With the calendar officially turned to January, we have closed out 2024 and my second year serving as ATD Dallas President.  In my final blog post, I want to RECOGNIZE the many accomplishments of our dedicated leaders and volunteers.

2024 in Review

Here is a quick recap of what was accomplished by our volunteer teams in 2024 and how we ENGAGED our membership:

• 18 SIGs: 6 Learning & Development, 4 Learning Technology, and 8 Career Development
• 9 Monthly Chapter Events: 7 Chapter Meetings and 2 Happy Hours
• 7 New Member Orientations: 6 In-person and 1 Virtual
• 4 AI User Group Virtual Meetings
• 4 Learning & Lattes (Book Club)
• 4 Lunch Meet Ups
• 3 Virtual Workshops
• 3 Get Involved Webinars
• 2 GIV Mentoring Program Cohorts
• 2 CPTD Study Groups
• 2 Signature Events – AXIS Awards & Southwest Learning Summit
• 1 Job Seeker Power Hour

Thank You 2024 Board of Directors!

We were the perfect blend of experience, talent, and creativity.  We were very lucky to have the continuity in leadership for several of our teams while infusing new perspectives in other areas.  Together we achieved some amazing results for ATD Dallas.  I am extremely grateful to have been able to work alongside such fun, caring, wonderful people!

Thank You 2024 Volunteers!

In November we celebrated all of our hard-working volunteers at our monthly happy hour.  It was a beautiful fall evening to be on the patio at The Brass Tap.  Each board member brought their team up to be recognized and receive some ATD Dallas swag.  We also surprised a few folks as our Volunteers of the Year!

We are so thankful for each and every one of our volunteers!  For without you – all 62 of you – we wouldn’t have a thriving chapter that offers so much to our talent development community! 

Want to have your name on this list next year?  Then fill out our online volunteer form and we will connect with you to see where you can plug in 2025!

Final Thoughts on 2024

Much of what was started in 2023, continued into 2024.  There was an ongoing focus both operationally and financially.  The covid years were tough, and like many chapters, we worked extremely hard to get our chapter back to where it was in 2019.  While we don’t have the final financials for 2024, I can share that the chapter had a very positive year, and its financial health is much better.

A few other highlights -- I’m pleased to say that we saw membership increase this year, with new faces at almost every chapter event!  We ensured that our planning teams for AXIS and SWLS made decisions that were appropriate for the event, the future, and the chapter’s financials…in doing so, they were the most financially successful events we have had since covid.  We also tried out a few new events like the Lunch Meet Ups and the Job Seeker Power Hour, both of which were great additions to our event line up.

Changing of the Guard

As part of our final chapter meeting each year, the new Board of Directors is sworn in.  The immediate Past President, Lawrence Price, did the honors of officiating the process to swear in the 2025 Board.

Matthew Brown will be stepping into the role of President and leading the 2025 Board of Directors.

There is an opportunity to join this leadership team in the open role for the VP of Strategic Partnerships.  If you are interested, please contact Matthew.

The year ahead is going to be another exciting one for ATD Dallas.  With a new event format for the AXIS Awards and the 25^th Anniversary of Southwest Learning Summit, our Signature Events are going to be next level.  The monthly programming, both in-person, and online, will not disappoint.  And some of the newer events that we tested out in 2024, will continue forward.  There are so many ways to ENGAGE with our community.  Check out our upcoming events.  We look forward to AMPLIFYING what is happening at ATD Dallas.  We hope to see you soon in 2025.

Dana Devlin

ATD Dallas President 2023 - 2024

The third quarter of the year is always busy for ATD Dallas as we prepare for our signature event, Southwest Learning Summit (SWLS).  And this year was no different!  But before I get to #SWLS2024, I want to touch on our happenings in July and August thanks to our Programs and Professional Development teams.

In July, we offered two virtual SIGs, an in-person Chapter Meeting on Immersive Technologies, and a workshop on Trust.  In August, we hosted eight different events!  Our in-person chapter meeting with the Children’s Health team was fantastic as they shared some of their projects that won them several AXIS Awards earlier this year.  We also had our Learning and Lattes Book Club and AI User Group in addition to our SIGs. 

These were also very busy months for our SWLS Planning Team.  They were meeting weekly on Wednesday evenings to discuss all of the actions needed to make #SWLS2024 an awesome event.  Because of their dedication and willingness to contribute to our chapter, I have a pretty amazing recap to share for #SWLS2024!  Keeping reading!

#SWLS2024 Keynotes

This year’s keynotes were both educational and entertaining!  Luke Goetting kicked things off in the morning with a focus on Gen Z and how this generation brings unique values, work styles, and expectations.  It was great to see discussion happen amongst the attendees, and we did love his try at a Tik-Tok dance!

After lunch, Rick Lozano took the stage and shared concepts from his new book, Find My Jam.  He helped the audience to understand ways to “create momentum, unlock potential, and rock what’s next!”  He grabbed his guitar a number of times to sing us a tune and also introduced us to a fun game called “Beer, Band, or Medical Condition.”  He really brought the energy!

#SWLS2024 Concurrent Session Speakers

What a lineup of speakers we had this year for our concurrent sessions. They shared their expertise and passion around topics like game-based learning, mentoring, onboarding, AI tools, data, healthy leadership, succession planning, and accessibility.  I only heard good feedback and how excited people were to go back and apply what they had learned to their business.

#SWLS2024 Sponsors

We are so thankful for the amazing support of our sponsors that help us to make this signature event a success year over year.  They are a critical component to this event, and we rely on their partnership.  Please engage with these providers to assist you with your business needs!

There was wonderful activity in the main hallway all day long as the booth teams shared their expertise and detailed the services their businesses offer.  We saw ongoing engagement at the booths throughout the day with the “Sponsor Passport” activity.  We are also grateful to those sponsors that donated raffle prizes!

#SWLS2024 Leaders & Volunteers

And most importantly, this event would not happen without the extremely dedicated volunteers that work for months to plan and execute this event.  Leading the team this year as co-chairs were Chris Myrben and Christen Bavero under the leadership of Stephanie Allison, VP of Signature Events!  Many thanks to them and the entire SWLS Planning Team - Alvy Anderson, Beth Bailey, Tierra Barber, Mary Anne Davis, Todd Hanley, Brandon Jordan, Norman Lum Hee, Gloria Ortiz, Tina Pu Button, Frank Ramirez, Kim Romaszewski, Carol Turman, Tracy Underhill, and Amy Winston​.  We also had 21 additional volunteers that contributed their talents and skills to the success of the day!  Thank you all!

And leading us through the day from the Main Stage, we must thank our two seasoned emcees, David Reyes and Pallavi Ridout.   We appreciate all they did to keep us entertained, informed, and running according to plan! 

I also want to thank the ATD Dallas Board Members that were able to attend and share the benefits of being an ATD Dallas member at our Chapter Table.  We enjoyed meeting so many of you!

#SWLS2024 Attendees

I also can’t forget to mention ALL of the attendees we had at SWLS this year.  We were so excited to see over 330 learning and talent development professionals invest in themselves by coming to SWLS.  We had a number of corporate groups that joined us, many of our ATD Dallas members, and some new folks too!  Look at ALL of those SMILES!

Some of our LUCKY attendees also had their name or number called as a PRIZE winner in our raffle drawings.  Thanks to Matthew Brown (President Elect) and Christen Bavero (SWLS Co-Chair) for their assistance in handing out the prizes.

#SWLS2024 Happy Hour

It is always fun to wrap up the day with happy hour!  I know this is when I finally catch up with some friends that I haven’t chatted with yet during the day.  It is enjoyable to end the day networking, sharing experiences from throughout the day, making some new acquaintances, and celebrating a great day of learning!

#SWLS2025

Next year will be the 25^th Anniversary of Southwest Learning Summit!  What a milestone for the chapter!  To make it the most outstanding event yet, would want to make sure you shared your feedback on our survey if you attended!  Complete it online here.

Super Early Bird registration is already available.  This pricing will be in place through the end of January 2025.  Take advantage of the lowest pricing that will be offered!  Get registered here.

If you would be interested in joining the SWLS Planning Team, please fill out our volunteer form or send an email to swls@tddallas.org.

What’s Coming Up Next for ATD Dallas?

We have quite the lineup of events in October!  We have our usual SIGs, a joint chapter meeting with ATD Fort Worth, and one of the newest offerings, a Lunch Meet Up in North Plano.  Review upcoming events, check your calendar, and then get registered!

We will also be updating the branding colors for ATD Dallas to align with the changes that ATD National announced back in May at #ATD24 in New Orleans.  The orange, red, and yellow hues will be switching to blue and green!  We will begin our transformation process across our social media graphics, website, and other chapter assets.

And before we know a new board of directors will be voted on.  If you have any interest in stepping into a leadership role, please contact Matthew Brown (President Elect).

I look forward to seeing you soon at a future ATD Dallas event!

Every month when the Board of Directors meets, we open each meeting with a focus on the chapter’s value proposition of Access, Recognition, and Expertise – A.R.E.  We look to frame our discussions and decisions around who we A.R.E.  Some months we lean into the access we are providing to our members, other months recognition activities, and finally other months on the expertise we are helping everyone to gain in our field.  I would like to report that we covered all three areas during the second quarter of 2024!

Access in April

By being a member of ATD Dallas, you gain access to a tremendous group of professionals.  April was a great month where learning, networking, and collaboration happened for many of our members.  The Professional Development team offered three different SIGs (Career Development, L&D, and Learning Technologies) and hosted the AI User Group.  These four offerings engaged 140 people!  The first cohort of the GIV Mentoring program also completed their capstone presentation.  The Programs team hosted Happy Hour at On the Border in Plano, and it was a fun evening with over 30 members and guests in attendance!

Recognition in May

May is a big month for ATD Dallas - as we celebrate the amazing work being accomplished by our fellow talent development peers at the AXIS Awards!  This signature event of the chapter showcases the best work being done in organizations across the metroplex that are impacting the most important asset – the people!

The luncheon event was held at the Plano Event Center on Tuesday May 14, 2024.

We recognized nine companies across seven award categories this year.  Best of Show went to Children’s Health!  Congratulations to all!  Check out more event pictures and learn more about the 2024 AXIS Award winners and their projects here.

This event would not have been possible without the dedicated work of our AXIS Awards Co-Chairs, Jamie Cook and Halima McWilliams.  We were so very lucky to have them both return to this role for the second year in a row.  They were surrounded with a stellar team that helped to plan the event, judged the submitted awards applications, and volunteered on the day of the event.  Members of the Board served as presenters during the event.  Thank you to everyone that contributed to the success of the 2024 AXIS Awards!

ALC & ATD24

After the AXIS Awards, Matthew Brown (President Elect) and I were bound for New Orleans to attend the ATD Chapter Leader (ALC) conference in the days leading into ATD24.  This two-day conference brings chapter leaders together from across the U.S. to network, share their best practices, and learn from one another.  We enjoyed seeing our friends from the Fort Worth-Mid-Cities chapter and also making new connections.

ATD24’s theme this year was “Recharge Your Soul.”  One of the perks of being a chapter leader, is that you get to sit in a reserved section in the front the auditorium for the keynotes!  So, we could feel the energy as we got to see Matthew McConaughey, Daniel Pink, and Venus Williams up close!  While all three were interesting, Daniel Pink had the most actionable information, not a surprise!

Across the days in the New Orleans, I had a chance to meet some notable authors and contributors in the learning and talent development space.  I might have come home with some signed books that will be door prizes at #SWLS2024!

I also caught up with some of our friends of ATD Dallas!  It was great to catch up with Rance Greene (prior ATD Dallas President, author, and prior SWLS presenter), sit in Rick Lozano’s session that will be similar to the keynote he does at #SWLS2024, bump into Kassy LaBorie (who presented a webinar last year), and hang out with Mary Anne Davis (ATD Dallas member and SWLS Planning Team member) at a happy hour on Bourbon Street!  Laissez les bon temps rouler…or...Let the Good Times Roll!

Expertise in June

After such a busy May, we welcomed the start of summer with a little slower pace.  The Professional Development team offered three virtual events that provided new expertise to almost 100 people!  The topics of neuroscience and AI never disappoint.  We all can continue to learn more in both of those areas.

Our monthly chapter meeting took us to Southwest Airlines to learn about their approach to Leadership and Employee Development.  We had the opportunity to hear from three of their talent and leadership development leaders.  Thank you to David Reyes for moderating the panel too!

Onto Q3

It is hard to believe that we are halfway through 2024!  July events are already loaded and available for registration the website.  August events will be finalized in the coming days and added soon. 

We are about 60 days out from Southwest Learning Summit.  Be sure to grab your spot by registering before rates jump up on July 15^th!  I look forward to seeing you soon at one of our monthly events or at #SWLS2024!

Year after year, it seems that things only move faster!  I feel like we blinked, and the first quarter of 2024 is already in the books.  And I must say things have started off strong for ATD Dallas!

I am continuing in the President role for a second year.  There are a couple of individuals that came before me that had this unique opportunity as well.  I am excited to continue to build on the momentum that was created in 2023.

As a volunteer-run organization, our amazing members give of their time and talents that makes ATD Dallas a successful chapter!  We want to say thank you and celebrate our volunteers along with all other ATD chapters during Volunteer Appreciation Week.  We truly LOVE our volunteers and couldn’t do what we do without YOU!

How I Became a Volunteer

I originally got involved as a volunteer back in 2013 because I wanted to meet other learning and talent development professionals in Dallas.  I found it was easier to get to know people by working with them!  If you read my volunteer story in February 2023, then you know how that story goes!  I was so lucky to build a strong network and gain lifetime friendships!

Recognizing Our 2024 Volunteers

It is important to ATD Dallas to provide Access, Recognition, and Expertise to our members…as talent isn’t just our business, it is who we A.R.E.  Did you know that we have over 50 volunteers involved across our different committees?  While I can’t recognize everyone this month, I would like to highlight a few groups.

Let me begin by recognizing our 2024 Board of Directors.  We came together back in December to set goals and determine our strategic plan for 2024.  We created a plan to ENGAGE our members and provide the best experience for the year ahead.  This group also meets monthly to align on activities and actions needed for our chapter.

Next, I would like to recognize the efforts of the Professional Development Team who launched the first cohort of our chapter’s new Mentorship GIV Program.  Karen Clem and team put together the program from scratch and explored different software solutions to make the process easier too.  The first group of mentees completed this capstone presentations on April 11.  A big THANK YOU to our members that volunteered and served as mentors!

Our Programs Team has also done a great job planning and executing our first several chapter meetings of the year and happy hour.  They work hard to find speakers and secure different locations across the Dallas area.  They arrive at the venue early to set things up, pick up the food and beverages in advance, ensure the speaker and presentation are ready to go, and then welcome you at the registration desk.  And they do it all with a smile!

I want to share my most sincere THANKS and APPRECIATION for all of our volunteers!  Our Membership Team is constantly reaching out to our members and also conducts New Member Orientation before each of our Chapter Meetings.  Our Marketing Team is making sure you know what is happening via our monthly newsletter and social media.  Our Professional Development Team is planning and hosting our monthly SIGs, quarterly workshops, quarterly book club, and seasonal APTD/CPTD Study Group.  Our AXIS Awards Planning Team and Southwest Learning Summit Planning Team have been hard at work for months to plan the chapter’s two Signature Events. 

Here are all of the volunteers that attended our April Happy Hour at On the Border.  Over half of our attendees were current volunteers.  LOVE that and how FABULOUS everyone in this picture is!  Thank you for TIME and for contributing your TALENTS to ATD Dallas!

Do you want to be a part of fun?  Then reach out to me or one our Board Members directly to discuss how you can get involved or fill out our volunteer form.  It will be the best decision you have made this year!

It is always amazing how quickly things fly by year after year and 2023 was no different!  It was an extremely full year of activity for ATD Dallas.  I would like to reflect on all that was achieved and the people who made it happen!

Thank You 2023 Volunteers!

We had an amazing group of members that served as dedicated volunteers across them many committees, programs, and signature events for the chapter.  Without the talents, efforts, and time given by about 60 volunteers, we would not be standing at the end of the year celebrating all of the outstanding things that were accomplished!

Let me recap the MANY things that were offered by ATD Dallas in 2023:

• Chapter Meetings
• Happy Hours
• Virtual Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
  - Career Development
  - Learning & Development
  - Learning Technology
• AXIS Awards – 16 Awards given out at luncheon event
• Southwest Learning Summit – Largest event since 2020 with over 215 attendees
• Book Club – Inaugural offering that will continue quarterly in 2024
• CPTD/APTD Study Group – An amazing resource for those looking to get their credentials
• New Member Orientation – Offered before each chapter meeting to learn more about ATD Dallas

Who made these things happen?

• Programs Team
• Professional Development Team
• AXIS Awards Planning & Selection Teams
• Southwest Learning Summit Planning Team & “Day of” Volunteers
• Membership Team

Who made sure you knew things there happening?

• Marketing Team

At ATD Dallas we drive member engagement through our value proposition of Access-Recognition-Expertise (A.R.E.).  Recognition was extremely important in November and December as we celebrated our wonderful volunteers.  We want to say thank you to everyone that contributed in 2023!

We want to additionally recognize the following individuals that were selected as our 2023 Volunteers of the Year.  I truly don’t know what we would have done without them!

We had a ton of fun back in November with our “Mix, Mingle, and Celebrate” chapter event that was held at Caddo Offices Reimagined.  It was a great space to mix and mingle with our fellow TD friends and also celebrate our 2023 volunteers.  Here are some pictures for the evening!

Gratitude is always in season. I'd like to take a moment to express gratitude and appreciation for each and every person who invested time and effort to support ATD Dallas this year.

Applause for the 2023 Board of Directors!

I specially want to say thank you to the Board of Directors that provided leadership, direction, and support for all that was offered, executed, and accomplished this year.  They gave so much of their time to attending monthly board meetings, conducting their committee meetings, attending chapter programs, supporting our signature events, and being available to their volunteer teams.   

Dee Dick Lifetime Achievement Award

Dee Dick was a long-time member and leader for ATD Dallas.  Upon her passing in 2018 the chapter created an award in her name to honor a volunteer that had served the chapter in similar ways.  It recognizes someone that has left an impact on the chapter due to their willingness to lead, challenge, and give to others.

This year we recognized the fifth recipient, Laurie Lumston.  Laurie joined the chapter in 2013 and jumped into volunteering.  She has the heart of servant leader, exudes trustworthiness, listens attentively, is humble, asks great questions, is there to do whatever job you ask, and does it all with grace! 

Laurie has given so much to the chapter over the last 10 years.  She had dedicated her time and leadership to so many areas!  First to Southwest Learning Summit – serving as co-chair twice, to the AXIS Awards – serving as chair and ongoing mentor, and by serving both as a Director and then as a Senior Advisor on the ATD Dallas Board of Directors.  She even served in a role at the National level to help organize the annual conference for chapter leaders across the U.S.

We want to recognize and thank Laurie for her volunteer service, friendship to so many of us in the chapter and industry, and for all her contributions, big and small, toward making Dallas the Talent Development Capital of the World!

We were also pleased to have all five of the Dee Dick Lifetime Achievement recipients present at the December chapter meeting.  Dee would be tickled pink to see how her legacy has lived on through these amazing chapter members.

2023 in Review

In my first blog post of 2023, I shared that the 2023 Board had a key word or rally cry for the year.  Together we had landed on CONNECTION as our word.  We want to provide ways for our member to network and connect with each other in 2023 and I feel as though we delivered on that!  I hope that our members saw that come through in our efforts.

As president, I worked to fine tune some of our internal operations, continuing to focus on the chapter finances to ensure we have a healthy balance sheet to carry us into the future.  I am extremely proud of where we are ending this year!

2024 Preview

The new board came together in mid-December to outline our goals and what we want to achieve in the year ahead!  These items have been detailed in our Operating Plan.  More to come on that in the new year!

After a somewhat quiet summer, the last several months have been a bit crazy with a focus on making Southwest Learning Summit 2023, one of the chapter’s Signature Events, a success!  And now that it is in the books, I can say we did just that!  If you weren’t able to attend, check out what you missed…

#SWLS2023 Keynotes

Per usual, the knowledge shared from the Main Stage by our keynotes was on point and impactful!  Kelly Ann Doherty, Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer from Mr. Cooper Group, shared her thoughts on why storytelling matters and provided practical tips for storytelling at our companies.

In the afternoon, Lynley VanSingel (Senior Advisor, ATD Dallas) moderated a panel with Bonnie Endicott (Vice President, Employee Growth & Inclusion from Zachry Group), Lawrence Price, Ph.D. (Vice President, Organizational Excellence from Stanley Black & Decker), and Jeff Strese (Academic Director, Executive Education Program from Southern Methodist University.  They discussed the importance of measuring learning and its impact on the organization.  There were so many pearls of wisdom shared from this group!

#SWLS2023 Concurrent Session Speakers

I have only heard good things of the 12 different topics covered during the concurrent sessions.  We had presenters that shared their knowledge on topics they are most passionate about including storytelling, learning evaluation, growth mindset, onboarding, gamification, leadership intelligence, coaching, internal networking, and learning tools.

#SWLS2023 Sponsors

This event would not be possible without the amazing support of our sponsors.  They are a critical component to the success of Southwest Learning Summit, and we rely on their partnership.  Please take a moment to check out how they might support you and your business needs!

They bring so much energy to the hallway as they share their expertise and available services to our attendees. We also thank them for their generous donations to our raffle drawings at the end of the conference.

#SWLS2023 Volunteers

And most importantly, this event would not happen without the dedicated volunteers that work for months to plan and execute this event.  At the helm this year leading the team was Debra Foster!  Many thanks to her and the members of this year’s planning team - Erica Alvidrez​, Beth Bailey​, Michelle Castillo, Yasmyn Chambers, Stephanie Florey​, Kaitlyn Niechwiadowicz​, Cynthia Toro​​, Tracy Underhill​, Lynley VanSingel​, and Marqui Williams​.  We also had 24 additional volunteers that contributed their talents and skills to the success of the day!  Thank you all!

And leading us through the day from the Main Stage, we must thank our emcees, David Reyes and Tracy Underhill.   We appreciate all they did to keep the day running according to plan!  And for drawing prizes at happy hour too!

#SWLS2023 Attendees

Now it is the people that come from near and far that make SWLS such an awesome event each year.  I love the opportunity to meet and network with new people!  Check out some of these faces that were having so much fun!  Many of these pictures were shared throughout the day in our conference app, Whova.

#SWLS2024 Registration Is Open

Are you ready to hear about next year’s SWLS?  We have already booked one of our keynotes!  Rick Lozano, author and Leadership Consultant, will be bringing the energy!  ​And we have SUPER Early Bird pricing already available on our website for SWLS2024 so that you can grab your spot NOW at the lowest possible price through January 2024!

May was a super busy month for ATD – both on the local and international level!  I would love to share some of my experiences from being both a leader for ATD Dallas and a member of our amazing international professional organization.

2023 AXIS Awards

The AXIS Awards is one of the highlights of the year for me!  Not only because I get to be in the company of such innovators who are changing their organizations for good, but also because I have so many wonderful memories tied to this signature event of the chapter…all the way back to when it was called Best Place to Learn! 

But do you know why it is now called the AXIS Awards?  Because organizations REVOLVE around people.  And YOU (all those TD folks) are the ones developing those people!

This event could not have happened without the hard work of volunteers!  A big thank you goes out to Jamie Cook and Halima McWilliams for co-chairing the event this year.  And to Steff Allison, Laurie Lumston, and Susan Brookshire for providing their weekly support too!

I also want to recognize the 18 individuals that served as judges this year to select our 2023 winners and those that were onsite as “day of” volunteers.  A big shout out to the 2023 Board of Directors that served as award presenters this year too!

And of course, we want to continue to celebrate the companies and teams that received awards this year!  Some categories were extremely competitive!  We appreciate the time our judges took to review the redacted applications and score each one against the published rubric to ensure a fair process.

2023 ATD Chapter Leader Conference

The annual ATD Chapter Leaders Conference (ALC) brings together chapter leaders from across the country to learn from one another. Current and incoming board members network with other chapter leaders as they share best practices for running an ATD chapter.  This year I was joined by Cheryl Zobal (President Elect) and Karen Clem (VP Professional Development).  We attended a welcome reception and a full day of sessions in the days leading up to ATD23 in San Diego.  We had fun seeing our friends from ATD Fort Worth and making new connections with leaders from Houston and San Antonio too!

ATD23

For 80 years, ATD has hosted conferences to educate and inspire professionals in the talent development field.  I attended my first ICE (International Conference & Expo) in 2013 when it was in Dallas.  I learned then that you could volunteer one day and then receive a complimentary day, so I followed that same plan in 2023!  Plus, I don’t know if I can go to an ATD conference and not volunteer!  Too many SWLS’s under my belt, I guess.

The two keynotes that I was able to attend were quite insightful – Adam Grant and Priya Parker.  And Karen and I learned that Chapter Leaders have a special section up front in the large auditorium, so we were sitting on the second row!  And since it was the 80^th anniversary, they had a live band playing fun 80’s tunes to warm up the crowd!  We were definitely singing along!

My other highlight was getting to meet and have conversations with some of our industry’s titans that have shaped my knowledge through the years.  I was lucky to be the volunteer in their session rooms or to catch them at the expo.

Karen and I were able to spend a good hour with Kassy LaBorie as we talked through her upcoming L&D SIG with the chapter on June 30^th and the exclusive opportunity to obtain her Virtual Facilitation Certification starting in August.  We even recorded a quick promo video that you can check out.  She is super fun and has so much wisdom to share!  Hope everyone registers for one (or both) of these events.

Hello June!

As I said at the beginning…May was a busy month!  But June is an important month too!  You have to submit your “request for proposal” to speak at Southwest Learning Summit 2023! 

• What impactful work are you doing in your company that others can learn from?  
• Or what have you discovered from another TD colleague that they should share with our community? 
• The deadline to complete the online application is June 30^th.

Also, take advantage of Early Bird pricing that is currently available for #SWLS2023.  Register today!  We will see you at the Plano Event Center on Thursday, September 28^th!

As a volunteer-run organization, it is the generous people giving of their time and talents that makes ATD Dallas a successful chapter!  This month we have the opportunity to celebrate our volunteers during National Volunteer Appreciation Week!

I have found that there are several types of volunteers here at ATD Dallas:

1. The Newbie: Fresh, full of energy, and ready to jump in
   
2. The “Day of” Supporter: Able to help during our signature events when we need many hands on deck
   
3. The Floater: Floats in and out of volunteer roles as their time allows throughout the years
   
4. The Multi-tasker: Is involved and contributes on several of our committees
   
5. The Lifer: Will always be here and ready to serve
   

We see all of these types of volunteers support our largest signature event, Southwest Learning Summit.  Here was most of team that made it happen in 2022!  

The Benefits of Volunteering

I originally got involved as a volunteer because I wanted to meet other learning and talent development professionals in Dallas.  I found it was easier to get know people by working with them!  If you read "My Volunteer Story" in February, then you know how that story goes!  I was so lucky to build a strong NETWORK and gain lifetime FRIENDSHIPS!

There are other known benefits of volunteering.  It is good for your MIND and BODY.  It brings FUN and FULFILLMENT to your life.  I think you can see this happening in our “SWLS Packing Party” that happens the Saturday before the annual Southwest Learning Summit.

You can also develop NEW SKILLS that can impact your career path.  Some skills that come to mind are planning, communication, project management, building relationships, public speaking, leading others, presentation design, A/V, marketing, problem solving, mentoring, data analysis, decision making, budgeting, and negotiating.  And the list could just keep going!

Volunteering also allows you to lean into your STRENGTHS while also STRETCHING yourself!  We saw this happen for our volunteers in 2020!  The SWLS team had to turn on a dime and create the first ever virtual conference.  The team picture was a little different that year via Zoom!  And we had to conduct our volunteer recognition virtually as well.  Thankfully we had some “Zoom experts” by the time we got to that event at the end of 2020!

    

Recognizing Our Volunteers

Traditionally the chapter has recognized our volunteers at the end of year.  And since 2015, specifically at the AXIS Awards.  With the shifting of this signature event to May 16th this year, we will be taking a different approach to close out 2023!

But we don’t need to wait until the end of year to CELEBRATE OUR VOLUNTEERS!  I want to share my most sincere THANKS and APPRECIATION for all of the volunteers that I have had the pleasure to work with across all my years with ATD Dallas.  

• The volunteers that stepped forward in 2022 helped bring things back to “normal.”  
• The volunteers that are currently driving our efforts and events in 2023 are charting the course to where the chapter goes next!  This includes our leaders serving on the Board of Directors and all of the amazing people working on the following teams: AXIS Awards, Marketing, Membership Professional Development, Programs, Strategic Partnerships/Sponsorship, and SWLS.
  

Do YOU want to be a part of FUN?  Then reach out to me directly to discuss how you can get involved or fill out our volunteer form.

And please join us at the Chapter Meeting on Tuesday, April 18th to help show YOUR APPRECIATION for your fellow members that are serving our chapter as volunteers.  We have some time set aside to recognize them!

Celebrating Our Members

Happy Member Appreciation Month to our incredibly talented and hardworking members!  March is designated as Member Appreciation Month – both for National ATD and the local chapters.  THANK YOU for being a member of ATD Dallas and for contributing to our thriving community of learning and talent development professionals in the DFW Metroplex and beyond!

Looking Back – ASTD/ATD…What’s That?

Do you remember when you became aware of this international organization that supported our profession of training and development? 

A prior boss introduced me to the ASTD back in 2011. I had no idea of the resources and network that was available through this professional organization.  I was even more surprised to find out there was a local chapter in Dallas!

As part of Member Appreciation Month, the current Board of Directors has been reaching out via phone to CONNECT with our members.  While we have left a TON of voicemails, we have been lucky to chat with a number of you!  Thanks for picking up your phone when a random number was calling!  In one of my conversations, we shared our stories about how we found out about ATD and became a member.  We laughed because I think most of us have a similar story…that a boss or prior colleague introduced us to the organization!

Our Awesome Community & Chapter Resources

It feels so GOOD to be part of a vibrant community of over 325 talent development professionals in Dallas who are changing their organizations for good.  At ATD Dallas, we believe that talent isn't just our business, it's who we A.R.E.!  Our chapter strives to offer our members, Access, Recognition, and Expertise. 

Here are few of the ways that our members can impact their professional development because of their membership:

• Connect with other professionals who are pushing talent development boundaries at our community-wide events and happy hours. We are able to offer most of these events FREE to our members.  ACCESS is great, but FREE is even better!
• Grow your EXPERTISE at a monthly chapter meeting or by attending a professional development event focused on your interests, in-person or online.  For 2023, chapter events are being held in-person while our Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are being conducted virtually via Zoom.
• Create a development pathway in your FREE Degreed account.  We have made some recent updates in the platform. Learn how to maximize Degreed as a tool for your personal and professional learning!
• Share your EXPERTISE with our community as a speaker or your TALENTS as a volunteer for the chapter.  Or share your space - we are looking for corporate locations to host our chapter meetings!
• Attend our Signature Events to gain ACCESS to industry thought leaders. Don't miss our annual regional conference, Southwest Learning Summit. And get RECOGNIZED for your great work in talent development by submitting a proposal to receive an AXIS Award!

Membership Opportunities

This is a wonderful time to remind you to RENEW!  We would hate for your membership to lapse and for you to miss out on some of the events that lie ahead!

If you have other members on your team that want to become a member of ATD Dallas, consider a Corporate Membership!  The savings are great based on this formula…($90 x 4) + 1 Free!  So instead of $500 for 5 team members, it would be only $360!  (The “5^th free” provision holds true for all multiples of 4 registered.)  Please contact info@tddallas.org if you are interested in this rate.

Are you a member only at the local level?  Consider joining ATD National and becoming a Power Member.  You can benefit from TWICE the support, resources, and networking.  Learn more online or through this brochure.  Take advantage of the Membership Sale starting Monday, March 20 at www.td.org to save!

Stay Connected with Our Chapter

As a member of ATD Dallas, you are part of a movement to make Dallas the talent development capital of the world.  We can't do it without you!  Be sure to follow us on social media to stay CONNECTED and in the know -- LinkedIn (@ATD Dallas), Twitter (@ATDDallas), Instagram (ATD_Dallas), or Facebook (@ATDDallas)!

If you haven’t taken advantage of all your membership has to offer, then it's time to plug in!  If you have questions about ATD Dallas, please reach out to any member of the Board.  We would love to hear from you!

Storytelling

This is a topic that seems to be an important one these days.  From how to use STORY in marketing, instructional design, and in professional networking situations. 

If you need some insight into that last way, join our Career Development SIG on Monday, February 27 to hear from Rance Greene on this subject of “What’s Your Story?” and how you can share YOUR STORY with the world. 

So, with this inspiration, I thought I would share MY STORY around how I got involved with ATD Dallas (or ASTD as it was back then)!

My Volunteer Story

My story started in 2012 when Scott Harris, incoming Dallas ASTD President, asked me to consider stepping into the role of Southwest Learning Summit & Exposition Chair for the 2013 event.  I was shocked because I had only attended the conference once and had not previously volunteered.  But my boss at the time was on the board and highly recommended me for the role based on what I did in my day job!  This is the point in the STORY where they typically say, “and the rest is history!”

I jumped into the deep end for my first volunteer experience!  But luckily, I had a wonderful mentor, a couple of longtime chapter members, a past president, and a handful of other new, gung-ho volunteers that were part of my first SWLS planning committee.

After a successful 2013 event, I stayed on the planning team to mentor the next SWLS co-chairs.  I wanted to give the same support that I had gotten from the past chair.  And thereafter, I kept coming back each year to see how we could grow the event, but also to hang out with these fun people!  Fast forward ten years later, I still have dinners and virtual happy hours with some of these folks that are now dear friends!

I was honored to serve as the SWLS Main Stage Emcee from 2016-2019.  And in 2020, I was thrilled to work with Trey Talley as we took SWLS virtual.  It was an amazing experience where I could help the team out while gaining new skills too! (I felt a little like Savannah Guthrie reading the teleprompter and broadcasting online!)

My volunteer journey also includes helping with the AXIS Awards, the other signature event for the chapter.

This is a fun STORY that I can share with you at happy hour!  I was a last minute “phone a friend” to help out on stage when someone else had an emergency in 2016.  That led to emceeing in 2017, 2018, and 2019.  And in 2021, I gave judging a whirl!

And finally, in 2021 I received an email asking if I would be open to a phone call to discuss the role of President Elect in 2022.  I guess we know how that went since I am serving as ATD Dallas President in 2023!

Your Volunteer Story

So...that is a little bit about my volunteer story.  What is YOUR STORY going to be?  Getting involved with ATD Dallas provides you the opportunity to lean into your strengths, gain new skills, and build lifelong friendships.  I know I wouldn’t trade any of it!

We would love to have you join the fun and start creating your STORY!  Learn more about volunteering here or come join us for the Volunteer Summit on Saturday, March 4 from 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM at the CoreLogic offices in Irving.  It will be a great way to plug into one of our teams --- Membership, Marketing, Professional Development, Monthly Programs, Southwest Learning Summit, AXIS Awards, or Strategic Partnerships.  I hope to see you there!