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BIANCA CHANDLER KWENTUA

CONCURRENT SESSIONS

DAY 1 LINE UP:

DAY 2 LINE UP:


 





Johnny C. Taylor, Jr.  || The Rhythm of Work: A Fireside Chat with SHRM President and CEO

In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, organizations must find their rhythm — balancing human capability, technological advancement, economic pressures, and shifting workforce expectations. In this engaging fireside chat, the President and CEO of SHRM will share insights on the current and future state of work, the evolving role of HR as a strategic business driver, and the leadership mindset required to sustain performance in dynamic environments. Participants will hear about national workforce trends, regulatory shifts, emerging leadership expectations, and the integration of AI and innovation into people strategies. This conversation will provide practical insight into how HR leaders can align culture, capability, and compliance to drive organizational resilience and long-term success. Designed for forward-thinking HR professionals, this keynote will challenge attendees to elevate their influence, strengthen strategic alignment, and lead with clarity amid complexity.


Rose Ann Garza & Joe Hamilton  || SHRM Update

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Meagan West || Stay Awhile: The Real Work Behind Retention

Turnover doesn’t start with the exit interview. It starts with the everyday moments where trust slips, communication breaks, and leaders unintentionally create mixed signals. Most organizations jump straight to quick fixes, but real retention requires honest conversation and consistent leadership behavior. This session helps leaders spot the root causes of disengagement and gives them practical ways to rebuild connection inside their teams. Through real stories and simple tools, you’ll walk participants through how to repair broken rhythms, strengthen culture habits, and create an environment people want to be part of long-term. It’s the truth behind retention, delivered in a way leaders can use immediately. 



Noah Boudreaux || The Intelligent Organization: AI & HI and the Future of Work

Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept, it's a present-day reality that is accelerating change across every industry. For HR leaders and practitioners, the question is not if AI will impact their work, but how to leverage it to build a more human-centric and effective organization. This session moves beyond the hype and provides a practical roadmap for navigating the AI-powered workplace. Join Noah Boudreaux, an AI transformation speaker, as he unveils The Intelligent Organization framework, a blueprint for thriving in the new era of work. This is not about robots replacing humans, it's about creating a powerful Human-AI partnership where technology amplifies human potential. Noah will demystify AI and demonstrate its practical applications in the HR realm, from talent acquisition and employee engagement to personalized learning and development. This session is for HR professionals who want to move from theory to practice, using the "intelligent organization framework". Learn how to harness the power of AI to help lead your organization into the future of work.

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Paul Lalonde || Culture is Strategy

The old saying goes that culture eats strategy for breakfast. Culture doesn’t just shape how people feel at work. It determines how well an organization delivers on its mission and purpose. Poor cultures lead to poor results, so organizations need to intentionally leverage investments in culture to turn it into its strategy. When done purposefully, organizations can transform how teams connect, collaborate, and serve the community. This session will explore how CEDA built and continues to retool a culture that aligns people with purpose, turning insight into action and values into measurable results. Discover how culture became CEDA’s strategic advantage—and how any organization can move from culture as concept to culture as catalyst. 


Pam Howland || Law for Leaders: 5 Things Every Leader Needs to Know in 2026

Today’s leaders are expected to be culture drivers, compliance enforcers, and crisis managers—all while keeping their teams productive and engaged. But one misstep in any of these roles can quickly turn into a legal headache (or a full-blown lawsuit). With rapid legal changes, new employee protections, and rising expectations for respectful and inclusive workplaces, leaders need more than instincts—they need a roadmap. Join employment attorney and nationally certified speaker Pam Howland to explore the 5 most critical areas where well-intentioned leaders often go wrong—and what to do instead. Drawing from real cases and over two decades of experience defending employers, Pam will share the practical, preventative tools that every supervisor, manager, and HR professional needs to lead legally and confidently in 2026. Through real-world scenarios and takeaway tools, you’ll discover: · The most common mistakes leaders make when navigating accommodation laws like the ADA and PWFA · How to set expectations and document performance issues the right way · Strategies for building workplace cultures that are both respectful and legally sound · The hidden compliance traps in hiring, firing, and everything in between This session is not just about avoiding lawsuits—it’s about building leadership habits that protect your organization and empower your team. Whether you’re a seasoned executive, a new manager, or an HR professional training others, you’ll leave with a checklist of best practices, a sharper legal lens, and a fresh understanding of how great leadership and compliance go hand-in-hand. 


Julie Burch || Your Impact is Your Superpower

Have you ever felt unseen or even insignificant? Ever felt like you really wanted to make a difference, but didn’t know how? Maybe you have always known you were destined for more? If you can relate to this, then you are not alone! In this powerful -- and sometimes even emotional, keynote Julie’s message of being brave, making the hard, but right, choices and finding your inner strength can change not just your life but the life of those around you. In this powerful message the audience will be taken on a journey of self-discovery! Julie will share the 4 key pillars of an impactful life, through her own life experiences woven with hilarious stories, she will leave the audience with real world, tangible take aways that will empower them to go forward in force! So many people have been sent the message that they have so much potential. Julie believes the correct message is you have POWER! In this moving and inspirational keynote Julie proves why. 


Marcus Sylvas and Anissa Mimms || From Vinyl to Streaming: How Managers Evolve Performance Conversations

Performance management is evolving from rigid, one-size-fits-all annual reviews into dynamic, personalized systems that drive engagement and growth. Just as music has shifted from static albums to curated playlists, managers today must learn to remix feedback, coaching, and recognition to meet the diverse needs of their teams. In this interactive session, HR leaders will explore how to equip managers with the skills to act as "DJs of performance." Managers will learn to curate experiences that align organizational goals with individual aspirations. Through scenarios, metaphors, and practical tools, participants will discover how to transform performance management into a continuous, collaborative, and inspiring process that resonates across the workforce.

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Shannon Newton || The Caregiving Workforce: What HR Leaders Can No Longer Ignore

Employees don’t check life at the door and HR leaders are increasingly called to respond when serious illness, caregiving responsibilities, or loss collide with work. This session could explore how HR can proactively design policies, benefits, and manager guidance that meet employees where they are, without compromising business continuity.

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Renada Deschamp || The Growth Mindset Advantage: How Adaptive Leaders Drive Performance, Culture, and Results

A Leadership Blueprint for Innovation, Psychological Safety, and High-Performing Teams Today’s most effective leaders aren’t the ones with all the answers—they’re the ones who adapt. In this high-impact session, Renada W. Deschamp shows leaders how to use Growth Mindset strategies to strengthen culture, drive innovation, and lead confidently through complexity and change.


Alex Glaser || Current Developments in Employee Benefits and Common Errors in Plan Administration

The session will highlight common pitfalls and offer strategies to strengthen plan administration and reduce risk. Key topics include proper 401(k) compensation definitions, missed or incorrect implementation of deferral elections, late contribution deposits, and COBRA coverage obligations during employee leaves.

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Kellye Smith || Tune In Before You Turn Over: Hitting All the Right Notes in Interviewing

Hiring the right talent is like finding the perfect bandmate—you need chemistry, clarity, and rhythm. In this practical session, you’ll learn how to plan and conduct interviews that strike the right tone, stay compliant, and uncover genuine potential. Whether you’re new to interviewing or just off-key, this class will help you get your hiring groove back.

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Mechelle Roberthon || From Benefits to Buy-In: Turning What You Offer Into Why They Stay

When total rewards live in a handbook and show up once a year at open enrollment, you are not getting “retention ROI.” You are just paying for benefits. This session helps HR leaders turn what they already offer into a clear, consistent message employees actually understand, use, and trust. We will walk through how to map your total rewards, spot what is underused, tighten up the way you communicate, and identify budget-friendly ways to add support through smarter design and local partnerships.

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Victoria Person || From Fixed Notes vs. Freestyle: Building a Growth Mindset Culture that Swings

In the rapidly changing world of work, HR professionals are uniquely positioned to shape cultures that embrace learning, adaptability, and inclusion. This interactive workshop explores how adopting a growth mindset — the belief that individuals and organizations can develop through effort, curiosity, and feedback — can transform how we lead, coach, and collaborate. Participants will leave with actionable approaches to embedding growth mindset principles into everyday HR practices — creating workplaces that are not only more resilient but also more fair and aligned with shared values.

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Angela M. Stockbridge || When HR Meets M&A: Protecting People and Plans in Corporate Transactions

What HR should know about benefits, executive comp, and compliance in mergers and acquisitions.

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Geoffrey Klein || From Funk to Function: AI’s Practical Power in HR

Today’s workplace can feel like a crowded dance floor—new moves, new music, and everyone trying to stay in step. This keynote shows HR pros and business leaders how to learn the latest dance craze and find their groove with AI. When AI is paired with human judgment, pulses start pumping. Every organization has a unique tempo, and attendees will get practical ways AI supports HR, useful tools, and a rhythm they can bring back to their work. You’ll uncover the history and development of this new dance technology and strategies to step up and make your organization’s HR funky and fresh. This keynote reframes AI not as a replacement for an old dance, but as a tool for stronger harmonies — a strategic groove when used alongside human insight. Geoffrey breaks down how to use AI to enhance communication, develop richer content, and save valuable time, all while staying true to the rhythm of your values. Let AI be the best dance partner as you lead the way for HR to be smarter, faster, and more human with the right beats to success.

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Kat Kibbon || Talent 2.0: How to Build an AI Candidate Experience that Feels Human

Everyone is talking about using AI in recruiting, but how do you use the same tools as everyone else and still stand out? How can you add a human touch in the age of AI? What bias should you be looking for in the process of embracing technology in the hiring process? If embracing AI ethically in your recruiting and HR process has been on your to-do list, this session is for you. Learn from job post writing expert Katrina Kibben how to use AI to humanize recruiting while eliminating bias to create a future of work your team can be proud of. What’s In It For You See why AI won’t be taking your job any time soon, Understand why it’s harder than ever to stand out to candidates, Measure success and get the results you actually want Learn to address bias with hiring managers and technology, And more!

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Rebecca Arnett & Celia Sellers || Recruiting in Rhythm: How AI is Changing the Talent Acquisition Beat

Artificial Intelligence has rapidly transformed how candidates create resumes and how organizations evaluate talent. With AI tools now able to write, enhance, or even fabricate application materials, HR leaders face new challenges – including cybersecurity risks, fraud tactics, and workforce integrity issues. This session equips HR professionals with a clear understanding of how AI is influencing the hiring process and provides actionable guidance for mitigating risk while still leveraging the benefits of modern technology.

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Dima Ghawi || Let's Talk Civility - The New Competitive Advantage

In this highly interactive workshop, Dima Ghawi harnesses the power of AI-driven audience engagement to capture participants’ ideas in real time and co-create a collective agreement on civility tailored to their organization. Blending storytelling, research, and humor.

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Oxana Bowman || Global Talent, Local Compliance: HR & Immigration Strategies for Foreign Workforce

Identify key strategies for managing cross-border hiring and visa complexities in a borderless workforce. Understand compliance requirements for aligning global talent management with U.S. employment and immigration laws. Learn actionable insights to address compliance challenges and optimize HR practices for managing international employees.

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Candace Alfred Webber, Alexandra Cory, & Shelva Thomas || Back in the Workforce Boogie: Strategies to Recruit and Retain Working Parents

In this session, we’ll explore practical tools to better support working parents and strengthen Louisiana’s workforce. Participants will gain a clear overview of the connection between early childhood education and key workforce outcomes such as participation, productivity, and retention. We will unpack the barriers working parents face in accessing child care, including high costs and limited availability, and share actionable strategies HR teams can implement to better support their employees. Using state and national employer data, we’ll highlight the top family-friendly workplace policies recognized by Best Places for Working Parents, such as paid leave, flexible work arrangements, dependent care supports, and child care partnerships, and discuss how organizations can adopt these strategies. HR leaders will also learn how to complete and interpret the Best Places for Working Parents assessment, using it as a resource to strengthen workplace culture and business performance. Interactive workgroups will guide participants in identifying realistic, high-impact next steps tailored to their organization.

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Heather Mazac || Too Many Stages, One Song: Managing Compliance Across State Lines

As organizations expand remote and hybrid work models, HR leaders are increasingly responsible for managing employees across multiple states—each with its own employment laws, tax requirements, leave mandates, and wage regulations. What once seemed manageable within a single jurisdiction now requires navigating a complex patchwork of state-specific compliance obligations. In this session, participants will explore the growing compliance challenges associated with multi-state workforces and learn practical strategies for maintaining consistency while meeting diverse legal requirements. From wage and hour rules to paid leave mandates, HR professionals must ensure that policies, systems, and leadership practices stay aligned across jurisdictions. Attendees will gain insight into the governance structures, technology solutions, and communication strategies that help organizations remain compliant without sacrificing operational efficiency or employee experience. Whether supporting remote workers, expanding into new states, or managing hybrid teams, HR leaders will leave with actionable approaches to keep their organizations in rhythm with evolving regulations.

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Keesha Buteau || The Sound Track of High Performing Teams

Every organization runs on a soundtrack made up of the words spoken, actions taken, and attitudes displayed each day. These “tracks” shape culture, employee well-being, and team performance. Sometimes the playlist reflects collaboration, innovation, and trust; other times it repeats doubt, disengagement, or burnout. Just as a great soundtrack only works when all the tracks play in harmony, high-performing teams thrive when anchored in purpose, trust, and accountability. In this dynamic session, discover how the Four Pillars of High-Performing Teams help teams stay connected to shared goals, communicate with authenticity, navigate hard conversations with care, and own results together with clarity and consistency. Attendees will explore strategies to move beyond surface-level collaboration toward genuine connection, resilience, and shared success and leave equipped to transform their team’s performance and unlock its full potential.

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Kate Brownlee || When Compliance Misses a Beat: HR Lessons from the EEOC’s Greatest Hits

A discussion on the EEOC's top priorities this year (pregnancy, disability, and religious discrimination), with a look into the EEOC's recently filed cases, analyzing the facts of a few of the cases to identify where the employer went wrong, and discussing proactive and preventative strategies HR can employ to avoid these types of claims.

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Alise Isbell || Dealing with Toxic Behavior Patterns

Whether it’s loud or quiet, we have all dealt with toxic behavior at some point in our lives. Maybe your boss is micromanaging. Maybe a teammate withholds important information. Maybe the Vice President changes data, then blames you when the spreadsheet doesn’t work anymore. How do we notice toxic behavior sooner? What can we do while we make an exit plan? How can we see these people before we ever hire them? This session shares practical strategies for identifying unproductive behavior, then strategies to interact and deal with the toxicity (at least for a while.)

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Chris Baldwin || Stayin' Alive in the Age of AI: Keeping HR in Rhythm

The rhythm of work is changing, and the tempo is accelerating. Just as disco-era culture was defined by a faster beat and bold experimentation, today’s AI revolution is reshaping how organizations operate and how work gets done. In this session, we’ll explore what it takes for HR to stay in rhythm as the pace quickens. You’ll learn how AI is already influencing HR and business decisions, discover practical strategies to harness AI responsibly, and understand the governance and leadership alignment needed to move forward with confidence. You’ll leave with actionable approaches to keep your organization on tempo and position HR to lead the future of work—not chase it.

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Paul Hasney || Leadership is a Choice - Not a Position - Building Leaders at All Levels of your organization

Understand that leadership can arise from any level in your organization; Know the components of a culture that allows team members to “choose” to lead; Look for ways that you can enhance your leadership culture; and Understand that YOU model leadership everyday!!

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Kellye Smith || Coaching, Corrective Action, and Confident Terminations

When employment issues hit a sour note, HR must know when to coach and when to correct. This practical session helps leaders strike the right balance between supportive guidance and decisive action. Learn how to document effectively, reduce liability, and make confident decisions that keep your workplace both compliant and compassionate.

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Mock Trial - Produced by: Attorneys at Phelps Dunbar LLP & Kean Miller LLP || Out of Sync: When HR Decisions End Up in Court

Even well-intentioned HR actions can lead to litigation when processes fall out of sync. In this immersive mock trial experience, attendees will witness how common workplace scenarios—performance management, accommodations, investigations, or terminations—can unravel under legal scrutiny. Acting as the jury, participants will weigh testimony, evaluate evidence, and deliver a verdict, followed by a practical debrief on how HR can realign policies and practices to reduce risk. This session delivers real-world lessons HR leaders can take back and apply immediately.

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Louisiana Society for Human Resource Management is a 501(c)6 not-for-profit organization

P.O. Box 5210 Lafayette, LA 70502 or email us at LouisianaSHRM@gmail.com

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