Association for Talent Development - Rochester Chapter Inc upcoming events

The Culture Catalyst: Strategic Frameworks for High-Retention Leadership (Thu, May 14, 2026)

Thu, 14 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Building Connection, Eliminating Friction, and Engineering Performance Beyond the Bot

In an increasingly automated workplace, organizational culture is no longer a "soft" asset; it is a critical part of your organizational infrastructure. While AI can optimize processes, only human-centered leadership can foster the trust, resilience, and problem-solving required to navigate and LEAD complex change.

In an era of technological innovation in today’s workforce, your greatest advantage isn’t your tech stack. It’s your people. This workshop goes beyond just telling you that “Culture is important.” We’ll explore how to build upon that and continuously sustain a Thriving Culture. We’ll talk about the kind of culture that blends the use of innovation AND empathy. Here are some things the Bot can’t fix for you:

Habit based manager resistance
Fixing what turnover is doing to your business
Address how fear is impacting your investment in your employees

This session is designed for leaders who have moved past the "buy-in" phase and are ready to further embed culture as a strategic, measurable engine of ROI. We will provide tactical tools to audit leadership health, reclaim managerial time from low-value oversight, and present a quantitative business case for human-oriented investment to the C-Suite.

Learning Outcomes

Implement the "Yes, If" Framework for Strategic Agility: Develop a communication protocol to pivot manager resistance into collaborative problem-solving, ensuring that innovation isn't stifled by "gatekeeper" mindsets.
Quantify the Total Cost of Cultural Friction – The “Turnover Tax”: Move beyond standard turnover metrics to calculate the "Invisible Tax" of high-performing toxic talent and the opportunity cost of lost ideas, providing a dual-layered financial rationale for C-Suite investment.
Engineer High-Trust Accountability: Develop a "Leadership Integrity Audit" that measures managers on both technical output and cultural contribution. Learn how to recalibrate performance to reward the "Human Skills" that AI cannot replicate—empathy, conflict resolution, and psychological safety—thereby eliminating the "Hidden Friction" that causes top talent to disengage.

Join us as we tackle the three biggest "abort triggers" in company culture: “NO” Managers, C-Suite investment fears, and the ultimate Culture Killer - TRUST.

Meet Your Presenter

Introducing Tom Schin, the high energy owner of Build Better Culture! With over two decades of experience in HR, recruiting, and management under his belt, he's the go-to guru for organizations that want to create stellar workplaces. Tom's all about helping companies build an insanely awesome company culture, skyrocket employee engagement, and level-up their leadership skills to keep their team jammin’. Whether it's nailing communication skills, embracing accountability, mastering the art of hiring like a boss, or defusing conflicts, Tom's got your back.

Tom is the co-host of “This Meeting Should Have Been a Podcast” and is the Immediate Past President of the Capital Region Human Resource Association (CRHRA), a SHRM affiliate, where he led the Board of Directors in delivering learning, networking and collaboration opportunities to their 600+ member community. He currently serves as a Volunteer Leader in his role as Communications Director for SHRM NYS, and has presented at SHRM NYS, DisruptHR, CRHRA, Paylocity Elevate, numerous regional HR associations, Leadership Development, Company Culture, and Employee Engagement initiatives.

LinkedIn: Build Better Culture

ROC ATD Community Connection (Wed, May 20, 2026)

Wed, 20 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT

AI is great for creating fun images, but nothing can replace us taking a little bit of time to connect with each other! We've created a new event series to be an outlet for our chapter priorities of innovation, support and community-building.

Join us for a virtual coffee where you will meet new faces, reconnect with familiar ones, and share any brags or snags you've experienced recently. And if you know someone who might be interested, bring them along! Admission is free for this event.

ATD Mid-Atlantic Webinar Series: Start to Finish: Practical AI Across the Learning Design Process (Wed, May 27, 2026)

Wed, 27 May 2026 22:00:00 GMT

AI is increasingly embedded in the tools learning and development professionals use, but its role in day‑to‑day design work is often unclear. This session offers a practical, start‑to‑finish walkthrough of the learning design process, showing where AI can support thinking, design, and review without replacing professional judgment.

Using a simple, end‑to‑end example, participants will explore how AI can be applied during early idea generation, the design of ILT activities and eLearning interactions, and final content review. The session emphasizes real‑world decision points and includes guided participation, reflection questions, and discussion to help attendees connect the examples to their own work. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of where AI fits into the learning design process, and where it does not.

This event is hosted by the ATD Pittsurgh Chapter.

About the Presenter

Andy Marsula is a Lead Instructional Designer with over 18 years of experience guiding learning initiatives from early concept through delivery in complex, regulated environments. He currently leads instructional design efforts at UPMC, where he supports systemwide education initiatives, manages large‑scale regulatory learning programs, and helps teams bring structure and clarity to under‑framed learning requests.

Andy’s work sits at the intersection of instructional design, prioritization, and workflow design. He is known for helping stakeholders move from vague ideas to clear, performance‑aligned learning solutions while preventing scope creep and improving downstream decision‑making. His approach emphasizes practical design judgment, respect for learner time, and building learning that has a clear purpose from start to finish.

In addition to his day‑to‑day design and leadership work, Andy has presented on learning workflows, governance, and technology at industry conferences, and is a published contributor to The Learning Guild, where he has written on using AI as a support tool for instructional design rather than a replacement for professional expertise. He brings this grounded, process‑focused perspective to his sessions, helping learning professionals see how emerging tools can responsibly support the work they already do.

Regional Webinar Series

The ATD Pittsburgh Chapter is proud to participate in the ATD Mid-Atlantic Regional Webinar Series. This monthly series is offered by the ATD Mid-Atlantic Chapters —Regional Programs Consortium.

ATD Recertification Credits

ATD Mid-Atlantic Regional Webinar Programs are pre-approved through the ATD Greater Philadelphia Chapter by the ATD Certification Institute for continuing education credits. These credits are based on the ATD Capability Model may be applied towards recertification by Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credential holders.

This webinar supports 1.25 credits in the capabilities Collaboration & Leadership and Communication under the domain Building Personal Capability.

The presentation and materials will be shared after the event. This webinar will be recorded.

Online Event Recording Policy

By activating your webcam while attending this online event, you consent to be recorded. Your entry and webcam activation constitutes your consent to such recording for any purpose in connection with the event. If you do not agree to the foregoing, please do not activate your web camera during the event.

The Future of People Development: A Panel Discussion (Tue, June 09, 2026)

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 21:00:00 GMT

The modern world of work has never seen change and uncertainty at the levels we're experiencing today. From artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to evolving employee expectations and the need for stronger human connection, people development is being asked to do more than ever!

Join us for an engaging panel discussion on how leaders are building adaptable, connected, and future-ready workforces. Panelists will share perspectives on change readiness of technology like AI, human-centric leadership, creating inclusive culture, and the role that people development plays in helping organizations move forward with intention.

Meet Our Panelists

Dixie Bingham, Senior Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at Lewis Tree Service with a 30-year career in HR that was built on shop floors, in union negotiations, and alongside leaders navigating real operational challenges. She has shaped her leadership philosophy around one core belief: the best HR leaders don't sit on the sidelines - they serve the business by standing shoulder to shoulder with it.

Tim Hagen, business coaching and adult education expert with more than 30 years in the consulting industry specializing in helping organizations build employee coaching and training reinforcement programs. His Progress Coaching system and CoachApply platform have revolutionized coaching and training reinforcement.

Dr. Kristy Tyson, award-winning adjunct faculty member, talent development professional, author, and speakers specializing in organizational leadership, inclusive workplace practices, and workforce development. She teaches at SUNY Buffalo State University and Bryant & Stratton College, where she creates engaging, career-focused learning experiences that bridge theory with real-world application.

Our Event

This event starts with networking as you enjoy a menu of light bites and warm, savory favorites perfectly balanced for easy snacking and casual dining. It then moves into an engaging panel discussion including a question & answer session with the audience.

The one-of-a-kind location for this event is the beautifully renovated DeLand House in Fairport. Seating is limited, so secure your spot now!

Agenda

5:00 to 6:00 PM – Networking and casual dining
6:00 to 7:00 PM – Panel discussion including audience Q&A
7:15 to 7:45 PM – Post-event networking

This event has multiple sponsorship opportunities. Click here for information.