond Burnout: How HR Heroes Develop Leaders Who Attract, Engage, and Retain Talent
(HRCI-Business)
Courtney Jordan
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Room: E-Mainsail East
From Dating to Divorce: Legal Advice on Recruitment through Severances
 
Leah Stiegler Victor Cardwell
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Room: M-Calloway
Rescuing New Managers: A Leadership Blueprint Every HR Team Needs
 
Christopher Jones
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Room: E-Mainsail East
Everything I Know About Solving Today’s HR Problems – I Learned from My Dog
(HRCI-Business)
Michael Puck
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Room: M-Goodman
Truth, Justice, and the Arbitration Way: Helping Employees Feel Heard & Avoiding Risk with ADR
 
Michael McIntosh
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Room: M-Calloway
The Retention Reboot: Saving Mid-Career Talent Through Smarter Benefits
 
Christina Tunison
1:15 PM - 3:15 PM
1:15 PM - 3:15 PM
Room: E-Mainsail West
Engage the Brain, Engage the Employee: Recognition That Drives Results
 
Don Rheem
1:15 PM - 3:15 PM
Room: E-Leeward
Intentional Ascent: 8 Essential Keys to Strategic Skills-First, Future-Proof Succession Pipeline
 
Vanessa Zamy
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Room: M-Goodman
The Strategic Advantage of Hiring Individuals with Disabilities
(HRCI-Business)
Todd Walls
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Room: E-Mainsail East
Engaging the Invisibles: Practical Strategies for Mitigating Risks with Unseen Employees
 
Joon Hwang Leslie Currie
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Room: M-Calloway
Perspective: The HR Superpower—Powerful Thinking for Clarity, Courage & Compassion
 
Terrie Nathan
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom & Prefunction Spaces
Break in the Marketplace
 
 
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Room: E-Mainsail West
The Strategic Leader’s Edge: Building Influence, Credibility, and Business Impact
(HRCI-Business)
Stephanie Burton
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Room: E-Mainsail East
HR as the First Line of Defense: Wage and Hour Compliances
 
Randy Sparks
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Room: M-Goodman
Everyday Heroes: Building Future-Ready Workplaces That Stand Strong
 
Julie Develin
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Room: E-Leeward
The 90 Second Reset: Perform at Your Best in Any Moment!
 
Sam Kabert
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Room: M-Calloway
Did That Just Happen?! In the Moment Responses to Interrupt Inappropriate Workplace Behavior
 
Tara Taylor
5:00 PM
5:00 PM
 
Dinner on Your Own
 
 
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
6:00 AM - 7:00 AM
6:00 AM - 7:00 AM
Marriott Entrance 1st Floor, outside of Starbucks
Stretch & Walk - Guided by WorkLife Wellness
 
 
6:30 AM - 8:30 AM
6:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Marriott 2nd Fl & Embassy Suites 1st Fl
Breakfast
 
 
7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
7:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom & Prefunction Spaces
Marketplace Hours
 
 
7:00 AM - 5:30 PM
7:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Location: Marriott 2nd Fl
Conference Check-In and Information
 
 
7:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Room: M-Sinatra
SHRM Foundation Raffles and Silent Auction
 
 
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Room: E-Mainsail East
The Team Alignment Playbook: 3 Strategies to Turn Siloed Teams into Collaborative Powerhouses
(HRCI-Business)
Amy Yip
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Room: M-Goodman
It's Not You, It's Me... Why We Fall Out of Love with Work and What to Do About It.
 
David Shar
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Room: M-Calloway
Rehumanizing Work in the Age of AI: Building the Human Skills That Technology Can’t Replace
 
Victoria McCausland
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Room: E-Leeward
Heroic Engagement Methods that Build Culture - Top-down, Bottom-up, and Sideways
 
Scott Boddie
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Room: E-Mainsail West
Outrageous Employment Law Cases ... and the Lessons We Can Learn!
 
Randy Sparks
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom
Announcements, SHRM Update
 
 
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Unmasking Greatness: Workplace Superhero Strategies for HR Professionals
 
Orlena Cowan-Bailey
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom & Prefunction Spaces
Break in the Marketplace
 
 
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Room: M-Goodman
HERO Flow: How HR Rehydrates Workplace Culture When Relationship Runs Dry
 
Shelley Smith
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Room: E-Mainsail West
Black Mirror: The Ethics of AI in HR
(HRCI-Ethics)
Shari Simpson
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Room: E-Mainsail East
Power Up: Accommodating Religious, Pregnancy and Disability Issues in the Workplace
 
Michael Gardner King Tower
10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Room: E-Leeward
Living the D.R.E.A.M: Creating Organizational Culture of Growth, Connection, and Dialogue
 
Henry Yampolsky
10:45 AM - 12:45 PM
Room: M-Calloway
Are Goats the Secret to Beating Burnout?
 
Jamie Lewis Smith
11:45 AM - 1:45 PM
11:45 AM - 1:45 PM
Location: Marriott 2nd Fl
Lunch
 
 
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Room: M-Goodman
Shift Your Thinking: Unlock High-Performance Communication
(HRCI-Business)
Lei Comerford
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Room: E-Mainsail West
The Strategic HR Hero - From Tactical Executor to Strategic Architect
(HRCI-Business)
Tiffany Fortune
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Room: E-Mainsail East
AI at Work: Innovation Meets Regulation
 
Yvette Gatling
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Room: M-Goodman
Humor is Serious Business…But We Should Still be Laughing
 
Greg Schwem
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Room: M-Calloway
Every Hero Has a Villain: Leadership Lessons from the Worst
 
Sheri Bender Kate Bray
1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Room: E-Mainsail West
Retention is an Outcome, Not a Strategy
(HRCI-Business)
April Thomas
1:15 PM - 3:15 PM
1:15 PM - 3:15 PM
Room: E-Leeward
Peer Power: Why Peer Coaching is HR’s Secret to Thriving Leaders and Teams
 
Noa Ronen
1:15 PM - 3:15 PM
Room: E-Mainsail East
Mission Brief: Employment Law Updates
 
Anne Bibeau Thomas Winn
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Room: M-Goodman
Human Intelligence Meets AI - Crafting Job Ads that Attract Top Talent
 
Steven Smith
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Room: E-Mainsail West
Small Business HEROes in Action
(HRCI-Business)
Katie Garcia
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Room: M-Calloway
In the Age of AI, Authentic Leadership is HR's Competitive Edge
 
Tacy Riehm
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom & Prefunction Spaces
Break in the Marketplace - Booth prize drawings
 
 
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Room: E-Leeward
Future of Workforce Development: Preparing for a Skills-Based Future
 
Brian Winterstein
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Room: M-Goodman
Unmasking the Hero in Your Team—One Evaluation at a Time
 
Albert Foster
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Room: M-Calloway
HR Super Powers - AI Unleashed
 
Ryan Malkes
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Room: E-Mainsail East
Navigating the DEI Legal Maze: Compliance & Inclusion in Today’s Workplace
 
Yvette Gatling Lauren Bridenbaugh Janea Hawkins
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Room: E-Mainsail West
Unmasking the Talent Lifecycle: How HR Superheroes Align Community, Culture, and Business Strategy
(HRCI-Business)
Karis Richardson
5:00 PM
5:00 PM
 
Dinner on Your Own - WEAR YOUR CONFERENCE T-SHIRT ON WED!
 
 
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
6:30 AM - 8:30 AM
6:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Marriott 2nd Fl & Embassy Suites 1st Fl
Breakfast
 
 
7:00 AM - 11:00 AM
7:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Room: M-Sinatra
SHRM Foundation Raffles and Silent Auction Close at 11:00 AM
 
 
7:00 AM - 12:30 PM
7:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Location: Marriott 2nd Fl
Conference Check-In and Information
 
 
7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Room: E-Mainsail East
When A Hero Comes Along - Saving the Workplace One Investigation at a Time
 
Karen Michael
7:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Room: E-Mainsail West
Evaluation That Elevates: Leveraging Data to Drive Meaningful DEI Initiatives
(HRCI-Business)
Dr. Lisa Marie Lee
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Room: E-Leeward
Supporting Transgender Employees: Updating Your Anti-Harassment Policy
 
Reid Whyte
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Room: M-Goodman
AI and the HR Hero’s Journey: Leading the Last All-Human Workforce
 
Shayna Cooke
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Room: M-Calloway
Leading Through Change Like an HR Hero: Got Change? I Got You!
 
Shari Collins
9:30 AM - 9:45 AM
9:30 AM - 9:45 AM
Location: Marriott 2nd Fl
Break
 
 
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Room: M-Calloway
Beyond the Paycheck: Unlocking the True Value of Workplace Benefits
 
Justin Steil
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Room: E-Mainsail East
The Accommodation League: Employers v. the New Era of Work
 
Kristina Vaquera
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Room: E-Mainsail West
HR Like A Boss
(HRCI-Business)
John Bernatovicz
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Room: M-Goodman
Respectful Workplaces: The Missing Link Between Belonging and Harassment Prevention
 
Sharon Harrington
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Room: E-Leeward
Joy as a Competitive Advantage: The Human Edge in the Age of AI
 
Damilare Adeyeri
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: The Hidden Hero: HR for HR
 
Jamie Jackson
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
Room: M-Seaside Ballroom
2027 Conference Preview, Closing Remarks, SHRM Foundation Raffles & Silent Auction Winners, Passport Winner Announced