ATD Houston upcoming events

Workshop: Strategic Learning Architect - Driving Performance in the Age of AI (August 27, 2026)

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMT

The ground is shifting for talent development. For decades, our value was often measured by the volume of content we could create. Today, AI can generate outlines, scripts, and assessments in seconds. This transition is not about replacement; it is the partner we need to finally move from being order-takers for training requests to becoming strategic leaders who drive measurable business results.

In this two-hour interactive virtual workshop, we will explore how to evolve from a content creator into a Strategic Learning Architect. You will learn to use your professional judgment as the ultimate filter, ensuring AI acts as an accelerator for quality rather than just a generator of generic content. By narrowing our focus to high-impact activities, we will practice moving away from tactical production toward solving real business problems.

Key Takeaways

The Three Pillars of Modern TD: Learn to reorganize your work around Enablement, Curation, and Governance to move from pushing content to facilitating high-value learning experiences.
Strategic Problem Diagnosis: Practice shifting conversations with leaders from training requests to identifying "strategic anchors” trying every initiative to a top-level company priority.
The Human-AI-Human Framework: Master a non-negotiable process where human expertise provides the strategic direction and the final quality pass to ensure nuance and accuracy.
Strategic Thinking in Prompting: Engage in hands-on activities to use prompting as a tool for organizational diagnosis and skills gap analysis rather than just generating text.

Speaker Bio

Debbie Richards is an AI strategy consultant and the president of Creative Interactive Ideas. As a long-standing leader within the Association for Talent Development (ATD) community, she has served as the president emeritus for the ATD Houston chapter. She frequently leverages her deep expertise to support ATD chapters and members globally as an ATD facilitator, where she leads specialized workshops on applying AI in Learning & Development.

Debbie is the author of the TD at Work issue, "Become a Strategic Learning Architect With AI," and her work focuses on helping TD professionals move beyond tactical content creation to become strategic business partners. She is a regular speaker at international conferences, championing AI literacy and the "human-AI-human" framework to ensure technology acts as a powerful accelerator for performance and business results.

Welcome to ATD Houston! (September 08, 2026)

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Come join us for a quick introduction to ATD Houston and the benefits you get as a member of the local chapter. We welcome and encourage questions during this session.

This session is for:
-new ATD Houston members
-people curious about ATD Houston members
-ATD Houston members who need a refresher on benefits of membership

Speaker: Janeth Harrison, President-Elect ATD Houston

ATD Houston 2026 Talent Development Conference and Expo Registration (September 17, 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Stop reacting to market disruptions and start outrunning them. The ATD Houston 2026 Annual Conference gives you the blueprint to build a resilient workforce that thrives under pressure. Whether you lead an enterprise team, design instructional content, or manage talent systems, this event delivers practical strategies you can use immediately.

The Conference Experience

You will start the day with an exclusive morning workshop led by Marc Effron, one of the top authorities in talent management. He will share direct, data-driven approaches to building high-performing talent.

In the afternoon, the concurrent sessions move away from traditional, siloed topics into a progressive workforce lifecycle model. You can customize your learning track across three distinct phases:

READY (Assessment & Strategic Alignment): Discover how to map your current business needs and accurately forecast the skills your organization requires next.

Stop Building Programs. Start Building Pipelines - Brittani Hendricks
From Data Collection to Strategic Analysis - Tonya Tucker
Designing an Employee Onboarding Experience That Builds Future Talent - Eva Baltazar

BUILD (Design & Accelerated Deployment): Learn production methods to create quality learning programs and roll them out quickly to your teams.

From Design to Scale: Using AI to Build Talent Programs That Last - Erica Jenkins
From Program to Pipeline: Creating a Continuous Flow of Future Leaders - Crystal Andrus and Jasmine John
The Human Side of AI: Preventing Bottlenecks - Jade Williams

MAINTAIN (Sustainability & Operational Excellence): Find out how to measure business outcomes, scale your efforts, and ensure long-term performance.

When More Isn't Better: Sustaining Performance in an Age of Perpetual Acceleration - Carol Enneking
Building Continuous Improvement into your Evaluation Strategy - Robert Cocheu
Culture Is Operations: Turning Learning into Behaviors Your System Reinforces - John Marshall

Between sessions, you can visit the expo to test new tools and connect with peers during dedicated networking blocks. You will walk away with new community connections and a clear plan to protect your organization against future disruptions.

Bring your team! Contact presidentemeritus@tdhouston.org for special team discount for 4+ people from the same organization.

Morning Workshop: Building Great Talent Managers: The 4+2 Model

Description: There’s not a secret to growing better talent faster, there’s a process. In this 3-hour highly interactive and practical workshop, you’ll learn about and assess your organization’s talent production line – the disciplined process for producing talent. You’ll learn where most organizations go wrong and how the best thrive. You’ll also become a better talent-building HR leader with the 4+2 Model. This model from Marc Effron’s Talent Management Institute at the University of North Carolina details what differentiates the best talent-builders in HR. You’ll leave with a focused action plan for optimizing how your organization (and you) build better talent faster.

Marc Effron, President, The Talent Strategy Group

As one of the world’s top advisors on human resources and talent management, Marc helps the world's premier companies, NGO’s, foundations and governments to elevate the quality and impact of their talent. He leads transformational HR projects globally in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to consumer products to technology.

Marc co-authored the Harvard Business Review Publishing best-selling book One Page Talent Management, often called the “talent management bible.” His most recent book, 8 Steps to High Performance, also from Harvard, is quickly reaching best-seller status. He has written more than 50 articles on HR and talent topics.

Marc conducts original research on key HR topics each year including recent reports on High Potential Development, The State of Performance and Potential and the Who Are We report about the HR profession.

Marc co-founded the Talent Management Institute at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School in 2011. It’s the world’s most popular executive education program on talent with more than 7,000 graduates and taught at locations around the globe.

His prior experience includes roles as VP Talent Management for Avon Products, Global Leadership Consulting Head for Aon Hewitt, SVP Leadership Development for Bank of America and a Congressional Staff Assistant.

Marc has been published in or heard on Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Financial Times, the BBC, Bloomberg Radio, Inc., New York Post, and some of the world’s most popular podcasts.

Marc earned a M.B.A. from the Yale University School of Management and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Washington.

What to Expect

Come ready to participate, learn, listen and network!
A light breakfast, hot lunch, and snacks will be included throughout the day. If you have dietary restrictions, please email
Wear comfortable clothing whether it is jeans or business - we want you to just be you!
Ample onsite parking will be provided without cost.

APTD/CPTD Certification

This program is eligible for 5 APTD and CPTD recertification points from the ATD Certification Institute. The amount indicated is the maximum number of recertification points a participant can receive for this program.

Visit https://www.td.org/ci-recertification for more details about the APTD and CPTD recertification policies

ATD Houston is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®. This program is valid for PDCs for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit www.shrmcertification.org.

Event Registration and Cancellation Policy: Event Registration and Cancellation Policy: ATD Houston has implemented Event Registration and Cancellation Policy for its paid events. Event registration fees should be paid online by credit/debit card at the time of registration. If you must pay at the event by check or debit/credit card, please contact the Chapter Administrator, at admin@tdhouston.org for approval prior to registering. If you need to cancel your registration, please contact feedback@tdhouston.org. All cancellations are subject to a $15.00 administrative fee. No refund will be given for cancellations made less than 48 hours prior to the event. If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact ATD Houston.

GIG Woodlands: Post-Conference Debrief and Download Networking Lunch (September 22, 2026)

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 16:30:00 GMT

GIG Woodlands: Post-Conference Debrief and Download Networking Lunch

Join us for an informal discussion focused on lessons learned, key themes, and practical takeaways from the 2026 ATD Houston Talent Development Conference.

Conference attendees are encouraged to share their favorite sessions, new ideas, and strategies they plan to apply. If you unable to attend, come hear highlights from your peers and join the conversation about current trends and opportunities in talent development.

What You’ll Experience:

Meaningful conversations with local learning and talent development professionals
Conference insights and ideas you can bring back to your organization
Opportunities to build relationships and expand your professional network
A relaxed, welcoming environment for discussion and collaboration

Upon Arrival:

Visit us in the ATD Houston reserved meeting room
Purchase your lunch and find a seat
Introduce yourself, connect with fellow attendees, and join the conversation

We look forward to seeing you there and continuing the conversation beyond the conference!

For more information contact gigdirector@tdhouston.org.

General Meeting: Curing the HR Hangover (October 20, 2026)

Tue, 20 Oct 2026 22:30:00 GMT

HR professionals have been carrying the weight of every people decision in the organization — and the hangover is real. This session flips the script. When HR stops trying to be in every room and starts empowering the entire organization to own the employee experience, that's when HR becomes what it was always meant to be: a strategic business driver. This talk integrates ROI fluency, the IMPACT Model, and CEO-level communication to help HR professionals step out of the transactional fog and into transformational leadership — as true business stakeholders.

Learner Objectives:

HR Is a Shared Sport: Discover how to build a culture of shared ownership over the employee experience — so HR can finally stop being the only one playing defense and start calling the plays.
Speak CEO. Drive ROI.: Learn the financial language that gets HR a permanent seat at the strategy table — and how to tie every HR initiative to a measurable business outcome that makes the C-Suite lean in.
Deploy the IMPACT Model: Walk away with a practical six-step framework — Integrate, Measure, Partner, Align, Create, Transform — to shift HR from reactive to revenue-generating in any size organization.

ATD Capability Model – Managing Learning Programs and Integrated Talent Management

To learn more about this model see: https://tdcapability.org/#/

Reanette Etzler is not your typical HR speaker. She is a PHR-certified HR strategist, John Maxwell Executive Director, keynote speaker, and executive coach with over 30 years of experience across retail, restaurant, nonprofit, private, and public sector industries.

She has sat at negotiating tables, advised C-suite executives, navigated organizational landmines that would make most HR professionals update their LinkedIn profile on the spot, and come out the other side with a strategic framework that actually works. She founded The Strategic HR Coach with one mission: move HR from transactional to transformational — and from the back office to the boardroom. Reanette has led HR strategy, union negotiations, executive coaching, and organizational transformation across industries ranging from farm credit and franchise operations to government and nonprofit leadership.

Her breadth of experience means she has seen every version of the HR Hangover — and she knows exactly how to cure it. Her sessions are known for real audience engagement, practical tools attendees can use the moment they walk out the door, and the kind of honest, sometimes uncomfortable truths that HR and CEOs have needed to hear for a long time. She will bring the laughs. She will bring the data. And she will bring every person in that room one step closer to becoming the strategic business partner their organization actually needs. "HR is everyone's role — someone just forgot to tell the C-suite."

Webinar: Beyond Training: Why Leadership Development Fails Without Cultural Intelligence (October 22, 2026)

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Organisations invest millions in leadership development every year, yet many still struggle to translate learning into sustained behavioural change and improved performance.

One often-overlooked factor is culture.

In multicultural organisations, leadership behaviours are not always interpreted in the way they were intended. The result is that even well-designed development programmes can fail to deliver the expected business outcomes.

In this interactive webinar, Emma Jordaan explores why traditional leadership development approaches often overlook the hidden influence of culture and shares practical strategies that Learning & Development professionals can use to design learning experiences that create greater clarity, stronger leadership capability and measurable organisational impact.

Understand why leadership development does not always translate into workplace performance.

* Recognise how cultural differences influence the way leadership behaviours are interpreted.

* Explore practical ways to embed Cultural Intelligence into leadership development programmes.

* Identify opportunities to design learning that improves collaboration, trust and organisational performance.

* Leave with practical ideas to strengthen the impact of their leadership development initiatives.

ATD Capability Model – Performance Improvement, Learning Technologies

To learn more about this model see: https://tdcapability.org/#/

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Emma Jordaan is a Cultural Intelligence (CQ) thought leader, TEDx and international keynote speaker, author of Dubai Decoded, and Founder & CEO of Infinite Consulting. With more than 20 years of experience across the UK, Europe, and GCC, Emma works with leaders and organisations to strengthen leadership, align L&D strategy with business performance, and build high-performing multicultural teams. A CQ Fellow and creator of the CultureVantage™ and R.A.P.I.D.™ frameworks, she has worked with global organisations including Visa, Standard Chartered, and Alvarez & Marsal and has spoken at major platforms including GITEX, HRSE, and the L&D Summit.

General Meeting: Leading the Emotional Side of Change (November 10, 2026)

Tue, 10 Nov 2026 23:30:00 GMT

Leading the Emotional Side of Change: How to convert resistance into progress

Everyone understands the need for change. We just don’t like to be changed. When we’re deeply connected to our ways, being asked to do things differently triggers frustration, anxiety, and even grief. In today’s environment of constant disruption, plans and policies aren’t enough—leaders need to know what to do when emotions run high. This interactive, research-backed session equips HR professionals and people leaders with practical techniques to meet resistance with skill.

Learner Objectives:

Recognize the emotional signals beneath resistance — and understand what they're really telling you.
Practice three hands-on techniques for responding to pushback in the moment.
Leave with a concrete plan for applying your insights at your workplace.

ATD Capability Model – Managing Learning Programs and Integrated Talent Management

To learn more about this model see: https://tdcapability.org/#/

Marek Rudak is an emotional intelligence expert who has designed workshops for premier organizations such as NASA, Fidelity, and Rice University. He is certified in the EQ-i 2.0® & EQ 360® assessments that help his clients quickly understand what they need to do specifically to improve their leadership skills and effectiveness.

Marek is also certified in Red Team Coaching, a revolutionary set of tools first developed by the military and intelligence agencies, then evolved to help business executives thrive in complexity and make better decisions by ensuring emotions are an asset, not a liability. Marek graduated in the top 10% of his class at West Point and became a Ranger in the 82nd Airborne Division, where he deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Upon separating from the Army, he joined ExxonMobil, where he worked on global, multi-billion-dollar projects for ten years.

As an executive coach, Marek accumulated over 5,000 hours coaching C-suite leaders and their teams at multiple Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, non-profits, and government agencies.

Judith Walton is a leadership coach and organizational development consultant who helps leaders navigate the emotional side of change—especially when the stakes are high and the path forward isn’t clear. With over 20 years of experience at NASA, she built and supported teams operating in complex, high-pressure environments where clarity had to emerge in real time.

She specializes in helping leaders work the stretch between “we don’t know yet” and “now we do,” equipping them to stay grounded in moments of resistance, surface what’s really driving pushback, and move teams toward shared ownership and progress.

Judith’s approach blends emotional intelligence, practical tools, and real-world application—giving leaders not just insight, but something they can use immediately when emotions run high and decisions matter most.

ATD Houston upcoming events

Workshop: Strategic Learning Architect - Driving Performance in the Age of AI (August 27, 2026)

Welcome to ATD Houston! (September 08, 2026)

ATD Houston 2026 Talent Development Conference and Expo Registration (September 17, 2026)

SHRM PDCs

GIG Woodlands: Post-Conference Debrief and Download Networking Lunch (September 22, 2026)

General Meeting: Curing the HR Hangover (October 20, 2026)

Webinar: Beyond Training: Why Leadership Development Fails Without Cultural Intelligence (October 22, 2026)

Beyond Training: Why Leadership Development Fails Without Cultural Intelligence

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

General Meeting: Leading the Emotional Side of Change (November 10, 2026)