ATD Houston President's Corner

Mid-Year Review and Message

Debbie Richards — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 17:51:57 GMT

It’s mid-year and time to take stock of where we are.

ATD Houston has been delivering a variety of outstanding programs to meet the needs of you, our members. The programs have spanned the range from foundational content to the leading edge of AI application. The ATD Capability Model informs our programming decisions, along with your feedback. Review the model here: https://tdhouston.org/The-ATD-Capability-Model

Our Virtual Technology Conference in April was amazing, and according to feedback, mind-opening! One of the speakers, Josh Penzell, delivered an in-depth workshop in June where attendees brought their “stuck” projects to receive guidance for applying AI to fix them. As an attendee, I was absolutely amazed at the kinds of tools available and what they can do to support our talent development work. I left the day with so much excitement and a head full of ideas for how to use AI tools to help me in my job! This is an example of the great programming being delivered to support you.

I am especially proud of our partnerships with other Houston professional organizations, such as NSA Houston, HODN, ICF Houston, and the ACMP. Recall the great networking session we held in April with all these groups! Meeting together solidifies our relationships, builds our networks, and ultimately enhances our capabilities as professionals.

Our upcoming programs are not to be missed. We have local and national speakers lined up for you. Take advantage of the networking program in July and register for our annual Talent Development Conference in September!

Our ATD Houston Chapter cannot function without our dedicated volunteers. Whether a Board member, program lead, or greeter ensuring people feel welcome, every minute of your time makes our chapter the incredible organization it is today. Other ATD chapters aspire to be like us. I cannot imagine a higher compliment!

As a member, I ask that you get involved. Take advantage of all that ATD Houston has to offer you. Attend a program, network, and volunteer! Reach out to any Board member with your feedback, questions, and advice.

I look forward to connecting with you at an upcoming program. Enjoy Independence Day!

A Time To Give Thanks!

Debbie Richards — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 16:26:50 GMT

The holidays are here, and November is a month to give thanks. Today, I'd like to express gratitude to all veterans who served to protect our freedoms with courage and dedication. And an extra special word of thanks goes to our veterans who are now serving in the talent development field. Your unique perspectives and skills in leadership, resilience, and adaptability help shape stronger, more adaptable leaders and teams in our workplaces. Thank you for your service and for continuing to make a powerful impact on the future of our workforce. We celebrate and recognize you!

Speaking of celebrating success, ATD Houston wants to recognize and celebrate your success stories. We'd love to hear about innovative projects and best practices you and your teams are implementing in your organizations. Consider applying for the Pinnacle Awards and be on the lookout for event details and logistics soon.

There is so much to be thankful for this year! ATD Houston is especially thankful for our volunteers. Because of our volunteer teams, we are able to create meaningful and memorable experiences for our members. Just last month, we gathered to celebrate all the volunteers at ATD Houston. We recognized everyone who's played an essential part in this year's success. From those with dedicated roles, to those who worked on special projects and day of events. A special shout out goes to Elizabeth Agustin for being recognized with the Debbie Richards Achievement Award. And congratulations to Janeth Harrison, and the entire Membership team for organizing such a fantastic volunteer appreciation event. WE APPRECIATE YOU!! If you're considering becoming a volunteer in any capacity, we'd love to have you!

As the year winds down and I get ready to officially pass the baton to Nannette Daugherty, our incoming chapter president, I must extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to every one of our board members, chapter members, volunteers, and sponsors. Your time, effort, and contributions helped us move towards our vision of Inspiring talent development professionals to achieve their full potential. 2024 has been an amazing year, because of YOU!

It's been a pleasure to serve and be part of this team.

With kindness,

HJP

It's Back to School Season

Debbie Richards — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 13:24:28 GMT

Get ready—it's back-to-school season! And it's not just for the kids. Whether or not you have students at home or are a student yourself, we're all adjusting to the back-to-school routine, including dealing with that inevitable traffic. While that part might not be the most fun, the bright side is holding onto the summer memories and lessons we've gained, which we can reflect on and carry with us as we embrace the fresh starts ahead.

It has been a wonderful year of learning for me. I can't believe it's almost time to pass the baton to our incoming 2025 Board. Please come share in this moment and meet our chapter's new leadership team at our upcoming ATD Houston Talent Development conference. If you haven't registered for the event, we hope you will join us! ATD Houston 2024 Talent Development Conference and Expo

I'm also proud that ATD Houston has partnered with the United Way of Greater Houston in a fundraising campaign for the THRIVE Program as part of our annual conference. This partnership enables the United Way to continue providing crucial resources to help individuals in our community achieve a sustainable quality of living. Your support of this campaign furthers our shared goal of empowering individuals to thrive. Learn more and please consider supporting these efforts. The United Way of Greater Houston

Remember, inspiration can come from so many places. We invite you to be part of an inspiring moment. Join us at an upcoming event, get involved with our chapter, meet new friends and colleagues, or become a mentor. Whatever capacity you choose to participate in, thank you for being part of our Talent Development Community. We look forward to finishing the year strong as we continue to "Grow Together!"

With Kindness,

Harriett Pritchett, M.Ed., CPTD^©

Chapter President

Inspiration from the Olympics

Debbie Richards — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 12:26:01 GMT

ATD Houston Members & Friends,

It goes without saying the Summer Olympic Games have been inspiring to watch! I'm incredibly proud of the athletes from Texas who have made it to the podium so far! While the physical abilities of the athletes are impressive, we can also learn from the examples of resilience and amazing comeback stories in this year's games. These stories remind me of the value and importance of coaches and mentors, who also play vital roles throughout the journey. Having the proper support at the right time is crucial.

It makes me think of the work ATD Houston does. Our mission is to help talent development professionals reach their full potential, which includes helping our members tap into the right resources during their careers' ups and downs. I'm excited to share the opportunity to extend this part of our mission through our newly launched Community Impact Campaign Program. Check out the latest episode of our Train to Win Podcast to learn how ATD Houston and United Way of Greater Houston are joining forces to give back to the Houston Community. The United Way of Greater Houston

And as you've likely heard, our annual Talent Development Conference planning is well underway! Mark your calendar for September 26th! Our speaker lineup is packed with industry experts who will share their insights and strategies, providing you with valuable knowledge to implement in your organization. You’ll want to hear from all of these talented speakers and learn something new to implement in your organization. Look out for more news and updates about the conference on our website and social media platforms. ATD Houston 2024 Talent Development Conference and Expo

So that we may continue this work, we are looking for more great leaders. If you've been thinking about getting more involved with ATD Houston, there's no better time than now. Nominations for our 2025 Board of Directors are now open. Applications are due by 8/5/2024. Remember, there are various ways to get involved; whether it's a dedicated role on the board, helping with a special project, or pitching in for a one-day event, we could use your skills and expertise. 2025 Board of Directors - Now Accepting Applications

These are indeed exciting times, and we are eagerly looking forward to having you join us in our mission to empower talent development professionals. Your involvement is crucial to our success, and we can't wait to see the impact we'll make together.

Let's keep winning!

Harriett Pritchett, M.Ed., CPTD^©,Chapter President

Feels Like Summer!

Barbara Davis — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 01:00:00 GMT

ATD Houston Members & Friends,

We're nearing the Summer season in Houston! It's the time of year when we're either watching out for record-breaking temperatures, following a hurricane watch, or keeping the kiddos entertained during their break. Let's brace ourselves! I hope we can all stay weather-aware and safe while finding time for some fun over the coming months.

Mid-year is also a great time to check in on progress toward our goals. Are you on track with what you set out to accomplish in 2024? Whether you're on track or need a reset, remember, ATD Houston is here for you! This year, ATD Houston set out to grow our membership and continue building engaging and valuable programs for individual, corporate, and sponsor members. We will be reviewing our progress at our upcoming mid-year planning retreat. If there is a program format, topic, or speaker you're particularly interested in seeing and participating in, please share it with us via Feedback@tdhouston.org.

As we map out plans for the remainder of year, we will no doubt draw inspiration from this year's ATD 24 International Conference & Expo. All I can say is WOW! There was so much to take-away from the experience and many of us are still riding the wave of enlightenment, engagement and entertainment from the event. If you couldn't attend the conference, be sure to join us for our local recap session coming up on June 11th.

And in more recent news, we've launched the Speaker RFP for this year's Talent Development Conference. Mark your calendar for September 26th! We'd love to have you as a speaker, a volunteer, an attendee… or all three. Stay tuned for more news and updates about the conference, as planning is well underway!

And one last word about volunteers: We could really use your help! If you want to utilize your talent development business skills to help with chapter operations or develop in a new area of expertise, becoming an ATD Houston Volunteer is a great way to accomplish both. Get in touch with our volunteer team, and let us help you get involved and on a path of giving back to your talent development community.

I am looking forward to seeing and speaking to you soon!

With kindness,

Harriett Pritchett, M.Ed., CPTD^©

Chapter President

May the Talent Development Force Be With You!

Barbara Davis — Sat, 04 May 2024 20:00:00 GMT

ATD Houston Members & Friends,

Even if you're not reading this on the 4th of May, remember, the 'Force' of learning and talent development is always with us. I'm thrilled about the diverse programs and gatherings ATD Houston has planned and delivered this year. We are continuing our mission to grow talent development professionals through creative programming and networking, aiming for unprecedented levels of performance. If you're so inspired, please share your favorite ATD Houston moments on social media. By tagging #ATDHou, you're not only spreading the word about our great work but also encouraging others to get involved in the talent development space.

Thank you to all involved with planning and delivering our 2024 Technology Conference. A special thank you to all of the session leaders, presenters, and attendees; you helped make this annual event a clear success! It was also great to see so many ATD Houston members and friends at the mid-month Happy Hour Social. Hopefully, you made some great connections and were able to continue to learn about and build your network across the various professional development groups in attendance.

I'm looking forward to all the good times of learning and networking with fellow talent development professionals. I hope to see as many ATD Houston members in New Orleans as possible. If you aren't planning to be at the ATD International Conference and Expo from May 19-22, no need to fear missing out. Like last year, we have a session that will recap of all the best moments already on the calendar.

Finally, I would like to highlight our chapter sponsors for this year. Without your support, we could not deliver the events that help us create meaningful experiences for our members and friends of the chapter. We are grateful for your commitment and partnership with ATD Houston! Thank you!

Let's keep growing!

Harriett Pritchett, M.Ed., CPTD^©

Chapter President

April Message - Go Coogs! :)

Debbie Richards — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 13:49:27 GMT

We made it through "March Madness"! Now that the Men's and Women's Final Four stages are set, I must extend huge congratulations and kudos to the UH Cougars men's team for making it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen! There were so many surprises and hard-fought wins in this year's NCAA basketball tournaments. I'm looking forward to the excitement of the championship games coming up.

Speaking of schedules and stages being set, we have lots to look forward to at ATD Houston this month, and beyond. The team has been busy preparing for this year's Virtual Technology Conference. Join us on April 18th for a day of virtual learning and networking. Be sure to register before the early bird pricing ends! ATD Houston Virtual Technology Conference

Also, if you plan to register for the ATD24 International Conference & EXPO, sign up to join the ATD Houston Chapter team, and you will receive a code for the chapter team discount savings. Early bird pricing ends on April 5th. We look forward to seeing you and learning alongside you in New Orleans. ATD International Conference

BIG NEWS!! We've successfully re-launched our Geographic Interest Group and Special Interest Group sessions with our first event of the year in Sugar Land just recently. Thank you to all who attended and all involved in planning and sponsoring the event. I look forward to seeing our members connect at sessions in The Woodlands and Memorial areas in the coming weeks. Thank you to all committees involved for the hard work and collaboration on getting this done.

Please check out our events calendar and register for an event that suits you! I look forward to seeing YOU at an in-person or online event this month.

With kindness,

Harriett Pritchett, ATD Houston 2024 President

March Highlights - 2024

Debbie Richards — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 16:35:28 GMT

Howdy, fellow Houstonians! It's Rodeo time. I think about growing up in Houston, looking forward to the carnival and livestock show every year. Anytime I meet someone not from Houston, they ask about the Rodeo. I recognize that the Rodeo is part of our identity as Houstonians. I'll never forget the year the event was canceled due to the pandemic. I no longer take the festivities for granted. I'm still determining which night I'll get to attend this year, but I do plan on going!

This made me reflect on the question: What is ATD Houston known for? When I think of ATD Houston, I think of the vast resources we make available to our members. From our General meeting speakers to our professional development workshops, webinars, study groups, special interest groups, and deep dive meet-ups. There is no shortage of resources for continuous learning and development. The bonus is our community of professionals who are always willing to support and encourage each other's learning journey. When you think of ATD Houston, what comes to mind for you?

It was great to hear how you are taking advantage of the resources ATD Houston has to offer during February's Call-a-Thon. Thank you to everyone who answered our calls and provided candid feedback about the value you're getting from your membership. We also thank you for letting us know what could improve your membership experience. I'm sending a huge thank you to our membership committee and KUDOS for planning the outreach effort. And a huge thanks to the entire board of volunteers for making the calls and capturing insights from the conversations.

Join us at an upcoming event and see your feedback in action. One to note is our upcoming Virtual Technology Conference. We have a great lineup of speakers with all the hot tech topics you need to take your talent development know-how to the next level. Plus a raffle entry for those in the group of first people 40 to register.

Please check out our events calendar and register for an event that suits you! I look forward to seeing YOU at an in-person or online event (and maybe even at the Rodeo) this month!!

With kindness,

Harriett Pritchett, ATD Houston 2024 President

February Highlights - 2024

Debbie Richards — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 17:30:40 GMT

Dear Talent Development Community,

Here's the Groundhog Day news! Phil didn't see his shadow for the first time in two years, so Spring is just around the corner! All fellow gardening and plant enthusiasts will be pleased with this verdict.

While I'm looking forward to Spring, I'm also thankful for progress towards our ATD Houston chapter goals. In January, we held our first general meeting and two webinar sessions of the year. The speakers were great, and their presentations were packed with practical and actionable take-aways. I want to congratulate our programming teams on hitting the ground running with successful events to kick off the year.

I'm looking forward to more great sessions this month and next, plus our fantastic Technology Conference coming up in April. Please check out our events calendar and register for an event that suits you!

As a team, the ATD Houston Executive Board set intentions to "Grow Together ." We want to learn as much as we can as chapter leaders while providing the best experience possible for our members. So far, we've been doing just that! I hope that you are also getting into a rhythm for the year. Hopefully, you are tracking well with the intentions you set and experiencing some early wins to keep your momentum going. ATD Houston wants to be part of your support system for achieving your goals.

We want to know…how can we provide you more value as a chapter? We appreciate your participation in the recent survey. Throughout the year, we'll continue seeking your feedback via text messages, phone calls, and in-person conversations! We can still have in-person conversations, can't we?!? We'll use your input to help shape future professional development and networking opportunities. So please be on the lookout for requests for feedback and continued conversations about how we can continue to make our chapter the best it can be!

Thank you for your ongoing support, and we look forward to an exciting year ahead as we continue to "Grow Together!"

Harriett Pritchett, M.Ed., CPTD©
ATD Houston 2024 Chapter President

Happy New Year - 2024

Debbie Richards — Tue, 02 Jan 2024 14:08:24 GMT

Dear Talent Development Community,

First, Happy New Year! This is one of my favorite times of year because it represents possibility, potential, and anticipation for great things to come. It is also the perfect time for reflection. Looking back on 2023 makes me proud to be part of the Houston Talent Development Community. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside such talented leaders and witness firsthand what happens when teams work together to accomplish their goals. Because of our team's dedication, commitment, and leadership, we achieved great success for and with the ATD Houston chapter membership.

A few of our significant achievements were

Held our annual Technology and Fall Talent Development Conference events.
Facilitated 2 CPTD Study Groups.
Received recognition as Chapter of the Month
Relaunched the ATD Houston Pinnacle Awards

I must thank Lisa Torreano, our most recent Past President, and all our board members, chapter members, volunteers, and sponsors. Your time, effort, and contributions helped us get closer to achieving our vision of Inspiring talent development professionals to achieve their full potential.

Our success as a chapter depends on your success as a talent development professional. In 2024, we will build on our past year's success to continue our mission of Growing talent development professionals through creative programming and networking to discover and achieve unprecedented performance levels. Our leadership team met this past December to review and map our plan for programs and membership offerings. I am excited about the creative programming and networking we are committed to bringing you this year.

I invite you to reflect on what you achieved in 2023 and what you want to build on for 2024. What new possibilities and potential does your team want to unlock this year, and how can ATD Houston be a resource for you? Once again, cheers to 2024, and I look forward to seeing you at an in-person or online event this month.

With Kindness,

Harriett Pritchett
ATD Houston President, 2024

National Blood Donor Month

Debbie Richards — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 18:16:12 GMT

Talent development leaders and practitioners collectively answer the call to provide support and guidance to those who develop the knowledge and skills of employees in organizations. However, a more critical and urgent call requirements our collective attention and response. The month of January represents many things. It may mean setting a specific resolution; it may mean a fresh start and perspective on an idea or interest to others. However, the month of January also represents National Blood Donor Month. Did you know that the nation's blood supply is at its all-time lowest? This month's national supply had dipped to levels that the Red Cross says it had not seen in ten years. Blood shortages have become a national epidemic.

Communities throughout the U.S. are experiencing blood shortages more frequently and for prolonged periods due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our most vulnerable may be someone you know with cancer, pregnant, or someone living with sickle cell disease. A sobering fact is that while one in seven hospitalized people will need a blood transfusion in a lifetime, only one in 20 eligible blood donors donate. There is no substitute for blood, and your donation saves lives.

So how can you help? You can help by joining our collective efforts to get the word out to our family, friends, and colleagues about the importance of donating blood in such a critical time of need. You can create a fundraising page to support the mission, whether it is by running in a marathon, donating your birthday, or anything else. You can donate by Text REDCROSS to 90999 to support Disaster Relief efforts with a $10 donation.

Finally, make it a goal to participate in your organization's scheduled blood drives. The Red Cross (www.redcrossblood.org) is an excellent resource to find donation opportunities that genuinely can make a difference in our communities. Additionally, the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center (giveblood.org) is a wonderful resource in providing safe and accurate guidance on donating blood and fundraising for the cause. After you donate in the manner you choose post to your social media and tag #ATDHou to collectively rejoice in your efforts as a community of professionals.

In closing, please remember that more than 33,000 daily blood donations are required throughout the U.S. to meet patient needs. Be the difference in potentially saving a life by making blood donation a habit for you, your friends, and your family this January. The talent development community can pave the way through our actions and compassion to help alleviate this crisis of blood donations.

Donna Hailey, 2022 ATD Houston President

2021 End-Of-Year Special Message from Our Chapter President

Fri, 17 Dec 2021 23:01:32 GMT

As 2021 comes to a close, I want to take a moment and reflect on the year that was. ATD Houston was successful this year because of you, our chapter members. You continued to develop employees, help people upgrade their skills, and lead your companies. Also, you found time to attend ATD Houston Events. ATD Houston has remained programming virtually during this challenging time despite our best efforts. But you have continued to upgrade your skills by attending ATD Houston Events. These included virtual GIG, SIG, General Meetings, and our Annual Technology Conference in the Spring and Talent Development Conference in the fall.

I want to pause here to thank the 2021 Board for all their hard work. Donna Hailey-President-Elect, Sandhya Lakhanpal-Vice President Membership, Brittanni Below-Vice President Finance, Jasmyne Patterson-Vice President Groups, Harriett Pritchett-Vice President Programs, Kent Nutell-"Interim" Vice President Professional Development, both Bruce Abbott-Vice President Marketing and Communication and Gloria Alvarez who stepped in halfway through the year when Bruce had to step down, and finally Debbie Richards-Past President. This group has been the glue that held us together for 2021 as we continued to suffer the effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and ATD Houston would not function without them.

We look forward to 2022 and what we can bring to the table for Talent Development in the Houston area. May you and your family have a Happy Holiday, and we look forward to seeing you in 2022.

Happy June!

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 19:56:30 GMT

Summer has arrived in the Houston area with a vengeance with highs approaching 100 degrees already. You ATD leadership team has been hard at work putting together some equally “hot” events. First, let me encourage everyone to put the ATD Houston Virtual Fall Conference on their calendars for October 13 through 14. This day and a half virtual conference is being geared to talk about how Talent Development impacts change as we move back to the basic skills using the ATD Capability Model. We are very excited to announce that our featured keynote speaker will be Sardek Love. Visit the conference home page HERE to read more about the conference.

Secondly, I want to encourage everyone to attend our July General Meeting on July 13 where Houston’s own technology guru and ATD Houston Past President, Debbie Richards will be presenting What’s New? Moving to Hybrid Meetings. As we all begin to move towards the reopening and move to our “new normal” this will inform you on some best practices.

Finally, as you may recall ATD Houston had planned on moving to hybrid meetings for July. In May I talked about that and about how ATD Houston, like many of you, struggled with 2020 and the first half of 2021 due to impacts on our revenues. The reality is that not every venue is open at this point. For example, the United Way of Greater Houston, where we have held most of our meetings over the past several years, may not reopen until January 2022. The programs team, led by our V.P. of Programs Harriett Pritchard looked for viable alternatives but were unable to find a location that enabled us to meet in an affordable manner for July. We are continuing to look and will keep everyone informed. At this point we are hoping to have an in-person meeting in September. We are also looking at having a Happy Hour Networking event at a local restraint/bar in August. More to come on that later.

I want to thank everyone for their resilience over the past year and a half as your ATD Chapter navigated the COVID crisis. It is our goal to continue to provide value for the greater Houston talent development community.

Talk soon.

Robert

Hybrid Meetings To Begin This Summer

Thu, 13 May 2021 17:53:32 GMT

Happy May everyone. I hope you and your family are doing well as we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 Pandemic. We have had a great first four months of 2021 that included a fantastic technology conference put on by our programs team. I wanted to send this note out to our membership to provide you an update on where ATD Houston is on moving back to in-person events as well as provide an update on our virtual programming.

At our Board Meeting on May 3, the Board of Directors voted to begin a hybrid version of programming beginning in July. A hybrid version means that there will be both in-person and virtual options of the meeting available. The plan is to begin with our General Meeting for that month. Naturally this will only occur if we stay on the current trajectory. During May and June we will be developing the protocols for meetings to ensure everyone’s safety and those will be announced in late June.

With this change to our programming we will also make another change. At the beginning of the pandemic your Board of Directors shifted all programming to virtual only. Recognizing that times were difficult we also suspended payments for all programs so that we could support the Talent Development community in the Houston area. Like many of you, 2020 was a difficult time for the Houston ATD Chapter. Our chapter relies on three primary streams of income: memberships, programs, and sponsors. The pandemic disrupted two of those streams; programs and sponsors. While the board was diligent and reduced as many expenses as possible we do have fixed costs that cannot be changed. While we have maintained a positive balance thanks to our previous years where we managed to save reserves, our income dropped significantly. With this in mind we will also be moving back to a fee based approach for all of our programs in July as well. This will help us continue to support the Talent Development community in the Houston area by keeping the chapter on a stable financial footing.

If you have any questions regarding this change please feel free to reach out to me or any of our board members. I look forward to the rest of 2021 and seeing everyone very soon.

Robert Cocheu, CPTD
2021 President
ATD Houston

Welcome! From 2021 Chapter President Robert Cocheu, CPTD

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 14:48:31 GMT

Good Monday morning ATD Houston. I am honored to be moving into the office of President for ATD Houston for 2021 in January. It is a huge privilege and responsibility. Before we go any further, I want to extend the most heartfelt gratitude to our 2020 President, Debbie Richards for all of her hard work this past year. As a board, she has led and mentored us, and made sure we met the needs of ATD Houston during this incredibly difficult time. We could not have done any of it without her. I also want to thank the 2020 board. This group of individuals has worked with their teams to ensure we filled programing needs during 2020.

I believe we hold the future of work in the Houston area in our hands and it is up to us to ensure that individuals have the skills necessary to do that work. One way we do that is by ensuring that our programs match what our community, (you) tells us they need. We do this by issuing an annual survey. You should have received the survey last week. I want to encourage every one of you to go out and take the brief survey.

Thank you for your hard work and I look forward to serving all of you during 2021.

A Fond Farewell

Debbie Richards — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 16:02:58 GMT

2020 has been a challenging year! Thank you so much for your support of the chapter this year. We had two in-person events this year before switching to virtual events. Our events teams were quick to "adapt and swivel" as we had a number of webinars and on-line events - everything from our two-day Fall conference to informal meet-ups just to stay in touch. We hope our programming was interesting and engaging for you!

The annual Employee Learning Week events are scheduled for the week of Dec. 7-11. We hope you will take the time to celebrate learning in your organization as well as take time for your own professional development. Please join us!

The ATD Houston Gives initiative for 2020 will benefit the Houston Food Bank. Please consider at least a $10 donation to help those Houstonians in need. Go to https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/Celebrations/Fundraiser452 to make your donation. Thanks in advance for helping with our fund raising effort.

It has been my honor to serve as President of the 2020 ATD Houston board. I now move forward into the role of past president and mentor. I look forward to "seeing" you virtually soon - and with high hopes of seeing you in-person in 2021.

Another Reason to Sign up for the ATD Houston Virtual Conference!

Debbie Richards — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 12:56:26 GMT

Exciting news for our ATD Houston Virtual conference attendees! We have a ATD certificate program registration (up to $1600 value) to raffle off.

See certificate program details here: https://www.td.org/education-courses/certificate-programs

How to win: Be the most active in the Whova app during the conference, and you will be entered into a drawing to win the conference grand prize! Attendees with the top activity on the following will be entered into the drawing: Whova app leader board, completed session evaluations, exhibitor passport stamps and of course photo contests!!

The winner will be announced during the conference closing session. Good Luck and Happy learning, sharing and networking!

ATD Houston 2020 Virtual Talent Development Conference

Debbie Richards — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 23:19:46 GMT

Register before Oct 1, 2020 for a chance to win an Apple iPad plus start networking now with attendees, speakers and sponsors.

View the Conference Schedule: Schedule
View the Speaker Lineup: Speakers
View the Sponsor Information: Sponsors
Sign up as a sponsor: Chapter Sponsors Benefits and Become a Sponsor
Register for the conference: ATD Houston 2020 Virtual Talent Development Conference

New to the conference

Creating Personal Growth: The conference presentation provides ideas, examples, and a challenge. In the second follow-up session (after the conference) the speaker will debrief their application and provide feedback so all can learn through actual and shared experience.
Mentors!: A chance to engage with "mega-mentors" who will lead a session focused on one of the ATD Capabilities.

At the conference, you will be able to watch live educational sessions via video streaming and participate by asking questions, leaving comments and joining activities in real time. If you miss a session, you will be able to watch the recording later.

Your registration also includes access to our mobile app - network with attendees, speakers and sponsors - before, during and after the conference.

New Learning Resources from LinkedIn, Microsoft and GitHub

Debbie Richards — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 15:57:13 GMT

Reskilling and job search assistance

LinkedIn, Microsoft, and GitHub are offering free learning paths mapped to jobs that are in-demand, discounted Microsoft certifications to validate skills, and best practices for job searching and interview prepping, so you can put your best foot forward. Start developing your skills for free with learning paths from LinkedIn Learning and Microsoft Learn, then practice tech skills in the GitHub Learning Lab.

Go to https://opportunity.linkedin.com/ to get started.

Diversity and inclusion

Understanding and creating diversity, inclusion, and belonging are essential to building a better workplace and society. Here is a free learning path to help us all recognize unconscious bias, communicate across cultures, and have inclusive conversations.

May the "4th" be with you!

Debbie Richards — Sun, 03 May 2020 19:50:54 GMT

We are continuing to host free webinars and opportunities for your to engage with the ATD Houston community. Please let us know if there is any topic that would interest you. We'll do our best to bring it to you! We are especially excited to share four special opportunities with you!

Speaker RFPs for Sept Conference

Please submit your RFP for the ATD Houston 2020 Talent Development Conference to be held on Sept 17th! We are not sure if this conference will be in-person or virtual yet. But we are excited to begin working on it! Go to https://tdhouston.org/2020-TD-Conference-Speaker-RFP.for details and to submit your RFP. If you have never spoken before, have a topic to share, and would like to get coaching, please contact speakerchair@tdhouston.org.

Skillsoft Percipio - A Member-only Benefit

Thank you to our generous chapter sponsor! Experience Skillsoft Percipio, an intelligent online learning experience platform that delivers an immersive learning experience. This is a benefit just for members.

Log in at https://tdhouston.percipio.com/login.html#/ using the email that you use for the tdhouston.org website. If you have any issues logging into the site, contact feedback@tdhouston.org. By the way, anyone can sign up for the free Skillsoft Perspectives conference. Go to https://www.skillsoft.com/perspectives/ for details.

May Membership Drive

Join (or rejoin) the ATD Houston chapter at a reduced rate in May! Use the code "MayMember" to save $25 off your general membership rate. Help support our chapter and get access to member-only special offers such as the Skillsoft Percipio platform. Application for Membership

ATD Virtual Conference - Chapter Discounts!

ATD is launching its first-ever Virtual Conference: Building Capabilities and Connection, June 1–5. This event will connect you with subject matter experts, leading thinkers, and visionaries in our field, while learning about important trends and core capabilities that are especially relevant for times like this. Join our global talent development community to learn, collaborate, and network in a safe and responsible way.

Chapters with five or more members attending the virtual conference are eligible for exclusive rates ( $370 for ATD national members and $470 for nonmembers). Contact feedback@tdhouston.org to be a part of our team and get the discounted rate.

Online Learning Opportunities

Debbie Richards — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 17:39:05 GMT

Want to brush up on existing skills or learning something new? Here are upcoming free or low-cost online webinars and conferences.

Skillsoft Perspectives - FREE 24 hour conference
May 13 - https://www.skillsoft.com/perspectives

Online Conference of the International Association for Blended Learning
April 22 - https://iabl.org/First-OnlineWCBL2020/.

Here’s your chance to participate in a one of a kind conference experience and learn from experts worldwide! For 24 hours on April 22, at 10 A.M. EDT, come learn about moving and teaching online at the Online Conference of the International Association for Blended Learning, all for only 20€ (about $22). You will also receive links to all recordings.

ATD webcasts - https://webcasts.td.org/

The Staff Superhero: How to Save the Day and Keep Remote Employees Engaged
Tuesday, April 21, 2020 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
https://webcasts.td.org/webinar/3718

ATD’s Certifications and New Talent Development Capability Model
Thursday, April 30, 2020 8:00am - 9:30am EDT
https://webcasts.td.org/webinar/3749

How To Convert Workshops to Remote Training
Apr 29 - https://www.situationexpert.com/events/2300

How then do we cushion the impact on the way we do our training and learning when faced with a sudden crisis? How do we convert our classroom training into online learning with the least effort, lowest cost, and still make it effective, interactive and impactful?

ATD Houston Update and Fun Resources

Debbie Richards — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 17:07:08 GMT

ATD Houston is committed to providing a reliable and supportive educational environment, even during these difficult and uncertain times. The health and safety of our members and volunteers is of the utmost importance. We are here to support you, our colleagues, during this time.

Our programming has moved to a virtual setting until we are able to come together in person again.
We have postponed the Technology Conference until we can schedule an in-person event.
General meetings and GIGs are still happening every month in webinar format. These events will be free until we can return to our regular in-person events.
Community Chats provide a break in your day to collaborate virtually with your peers. Come with questions, challenges or just the opportunity to connect with others.
Friday's Virtual Happy Hour is a fun way to end the week.

Additional Resources - Just for fun and relaxation

Engage remote employees and retain customers. Create competitive quizzes, polls, and e-learning that anyone can play on any device. https://quizizz.com/business
A Conference Call in Real Life. https://youtu.be/DYu_bGbZiiQ
Stay Home & Color: A collection of free coloring pages to help you relax. https://dribbble.com/stories/2020/04/03/stay-home-and-color
Watch movie-quality shows designed for your phone. New episodes every day. Sign up for Quibi now and get a limited time 90-day free trial. https://quibi.com/

If you have any questions or feedback on how we can best meet your needs, please don't hesitate to reach out to me at president@tdhouston.org.

Take care of yourself!

Debbie Richards, ATD Houston President 2020

Update on ATD Houston Meetings and Events

Debbie Richards — Sun, 15 Mar 2020 18:19:34 GMT

One of the core values of ATD Houston is taking care of our community. This enduring value guides us as we face the difficult challenge of responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19), which the World Health Organization declared a pandemic on Wednesday. Our hearts and thoughts go out to the people who have been affected by this unprecedented event and we appreciate the healthcare workers, local communities, and governments around the world who are on the front line working to contain this coronavirus.

At this time, we are in the process of setting up the infrastructure to allow you the option to attend ATD Houston programs virtually and to collaborate in online discussions. Please stay tuned as we make adjustments to our programming. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

For the latest coronavirus updates and resources in our community, please visit http://www.hcphtx.org/Resources/2019-Novel-Coronavirus

Here are learning resources to support those in your own organizations. If you have a specific need or question about moving to virtual meetings or training, please contact us. We will add a page on the ATD Houston site and update it with more resources as we get them. Please share these with others!

Resources for Virtual Training Design and Facilitation: https://www.td.org/virtual-training
COVID-19: HELPING YOU HELP YOUR PEOPLE (includes assets for creating three essential courses (Take Precautions: COVID-19, Form Your Virtual Team and Lead Your Virtual Team): https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/covid-19-helping-you-help-your-people-megan-torrance
Tips for Those Who Are New to Being an Online Learner: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tips-those-who-new-being-online-learner-karl-kapp
Remote Working: Setting Yourself and Your Teams Up for Success: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/paths/remote-working-setting-yourself-and-your-teams-up-for-success
Tips to Level-Up Your Virtual Learning Game: https://learningrebels.com/2020/03/13/tips-to-level-up-your-virtual-learning-game/
Virtual Training Resources: https://www.cindyhuggett.com/resources/#!/checklists
Compiled list of resources for creating live virtual training (includes offers for online tools): https://airtable.com/shr80xyNQnIoDBi0s/tblq6Vs7UG85iJZsj?blocks=hide

Coronavirus Update for ATD Houston Members

Debbie Richards — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 23:48:34 GMT

Over the last week, the COVID-19 Coronavirus has become a global topic of concern. As the viral disease continues to spread, some employers are canceling conferences and limiting travel.

At this time, ATD Houston is continuing to plan face-to-face meetings and conferences. We will take necessary precautions based on local recommendations where a meeting is taking place. Should conditions change, we will make decisions based on the best interest of our members.

We will work closely with speakers to recommend against engaging in activities that involve physical contact—such as shaking hands—out of an abundance of caution and to respect individuals’ personal preferences.

We will continue to monitor the latest information available from global public health authorities and will provide updates as soon as possible.

For more information:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/

We want you to speak at an upcoming ATD Houston Event!

Debbie Richards — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 15:53:10 GMT

There are a lot of reasons why you should be a speaker for an ATD Houston event. Depending on how you look at it each and every one of us is a product or a brand. This is true for people who own their own company, are partners in a firm, or are high visibility employees. To sum it up, being a speaker gets you exposure, builds your brand, and can ultimately get you more business/exposure. Being a speaker at an ATD Houston event and showcasing your thought leadership on the subject you are presenting is truly the best advertisement for your business. Plus, what a way to shine and show your stuff to our ATD Houston community!

ATD Houston is always looking for talented and innovative speakers throughout the year, so it is always a great time to submit a proposal. We offer a variety of programs, including workshops, general meetings, lunchtime meetings, virtual events and our two conferences, which includes a keynote and workshop speakers. Consider speaking at one of our events and share your insights with your ATD Houston community!

Here are some tips to help your submission(s) stand out:

Keep in mind that our members are looking for tangible takeaways that they can implement when returning to their workplace.
Our members love to hear how other learning and development professionals have approached a key challenge. Any case studies or examples that you can present are very desirable!
Our members also love learning about what not to do, or how other organizations learned from their mistakes.
Members come to ATD Houston events to hear unbiased presentations and we do not tolerate pitches for any kind of product or service. Please keep your abstract and presentation focused purely on education.

Go to https://tdhouston.org/Request-for-Speaker and complete the form. Note: topics submitted should relate to the new ATD Talent Development Capability Model. See https://www.td.org/insights/new-capability-model-is-a-blueprint-for-talent-development-professionals for specific details. Please know that all of our ATD Houston speakers undergo a vetting process. Once your speaking proposal is reviewed, someone from our events team will follow-up with you.

If you have any questions about submitting a proposal, please contact one of our respective board members for programs, groups and professional development events. You can find their contact information here - https://tdhouston.org/BOD.

I look forward to seeing you “shine” at an upcoming ATD Houston event!

Debbie Richards, ATD Houston President 2020

Welcome to 2020! A Note from the President

Debbie Richards — Thu, 02 Jan 2020 20:11:59 GMT

Thank you for being a member of the ATD Houston community of like-minded talent development professionals. Whether you are new to talent development or have been in the industry for years, our ATD Houston chapter is a valuable resource for professional development and networking. Our promise to you is to work hard to provide valuable content, resources and networking for you. Please let us know what you need to achieve your talent development potential in 2020. You can contact me directly at president@tdhouston.org or any board member – see https://tdhouston.org/BOD for their specific email addresses. We’ll do what we can to accommodate your needs!

We have big plans for 2020 and hope that you will continue to be part of our network! We will continue to have monthly meetings, webinars and conferences. Look to our website and/or social media platforms for updates.

2019 Reflections

The ATD Houston vision is “Inspiring talent development professionals to achieve their full potential.” In 2019, we made great strides towards fulfilling this vision. Here are some of our accomplishments over this past year:

Engaged the community through networking events and workshops.
- We held 65 events including webinars, general meetings, geographic interest groups (GIGs), special interest groups (SIGs) and workshops. There were 612 registrations for these events including out-of-town guests.
- We also had two major conferences with a total of 256 attendees.
Held the first annual Pinnacle Awards
- Houston Metro, MD Anderson Cancer Center - Leadership Institute, Plains All American and TechnipFMC were recognized for their achievements in Talent Development
- Strategic Ascent received the Community Service award!
Exceeded the ATD national chapter requirements!
- The chapter achieved 100% Chapter Affiliation Requirements (CARE) and Membership Super Star Status! This recognition means our chapter met all 18 elements of CARE in 2018.
- The chapter won a Power Membership Award based on its achievement of high levels of joint membership as reported in Chapter Affiliation Requirements (CARE). With a joint membership of 57 percent, our chapter was awarded second place in the large size category with a $3,000 prize!
Participated in community projects
- In May, we participated in the Walk to Cure Arthritis raising $1,146.00 for the cause!

Debbie Richards
ATD Houston President 2020

ATD Houston October 2018 Video Board Report

Debbie Richards — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 11:23:20 GMT

The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/3G7-72LvXes

ATD Houston August 2018 Video Board Report Out

Debbie Richards — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 21:29:17 GMT

The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/9Hts3k-H1GQ

ATD Houston June 2018 Video Board Report Out

Debbie Richards — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 22:47:15 GMT

The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/jpD49_xoV3g

ATD Houston May 2018 Board Report

Debbie Richards — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 22:56:20 GMT

The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/ZNtEi7Bfy_s

ATD Houston April 2018 Video Board Report

Debbie Richards — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 22:52:22 GMT

The video can be found at: https://youtu.be/AxlPn_lT5Ho

ATD Houston March 2018 Video Board Report

Debbie Richards — Thu, 07 Jun 2018 22:50:18 GMT

The video can be found at: https://youtu.be/diLv_BQtNLg

ATD Houston February 2018 Video Board Report

Debbie Richards — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 12:20:16 GMT

The video can be found at : https://youtu.be/3Zcokkxk-Z4

ATD Houston January 2018 Video Board Report

Debbie Richards — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 22:59:04 GMT

The video is located at: https://youtu.be/Ar_xdQFYDRs

President's Message 2018 (Eddie Turner)

Debbie Richards — Fri, 05 Jan 2018 22:13:36 GMT

"WE are ATD Houston!” Those simple but powerful words form the basis of our theme for 2018! ATD Houston is inclusive, diverse and unified. We have a place for everyone no matter what your vocation is. Join us and develop your talent to its fullest potential.

View video message: https://youtu.be/Ar_xdQFYDRs

Welcome to the 2017 ATD Houston Fall Conference & Expo: Create the Future!

Debbie Richards — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 14:38:09 GMT

This year, our conference is truly special. We have weathered a tremendous storm, and this conference provides a time and space to regroup and refocus on ourselves. We come together to support each other, learn from each other, and gain new insights and knowledge we can apply towards creating our future. You will have the opportunity to network and share stories of resiliency with your peers and learn from industry experts via the breakout sessions and the Expo sponsors and vendors. These opportunities will provide an outstanding experience for you. We are excited to have Bob Pike as our Keynote Speaker. Bob is a thought leader and guru in the talent develop- ment industry, and his “Power of One” keynote will provide us with guidance for what each of us can do to support and grow ourselves and others. We also have a wonderful, knowledgeable group of breakout speakers, each ready to deliver an outstanding session, all focused on ways we can create our future, for ourselves and our com- panies.

Many hours of diligent planning and preparation have been spent on this conference. I want to thank each volun- teer, leader, and speaker who have given of themselves to meet the needs of our ATD members and guests. I also want to thank our sponsors and vendors, whose financial support ensures events like these are possible. I also want to thank the Boy Scouts of America for the use of their facility and associated support.

We hope you enjoy your day and consider a membership in ATD Houston if you are not already a member. Join us and learn, grow and network to greater success.

Thank you for attending today, and enjoy the conference

Nannette Daugherty | 2017 President, ATD Houston Chapter

2016 ATD Houston Fall Conference

Tue, 30 Aug 2016 15:21:57 GMT

WELCOME! The 2016 ATD Houston Chapter Fall Conference is here. On September 22nd, we will spend the day together talking, laughing and caring. We have worked diligently for the past year to share an incredible experience with you. One that will let you learn, grow and transform your organization. The theme is “Resiliency – Take Charge”. With such changing times, we all need to be resilient. Our teams and organizations need to be resilient and we are offering the learning and the tools to help you become just that. The excellent speakers, applications from the break-out sessions and the opportunity to meet and network with many professionals who face the same challenges and successes will provide an outstanding experience for you.

We are excited to introduce our Keynote Speaker, Sandy Asch. She will be sharing her success in creating a resilient organization at the San Diego Zoo. If you want to attract the best employees through integrity and respect, enhance wellbeing and happiness for superior performance, nurture enhanced engagement with the organization's mission, take control of time and energy, encourage courageous conversations to forge trust and loyalty, raise talented new leaders to take the mission forward and leave feeling renewed and energized then you won’t want to miss Sandy and her wisdom. We also have a most talented line up of breakout session speakers and wonderful vendors and exhibitors who are going to be supporting you and the conference.

Hours of design, planning and preparation have gone into this conference. I want to thank each volunteer, leader, speaker and vendor who have invested themselves to meet the needs of each ATD Houston member and guest. Without our members and volunteers, events like this would not be possible. Thank you to the University of Houston for their cooperation and sponsorship. We hope you enjoy your day and will consider membership in ATD Houston if you are not already a member. Make a difference for you and others.

ATD Houston is Counting on YOU

Mon, 08 Feb 2016 02:57:50 GMT

We are well on our way in 2016 and ATD Houston is counting on each of its members to make a difference. A difference for themselves, for all talent development professionals, and for the greater community. Be engaged. Become involved. Attend the excellent programs, professional development opportunities, Community Training Networks CTNs), Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and outstanding conferences. Volunteer to support ATD Houston and our community partners. Membership is key to making a difference. Be a Power Member- connect to ATD Houston and ATD International.

We look forward to seeing you, sharing with you, supporting you and making a positive difference for you! Come join us and be part of the excitement of ATD Houston.

More Technology

David Bell — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 01:57:22 GMT

After attending last night's general meeting on Bring Your On Device (BYOB) with Larry Straining, I have a renewed appreciation for leveraging technology in the learning environment. Larry shared with us many ideas on simple ways to use QR codes. We learned that you can use QR codes for providing instructions, providing quizzes, delivering surveys, making assignments and many more creative ideas. During the session, Larry also introduced us to other online tools to support learning through the use of technology.

I did have a few surprises during the session. I was really amazed at how many people indicated that they do not have a Twitter account. I thought everyone had a Twitter account. Though I have challenges with using Twitter at work, I have used it quite a bit during the past couple of years at conferences and meetings in what is called the "back channel". Our meeting tweets can be found at #ATDHouston. I'm not the most advanced technology person, but I do appreciate a tool that delivers ideas and information from a variety of sources. I have even participated in a Twitter chat group on Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m. CST called #lrnchat. I encourage you to try it out.

If you missed last evening's general meeting, be sure to make one of the upcoming Community Training Network (CTN) meetings around the city of Houston. You will learn a lot and meet some fantastic people.

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

David Bell

President 2015

ATD Houston Chapter

Personal Twitter: @davidbell02

Chapter Twitter: @ATDHouston

Looking Up

David Bell — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 02:50:52 GMT

Do you ever get so busy with life that you don't take the time to look up? Believe it or not, we have made it to June. Hopefully, you have weathered the storms and the flooding in the Houston area during the month of May. As I look out my office window today, I saw the beautiful sunshine. It reminds me of all of the beautiful things that are happening with the ATD Houston chapter.

First, have you attended any of the ATD Houston events this year. There is definitely something for everyone including the Tech Conference in April, the general meetings or one of the webinars focusing on tools for talent development. We have also had a least four CTN meetings each month in different parts of Houston or maybe you connected with the Young Professionals or the Career Transition group. If you haven't had the opportunity to attend one of these many splendid events, you are missing out on excellent information related to talent development and connecting with other professionals in the community.

Secondly, many of us in the Houston area took a trip to Orlando, FL to join in the fun at the ATD International Conference & EXPO. There were many excellent speakers during the course of the conference. My favorite speaker was Sugata Mitra. I also enjoyed meeting many of the companies who were showcasing their offerings at the EXPO.

During the month of June, we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary as an ATD chapter. Come join us at our general meeting on June 9th to celebrate 50 years of great members and great memories. Also, we will share some of the things we learned from the ATD International Conference & EXPO.

Here's to looking up!

David Bell

President

ATD Houston Chapter

Welcome to 2015

Debbie Richards — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 19:15:27 GMT

The ATD Houston Chapter is looking forward to an exciting year in 2015! First of all, we will be celebrating our 50 year anniversary as a chapter in the coming year. We also plan to host the Technology Expo in April and the Fall Conference in September.

We will continue to come together with our general chapter meetings and through our Community Training Network (CTN) meetings throughout the year.

We also hope to reach more of our members with events through the use of virtual technology so that you will have access to expertise and information without having to travel across town.

I would like to share three objectives for our chapter in 2015.

We want to create a great experience for our members and guests at all of our meetings and events
We want to improve member engagement and retention. We encourage everyone to get involve to make our chapter better for our members and guests whether it is by volunteering for a specific event or by serving as a part of our newly established leadership team for 2015.
We want to make a meaningful contribution to our community. We can do this by sharing our time and talents in service to others in the Houston community.

If you want to identify ways to get more involved in the chapter, plan to attend the upcoming ATD Houston Membership and Volunteer Showcase at Saint Arnold’s Brewery at 6:00 p.m. on January 13^th. If you want to provide us feedback, please feel free to send us an e-mail at feedback@tdhouston.org.

So here is to a great year in 2015!

David Bell
ATD Houston Chapter
President 2015

ATD Houston Leadership Opportunities

Debbie Richards — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 12:35:23 GMT

“The single biggest way to impact an organization is to focus on leadership development. There is almost no limit to the potential of an organization that recruits good people, raises them up as leaders and continually develops them.”

John C Maxwell.

For more information about leadership opportunities within the ATD Houston Chapter, send an e-mail expressing your interest and a current resume to leadership@tdhouston.org.