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Learn About the Career Planning SIG!
As L&D professionals, we often focus on developing others and forget to prioritize our own growth. Join us for the first meeting of the new Career Planning Special Interest Group (SIG), where we’ll build a support system to help each other thrive.
Are you an employee at a company? You are actually so much more than that. In this session, we’ll discuss the value of shifting your career mindset from being just another employee to your new role as The CEO of You. We’ll review what that entails, reflect on what a good opportunity looks like for you, and think about who you might choose to be on your personal Board of Advisors.
Let’s prioritize ourselves and our professional growth—together.
Over a decade ago, research revealed that the most engaged and productive employees share one key trait: a strong sense of psychological safety at work. In this session, we explore the latest neuroscience on what happens in the brain when that sense of safety is missing—whether in interactions with colleagues, clients, board members, or community partners. When people feel unsafe, behaviors such as irritability, defensiveness, or even anger often stem from chemical reactions in the brain. Understanding these responses helps us navigate challenging interactions more effectively. We’ll also review several simple, proven strategies to restore that sense of safety.
Speaker: Sonia Keffer
Sonia Keffer is a trailblazer in leadership development with over three decades of experience in facilitation, coaching, and business consulting. As a master facilitator, certified Gallup Strengths Coach, mediator, and mindfulness teacher, she blends strategic insight with holistic practices to help individuals and organizations thrive. Sonia serves as Director of Learning at Heartland Family Service while leading BrainWorks Institute.
What happens after you hire great talent—and why do so many organizations lose momentum in the first 90 days?
Join us for an author‑led conversation exploring Everboarding, a modern approach to employee development that goes beyond day‑one onboarding. After a brief overview of the core concept, the session shifts to an interactive Q&A, where the author answers audience questions on early‑stage engagement, common onboarding missteps, and how organizations can build continuous development systems that retain and grow talent.
Designed for Talent Development and L&D professionals looking for fresh perspectives and practical insights on keeping employees connected, capable, and committed—long after onboarding ends.
Challenge traditional onboarding. Engage directly with the author and explore what continuous development looks like in today’s workplace.
Amber's book is available for purchase from Amazon.
Speaker: Amber Watts
Amber has over a decade of experience in Talent Development and Sales Enablement, specializing in everboarding, change management, and talent strategy. She is currently the Founder/CEO of Radical GrowthWorks, a performance consultant for LinkedIn and the ATD Press author of From Onboarding to Everboarding: Redefining Employee Development.
☕ ATD Nebraska Coffee Chat
Connect. Learn. Grow.
Join us each month for an ATD Nebraska Coffee Chat — a casual gathering offered in person during odd months and virtually during the even ones. It is a great chance to connect with fellow members, share ideas, and build relationships in our talent development community. Feel free to bring a friend or colleague who is interested in learning more about ATD! All are welcome.
Join us each month for an ATD Nebraska Coffee Chat — a casual gathering offered in person during odd months and virtually during the even ones. It’s a great chance to connect with fellow members, share ideas, and build relationships in our talent development community. Feel free to bring a friend or colleague who's interested in learning more about ATD! All are welcome.
The learning technology landscape is moving fast, and not everything deserves your attention. From AI and automation to immersive tools like XR, learning leaders are under pressure to evaluate new technologies without clear guidance on what is real, scalable, or worth the investment.
This session helps learning professionals cut through the noise. Rather than focusing on tools or trends alone, it provides a practical framework for evaluating emerging learning technologies based on instructional value, readiness, and organizational fit. XR, AI, and other emerging tools are discussed in context—not as silver bullets, but as options with tradeoffs.
Participants will leave with a clearer perspective on what to watch, what to question, and how to make informed technology decisions that support learning outcomes today while preparing for what’s next.
Speaker: Destery Hildenbrand, Learning Experience Consultant at Destery1Kenobi LLC
Destery specializes in immersive technologies (AR/VR/MR) and innovative learning solutions. With over15 years in L&D, he helps organizations integrate emerging tech, AI, and interactive media to create engaging, accessible learning experiences. A frequent speaker and author, Destery combines instructional design expertise with cutting-edge tools to make learning inclusive and future-ready.
What if someone called you out of the blue and told you about a role at their company that sounded perfect for you? Would you be ready to spring into action? In this session, we’ll review how to position yourself for success by creating your own Opportunity Readiness Toolkit. We’ll discuss the materials you’ll need to communicate your value.
Devin C. Hughes is an award-winning speaker and global expert on organizational culture and team dynamics. Known for his TED-worthy humor and human-first approach, he helps leaders move beyond checkbox engagement to build workplaces where people actually want to show up.
Trusted by organizations ranging from Disney to the Department of Defense, Devin delivers real talk, bold ideas, and practical insights on civility, belonging, and communication—without the corporate fluff. Named one of Peoplehum’s Top 200 Thought Leaders to Watch in 2025, he holds a BA from Colgate University and an MS from Southern New Hampshire University.
Devin doesn’t just talk about better workplaces—he helps build them.
Speaker: Devin Hughes, Chief Inspiration Officer with Devin C. Hughes Inc.
Resumes tell people what you have done. Portfolios show how you did it. In this session, we’ll discuss options for creating a professional portfolio containing your work samples, the kinds of things you might want to include, and options for showcasing your skillset in a way that aligns with your career goals.
ATD Nebraska, P.O. Box 85793 Lincoln, NE 68501-5793 | (402) 850-6710 | contactus@atdnebraska.org
