Agenda
Sessions and speakers are subject to change. Check the app for the latest updates.
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
The Strategic HR Leader Forum (Pre-Conference)
| Time and Location | Session | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1:00-2:00 p.m. Kalahari Salons C-D | Risk, Rewards, and ROI: Rethinking Your Health Plan Strategy for 2026 and Beyond | Hailey Painter, Lockton |
| 2:00-3:00 p.m. Kalahari Salons C-D | Legal Update | Stephanie Huser and Amber McKeon-Mueller, TML |
| 3:00-3:15 p.m. | Networking Break | |
| 3:15-4:15 p.m. Kalahari Salons C-D | How to Lead When the Path Changes: Setting Your Team Up to Win | Dee Maddox, DMX Consulting, LLC |
| 4:15-5:15 p.m. Kalahari Salons C-D | HR as a Strategic Advisor: Navigating High-Risk Employee Situations | Julia Gannaway, Gannaway Clifton |
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
| Time and Location | Session | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30-8:30 a.m. | Registration and Breakfast | |
| 8:30-8:45 a.m. General Session Kalahari Salons E-F & I | President’s Welcome | Veronica Sanchez, TMHRA President |
| 8:45-9:45 a.m. General Session Kalahari Salons E-F & I | Awards Ceremony | Kelly Rodriguez and Matthew Wright, Awards Committee, TMHRA Board of Directors |
| 9:45-10:00 a.m. | Networking Break | |
| 10:00-11:30 a.m. General Session Kalahari Salons E-F & I | Leading Thriving Cities LIVE | Chad Wright, Founder + Coach, Forward Partners |
| 11:30-1:00 p.m. | Lunch | |
| 1:00- 2:15 p.m. General Session Kalahari Salons E-F & I | Religion: The Other Accommodation | Rodney Klein, Rodney Klein EEO Training |
| 2:20-3:30 p.m. Concurrent Session | Financial Wellness into Retirement | David Rodriguez, HUB Investment Partners |
| 2:20-3:30 p.m. Concurrent Session | From Target to Takeover: The Lifecycle of a Cyber Attack | Ed Keck, Withum |
| 3:30-3:45 p.m. | Networking Break | |
| 3:45-4:45 p.m. Concurrent Session | Escaping the WC Limbo: A Roadmap to Resolution for the Municipal Workforce | Kristina Peters, Charlesworth Consulting |
| 3:45-4:45 p.m. Concurrent Session | Level Up! Thriving Through the Stages of Your HR Career | Tadd Phillips and Cheree Bontrager, TMHRA Board of Directors |
| 4:45 p.m. | Adjourn | |
| 5:00-6:00 p.m. Amatuli | Networking Reception | |
| 6:00 p.m. | New Member Dinner (Invitation Only) | |
| 6:00 p.m. | Past President’s Dinner (Invitation Only) |
Thursday, May 7, 2025
| Time and Location | Session | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30-8:30 a.m. | Registration and Breakfast | |
| 8:30-9:45 a.m. Concurrent Session | Cornerstone Skills for Managers: The Essential Leadership Skills Every High-Performing Leader Needs to Master | Juandre Peacock, Doc Peacock Speaks, JPI Consulting LLC |
| 8:30-9:45 a.m. Concurrent Session | Avoid the Double Dip: What Employers Need to Know About Questionable Payroll Tax Avoidance Programs | Jessica Frier, American Fidelity |
| 9:45-10:00 a.m. | Networking Break | |
| 10:00-11:00 a.m. Concurrent Session | The Law and the Message: The Changing Face of the EEOC | Rodney Klein, Rodney Klein EEO Training |
| 10:00-11:00 a.m. Concurrent Session | Creative Reconnection: How Smart People Create Clarity and Possibility in a Noisy World | Rick Lozano, Unlock and Amplify |
| 11:00-11:15 a.m. | Networking Break | |
| 11:30-1:00 p.m. | Lunch | |
| 1:00-2:15 p.m. Concurrent Session | Building Better Government from Within: HR Excellence and Resident Satisfaction with Local Government | Bob Lavigna & Jana Ventura, Retired Senior Fellow – Public Sector, UKG & Director, Institute for Public Sector Employee Engagement / HR Director, City of Sachse, TX |
| 1:00-2:15 p.m. Concurrent Session | Taking Intentional Moments to Engage (TIME) – The Importance of Leadership Involvement for Employee and Organization Growth | Craig Barnes, Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool |
| 2:20-3:30 p.m. Concurrent Session | Executive Presence Isn’t What You Wear | Kelcey Stewart, BestDay HR |
| 2:20-3:30 p.m. Concurrent Session | AI in Hiring: Removing the Human Element | Cara White, Taylor, Olson, Adkins, Sralla, and Elam, LLP |
| 3:30-3:45 p.m. | Networking Break | |
| 3:45-4:45 p.m. General Session Kalahari Salons E-F & I | “That’s Gonna Leave a Mark!” – Learning from the Missteps and Pitfalls Organizations Have Made During their Classification and Compensation Studies | TL Cox, Segal |
| 4:45 p.m. | Adjourn |
Friday, May 8, 2026
| Time and Location | Session | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30-8:45 a.m. | Breakfast and Raffle Drawings | |
| 8:00-8:30 a.m. | TMHRA Business Meeting | |
| 8:45-10:00 a.m. Concurrent Session | They Did *WHAT* Online?! | Jeff McKissack, Defense by Design |
| 8:45-10:00 a.m. Concurrent Session | Building Operational Continuity Through Strategic Workforce Planning | Caitlin Solarge, BakerTilly |
| 10:00-11:30 a.m. General Session Kalahari Salons E-F & I | Firing Isn’t a Strategy: Creating Risk Ready Employment Systems in the Public Sector | Thomas Faulkner, Faulkner HR Solutions |
| 12:00 p.m. | Adjourn |