Professional Development

Business & Entrepreneurship: Small and Medium-Sized Business Growth: This topic focuses on practical strategies for scaling small and medium-sized businesses. Karen shares her expertise in identifying growth opportunities, optimizing business processes, and building sustainable business models. Attendees will learn how to navigate common challenges faced by business owners, from resource management to market expansion, with a focus on developing a clear vision and strategic plan for long-term success.
Speaker: Karen Cross-Hatten

Continuous Quality Improvement
Speaker: Dr. Charles Dull

How to Sell Yourself in 5 minutes: The art of personal branding.
Speaker: Delia (Dee Dee) Pfister

How to Sell and Socially Network Yourself
Speaker: Delia (Dee Dee) Pfister

Leadership
Speaker:  Dr. Charles Dull

Managing Conflict Effectively: Conflict is a natural part of working and living alongside others-but knowing how to respond effectively can make all the difference. This interactive training offers practical tools and approaches for recognizing early signs of conflict, stepping in with confidence, and helping de-escalate tense situations before they grow. Participants will explore real-world strategies for managing conflict in a way that centers respect, empathy, and clear communication. We'll also talk about how to intervene as a bystander in moments of tension-including how to assess whether you're the right person to step in and how to approach the situation thoughtfully. Whether you're navigating team dynamics or conflict in shared spaces, this session is designed to help you feel more equipped to respond with clarity and care.
Speaker: Sarah Epperson

My Life on a Plant-Based Diet - How a Routine Exam Opened my Eyes to a Whole New Way of Eating, and the Health Benefits I have Realized: Most people know that what we eat can have a significant impact on our health, but there is a great deal of confusion as to the best diet for maximum wellness – and satiety. In this presentation, Dr. Rob Stuart will discuss his own personal experience with a plant based diet, briefly describing his family background, the health concerns that led him to change his way of eating, and the changes he has made over the years. To give attendees a better understanding of the rationale for this approach to eating, he will briefly summarize some important research in the field of nutrition. He will present a couple of very simple recipes that virtually anyone can prepare, and he will close with a list of resources that attendees can access if they wish to make the change to a plant-based diet.
Speaker: Dr. Rob Stuart

Operations Management
Speaker: Dr. Charles Dull

Present like a Pro: The no fear approach to public speaking
Speaker: Delia (Dee Dee) Pfister

Quality Process Design, Metrics and Measurement
Speaker: Dr. Charles Dull

The Importance of Self-Care: A troubling reality of modernity is that busyness characterizes the average American lifestyle. Go-getters are rewarded while laziness is frowned upon. Yet, what is sometimes lost in one's pursuit of the American Dream is the value of self-care. This presentation highlights what self-care, is not, and why it should be incorporated into one's daily life.
Speaker: Jason Moore

The Value of Mentoring: This is workshop that came out of a succession planning series that was facilitated for a number of years. In this session, we explore our values and how there are others that need the understanding that we are holding on to. This sharing of self is a creative outlet that allows for growth for both the potential mentor and mentee.
Speaker: Johnie L. Reed