Connect 5

The secrets about creating and curating content for learning, what L&D professionals can steal from marketing and what it takes to build a following and showcase your personal brand. Come along for an exciting conversation with content curation guru and learning consultant, Mike Taylor! 

About Mike Taylor 

Mike Taylor is a teacher at Franklin University in a program focused on how to create effective educational courses and support materials. With an MBA from Ohio University and a specialized Master's from San Diego State, he's got both the business and tech skills to back it up.  

Mike currently leads cybersecurity training and awareness at Nationwide, but before that, he did consulting and worked in an agency. He also spent two years as a Community Manager for Articulate and their eLearning Heroes community. 

Mike has taught ATD Certification course in Storyline, Instructional Design, and eLearning, and he’s a speaker who's been invited to events worldwide. So, in a nutshell, Mike’s got a ton of experience in education, technology, and public speaking, and loves sharing what he knows and helping others level up their skills. 

Connect with Mike! 

Insights about the secrets to discovering your career path, becoming an eLearning superhero and how AI may (or may not) change the game for instructional designers and eLearning creators. This week, we’re talking to Tim Slade, Creator of The eLearning Designer’s Acadamy and one of the industry’s leading voices in eLearning! 

About Tim Slade 

Tim Slade is a speaker, author, and award-winning freelance eLearning designer. Having spent the last decade working to help others elevate their eLearning and instructional design content, Tim has been recognized and awarded within the learning and development industry multiple times for his creative and innovative design aesthetics.  

Tim is also a regular speaker at international eLearning and instructional design conferences, a recognized Articulate Super Hero, a LinkedIn Learning instructor, author of The eLearning Designer’s Handbook, and creator of The eLearning Designer’s Academy.

Connect with Tim! 

Preparing students for their post-college career, the evolving needs of the emerging workforce and the best things leaders can to do support young professionals. Join us for a special conversation with Kristin Economos, Senior Director of the Adam’s Leadership Institute at Drake University and owner of The Life Skills Launch, LLC! 

About Kristin Economos  

Kristin Economos is the owner and founder of the Life Skills Launch; a consulting business that equips young professionals with skills for the launch to adulthood. She also serves as the Director of the Adams Leadership Institute at Drake University; an undergraduate leadership program designed to train students in self-awareness, collaboration, and organizational skills.  

Prior to her current roles, Kristin earned her bachelor and master’s degrees from Iowa State University and has worked professionally for 14 years in college admission, academic advising, curriculum design, and leadership development.  

In her free time, she works toward her annual 30x30 project - a personal goal to read 30 books a year, each year of her thirties. She loves cooking, hosting, and her drooly golden retriever, George. 

Connect with Kristin! 

The secrets to designing engaging and compelling eLearning courses, honing your craft as a designer and what makes for an ideal onboarding program. Join us as we talk with Jeni Johnson, Senior Instructional Designer at Traliant, for a wide-ranging conversation and peek behind the curtain about how to create stunning and meaningful training courses. 

About Jeni Johnson  

Jeni has been involved in learning and development in some capacity her whole life. As the oldest, she grew up teaching her sisters, and in college, one her first jobs was teaching other students how to create photographs for their design portfolios. It may sound corny, but mentoring, teaching, and guiding others is in her blood and is truly who she is. 

While in L&D, she’s been able to work with various industries like healthcare, non-profit, government, higher education, and corporate. 

Connect with Jeni 

The secrets and research behind why psychological safety is critical for the modern-day leader, what’s trending in leadership development and how emerging technology like AI is shaping the talent development game. Tune in for an exciting conversation with Molly Mackey, longtime supporter of ATD Central Iowa, KAT Director for Optimae Lifeservices and Chief Learning Officer of the LEAdeRNship Institute! 

About Molly Mackey 

Molly J. Mackey is a speaker, author and trainer of leaders. She believes that by intentionally intersecting the ongoing journeys of leadership and learning we can create better leaders and Better Leaders = Better Lives™. 

Molly is the founder and chief learning officer of the LEAdeRNship Institute. She also serves as the Director of Knowledge Acquisition and Transfer at Optimae LifeServices. Molly has over 18 years of business and speaking experience. She has a passion for business, strategy, leadership and learning. She has taught business classes at a collegiate level since 2009 and currently partners with community colleges and other organizations offering training. 

Molly lives in Jesup, IA with her partner and has four children ages 1 to 16. 

Her books include: 

“52 Powerful Reflection Questions for Leaders” 

“52 Powerful Reflection Questions for Emotionally Intelligent Leaders” 

"52 Powerful Reflection Questions for Teams" 

Connect with Molly 

The importance of community involvement, the intersection of volunteerism and professional development and why formal learning isn’t always the answer for building new skills. Join us this week for a wide-ranging conversation with Rona Berinobis, SVP of Corporate Social Responsibility, Organizational Development and Internal Communications at Athene USA! 

About Rona Berinobis: 

In addition to serving on multiple community boards, Rona leads Athene’s foundation, community relations, talent development, employee engagement and internal communications initiatives. In this combination of accountabilities, she has the unique opportunity to lead impactful experiences in the workplace and the community.   

Prior to joining Athene, she worked at Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. At Wellmark, Rona developed and executed an award-winning diversity, equity and inclusion movement to maximize organizational effectiveness. Rona’s expertise is in strategic development, employee engagement, change management, coaching and consulting. 

The secrets to unlocking your innovation, creating a culture of idea generation and why failure can ultimately lead to extraordinary success. It’s time for a conversation with author, keynote speaker and former CEO of the Iowa Lottery and Blank Park Zoo, Terry Rich! 

About Terry Rich: 

Terry Rich is a disruptive innovator and entrepreneur with a drive for integrity and honesty. He’s worked in the trenches, survived the new business trends, and had success with generational changes. Oh, and he’s given away over one billion dollars. 

It's time to welcome the fraud-busting, creative and lucky Terry Rich.   

Creative.  Lucky.  Energetic.  Fraud-busting. 

Terry Rich is a successful CEO and President of 25 years who loves to engage and entertain audiences across the globe. 

Under his leadership, state lottery sales and profits increased by 50%.  He also led the Blank Park Zoo to profitability from a $600,000 deficit while positioning it as the second largest attended attraction in the state.  But his national insight on business, banking, gaming, TV production, marketing and PR led him to success in his professional career and to his passion for public speaking.  Oh, and he’s also given away over $1 billion.  

Terry led the team that cracked the largest lottery fraud in US history.  During the investigation, Terry oversaw day-to-day operations while considering long-term consequences, adapting quickly to change, and delivering on promises.  

Before that, he started four successful entrepreneurial businesses, and has numerous national media appearances including ABC, NBC, HBO, CBS, 20/20, CNN, CNBC, USA Today and The New York Times; a movie host on Starz! and appeared as a panel guest on the "Tonight Show".  His production of a Fox Sports show called “Socker Slam” is currently a featured documentary on the Hearst streaming service “Very Local”.  

He’s a disruptive innovator and entrepreneur with a drive for integrity and honesty. He’s worked in the trenches, survived new business trends, and had success with generational changes.  Terry’s keynotes are energetic, motivating, and perfect for an early morning, lunch or after dinner presentation.  

Terry Rich has authored two books: The $80 Billion Gamble and Dare to Dream, Dare to Act.  

We’re shifting gears this week for an exciting conversation with Gianna Pugliese, Intercultural Outreach Coordinator with the West Des Moines Community School District. Listen in as Gianna talks about the intersection of K-12 education and corporate learning, the difference between guilt and shame and how acknowledging our biases leads to stronger learning outcomes. 
 

About Gianna Pugliese: 

Originally from Chicago, Gianna moved to Des Moines in 2016 to pursue her MSEd in Literacy at Drake University. She started working with Adult ELLs in 2017 at Lutheran Services in Iowa, where she taught Beginning English to our newest neighbors who were illiterate in their native languages. In her 4 years at LSI, Gianna was also the adult Refugee Education Coordinator, overseeing the Education Department.  

In 2021, she transitioned to the West Des Moines Community School District to advocate for foreign-born students and their families. Gianna is passionate about shifting the narrative from one that is deficit-focused towards a strengths-based lens where educators promote self-efficacy and humanity. 

We’re getting knowledge for days as we talk to Amy Pfeifer, Sr. Talent Consultant at Principal for a peek behind the curtain at what talent development looks like for a global FORTUNE 500 company, current trends in employee development needs and an introduction to heutagogy!

About Amy Pfeifer:
Amy has been working in the world of talent development for about 15 years, starting her journey as a technical trainer onboarding new employees. Since then, she's held a broad range of learning and development roles and responsibilities: facilitation (technical and soft-skills), instructional design, curriculum development, consulting & training project management, development of new trainers, and
formal leadership. Amy currently sits within Human Resources and runs programs and consults around the topics of skills and career development.

She has a Master's degree in Leadership Development from Drake University and is currently finishing a Ph.D in Education from Drake University, focused on adult learners. Amy is also an adjunct professor at Drake University and has taught courses on understanding self and others, global leadership, ethics & culture, and instructional design.

What an episode we’ve got today! Get to know Deidre Williams, Vice President, Organizational Effectiveness at EMC Insurance for a wide-ranging conversation including the importance of continuous learning, the secrets of staying AGILE and how a last-minute pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to an award-winning talent development strategy! 

About Deidre Williams

Ms. Deidre N. Williams possesses 20 years in corporate learning and talent development. Throughout her diverse career, she has served in key leadership positions overseeing both domestic and international learning and development training strategies and solutions, project management and business/talent development endeavors with industry innovators Merck & Co., Intrepid Learning Solutions, Total System Services, Inc., and AFLAC.  As a result, and achievement–oriented professional, Ms. Williams has attained extensive trainings and certifications from The Association of Talent Development (formerly the American Society of Training & Development), Harvard University, Development Dimensions International, PROSCI, the SCRUM Alliance, the London Image Institute and the American School of Protocol. She is both a Master Trainer and Master Facilitator and possesses certifications in Human Performance Improvement (HPI), Change Management (CCMP), Agile SCRUM (CSM), and Agile SCRUM Product Ownership (CSPO).  In January of 2023, Deidre obtained her CDE (Certified Diversity Executive) credentialing from the Society for Diversity   

In December of 2018, Deidre relocated to Des Moines, IA and brought her passion and vision for learning to EMC as the new Vice President – Learning and Development. In this role, Deidre oversaw all enterprise learning solutions to include:  industry designations, professional development training, coaching, leadership development, virtual learning, change management and EMC University.  With a fervent desire to align learning solutions with organizational priorities, Deidre and her team have been hyper-focused on ensuring transformative learning experiences for all EMC team members.  In her words, “Learning and Development is laser focused on serving as trusted advisors and active consultative collaborators, engaging in design thinking and customer centricity in all learning solutions. in 2020, Deidre’s role expanded as she became Vice President - Organizational Effectiveness, overseeing enterprise learning solutions via Learning & Development, Leadership Development, EMC University, Talent Development, and Diversity Equity & Inclusion.  Under Deidre’s leadership, in 2021, EMC Insurance Companies was recognized by Chief Learning Officer Magazine as a 2021 Learning Elite Organization.   

In a wide-ranging conversation, get to know Kai Gillespie, Talent Development Coordinator at IMT Insurance as she shares insights about making organizations more people-centered, the intersection of DEI and talent development and the connection of anthropology and talent development! Plus, Kai runs down "The 5!" 
 

About Kai Gillespie: 

Kai has been in Learning & Development at IMT Insurance for over 6 years and in the Talent Development field for over 10 years. She stumbled into the Talent Development after graduating from college in 2009. Having no job prospects due to being an Anthropology major in rural Iowa during a recession, she stumbled upon the Talent Development field.  

Kai initially fell in love with instructional design while working at Brownells, Inc. and Farm Bureau. After being laid off (and receiving that spot on her TD career bingo card) she earned her Master’s of Science in Leadership Development from Drake University. During her time at Drake, she became focused on organizational development, culture, and making organizations people-focused, and has been able to practice her work (and musings) at IMT Insurance for the last 7 years. 

Introducing ATD Central Iowa’s own Joey Spivey! Finding your passion in talent development, building an organizational development structure from the ground up and the secrets to honing your personal facilitation style. Plus, Joey runs down "The 5!" 
 

About Joey Spivey: 

Like many, Joey kind of tripped and fell into the world of talent development. He started his career in an entry-level operational role at Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and was looking to take the next step “up the ladder” as soon as possible. A position opened up on the operations training team that supported his department and several others, and the rest was history.  

At Wellmark, Joey was exclusively focused on operational or role-specific training, primarily for Wellmark’s claims staff, where he had the chance to lead a system implementation training project, help establish the onboarding and skill development plan for a brand new role, and take charge of Wellmark’s first attempt at operations-focused e-learning.  

In 2018, he was offered the opportunity to join SHAZAM and truly help build an organizational development function from the ground up. It was an opportunity he simply couldn’t pass up. It was a blank slate, with a supportive leadership team, and an employee population that was ready for a more strategic approach to learning. Over his five years at SHAZAM, he crossed almost everything off the talent development bucket list: LMS implementation, content provider partnerships, employee experience programming, emerging leader cohorts, tenured leadership development strategies, succession planning, DEI strategy, mentoring, employee engagement surveys, performance management. Now, he’s looking forward to his next big opportunity. 

Get to know Sara Faas Jones, Director of Training, Education and Quality at Nationwide Insurance as she shares the secrets to measuring and evaluating program effectiveness, transitioning from tactical to strategic work and how to drive accountability and stay organized while navigating rapid change. Plus, Sara runs down "The 5!"  

About Sara Faas Jones

Sara has been working in the performance improvement field in one way or another for over 20 years. Before working at Nationwide, she was a retail store manager and recruited, onboarded, trained, and developed talent. At Nationwide, she’s held multiple learning and performance focused roles, from training coordinator to material design and project management, now leading a team of training and quality professionals focused on performance improvement through results measurement, education, and coaching. Sara holds Masters degrees in Teaching and Learning with Technology as well as Media Design and she's currently working on a Doctor of Education degree in Organizational Leadership. 

Get to know Kristin Tague, Head of Talent Acquisition and Talent Development at Pella Corporation and she sheds light on the secrets to successfully transitioning to a new company, instilling a coaching mindset and the intersection of talent acquisition and talent development! Plus, Kristin runs down "The 5!"

About Kristin Tague

With over 29 years of experience in HR - 20 of which in the talent development space, Kristin has worked for some amazing companies including Farm Bureau Financial Services, JP Morgan Chase, Principal, American Equity and now Pella Corporation. Her experience started with Executive Development, broadening to a leadership role focusing on a variety of aspects of employee development. With extensive experience building capabilities, from mentorship programs, change management, coaching and designing talent practices, Kristin is passionate about helping us know our people better and ensuring they have the right skills ready for the future.

Growing a business in an evolving talent development landscape, how to get consistent, measurable results and how giving back to the community can lead to personal fulfillment and growth. Listen as we chat with Todd McDonald, Founder & President of ATW Training Solutions as he shares wisdom about how to survive and thrive in an ever-changing industry. Plus, Todd runs down "The 5!" 
 

About Todd McDonald: 

Todd McDonald founded ATW in 1999 after spending 15 years in various Human Resource and Training roles in industries such as finance, insurance, banking and manufacturing.  He also served as Executive Vice President of American Media, Inc., the largest producer of training videos at the time with products in 72 countries and 27 languages.   

Todd has authored two books: one on communication between managers and their employees, "I Wish You Would Just..." and the other on time management, "How to Find 100 Extra Minutes a Day."  

Connect with Todd: 

Websites:  

The joys (and challenges) of starting a business, what it's like to write a book and how a background in theater performance led to a passion for reducing harm in the workplace, listen as Sarah Noll Wilson, President & CEO of Sarah Noll Wilson Inc. takes us on a journey through her career. Plus, Sarah runs down "The 5!"

About Sarah Noll Wilson:

Sarah Noll Wilson, Inc. is who you call when you're ready to do the hard work of leading yourself and leading others.

Sarah Noll Wilson, Inc. is on a mission to help leaders build and rebuild teams. Our goal is to empower leaders to understand and honor the beautiful complexity of the humans they serve. We create a safe, honest environment, preparing people to deal with real-world conflict, have more meaningful conversations, and create purposeful relationships. Working with CEOs, HR leaders, and organizations that care deeply about their employees and understand the connection between employee development, employee satisfaction, and organizational success, Sarah Noll Wilson, Inc. specializes in transforming relationships from good to great.

Through her work as an Executive Coach, an in-demand Keynote Speaker, Researcher, Contributor to Harvard Business Review, and Bestselling Author of "Don't Feed the Elephants", Sarah Noll Wilson helps leaders close the gap between what they intend to do and the actual impact they make. She hosts the podcast "Conversations on Conversations", is certified in Co-Active Coaching, Conversational Intelligence, and is a frequent guest lecturer at universities. In addition to her work with organizations, Sarah is a passionate advocate for mental health.

With 15+ years in leadership development, Sarah earned a Master's Degree from Drake University in Leadership Development and a BA from the University of Northern Iowa in Theatre Performance and Theatre Education - no wonder clients love the energy she brings to their teams! When she isn't helping people build and rebuild relationships, she enjoys playing games with her husband Nick and cuddling with their fur baby, Sally. Connect with Sarah: