AGENDA

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 18

3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Registration

5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. 
Orientation for First-Time Attendees 

MONDAY, AUGUST 19

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. 
BREAKFAST

8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. 
OPENING GENERAL SESSION

What's the Value of Your Attitude? 
Matt Booth, Attitude Expert
There is an old saying that “attitude is everything”. Is that true, or is attitude just the start of everything? Attitude determines your thoughts and ultimately your actions. In this engaging session and workshop, you will find that being positive as often as possible helps you to be more successful at what you do. You’ll leave this program with practical takeaways and the motivation to implement them. 

 

 

Real Strategies for Rural Recruitment 
Ben Eubanks, Principal Analyst, Lighthouse Research & Advisory
You know what the issues are around hiring in rural markets, so let’s talk about solutions. This session walks you through specific strategies for ensuring success with your next search from identifying the best sources of hire and critical recruiting metrics to selection methods and referral programs.

10:50 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.  
Roundtables 
Join a small group discussion with peers from similar-sized companies. Get an opportunity to pose your top-of-mind questions and benefit from the wisdom of the crowd. 

Noon – 1:00 p.m. 
NETWORKING LUNCH 

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. 
CONCURRENT SESSIONS A 

HR Fundamentals 
How to Handle the Unexpected 
Rochelle Homann, HR Coordinator, Solarus
Angie Miller, HR Manager, Skyline
Greg Rockweiler, Office Manager/Accountant, La Valle Telephone Cooperative
Dennis Renowski, Member Relations Manager, NTCA
HR professionals handle the highest highs and the lowest lows in the workplace. This panel of peers provides insights to help co-workers through those low moments and return the office to normal working order as easily and respectfully as possible. Hear how others have navigated through sensitive issues to maintain a positive workplace culture.

Strategic HR 
Change Management: Harnessing Science and Emotion for Optimal Results
Ben Eubanks, Principal Analyst, Lighthouse Research & Advisory
Change is in the air for most rural telcos and HR professionals are in a unique position to help employees embrace change and thrive, but it doesn't happen unintentionally. Get a detailed look at an Industrial and Organizational psychology change model, including examples of how it applies in real workplace scenarios. Plus, learn about building relationships and using those to drive desired behaviors with your employees.
 

Benefits 
My NTCA Benefits: Participant Portal Overview 
Lesly Chester, Sr. Benefits Enrollment Specialist, NTCA
Leah Hill, Benefits Enrollment Manager, NTCA
Jenna Houston, Sr. Benefits Compliance Specialist, NTCA
This interactive session reviews the features of the new My NTCA Benefits participant portal. Learn how employees already enrolled in the NTCA benefit plans can access their benefits data and make applicable changes or updates to that information. Also, learn about the 2020 benefit plans open enrollment process and how participants will make benefit elections for the upcoming plan year using the new portal. 

2:10 p.m. – 3:10 p.m. 
CONCURRENT SESSIONS A (repeat) 

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. 
CONCURRENT SESSIONS B  

HR Fundamentals 
Partners in Training 
Paul Kostner, Instructor, Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
When it comes to onboarding, cross-training and professional development for staff, one of the best ways to ensure consistent quality is to find an outside partner. Hear about a successful partnership between telcos and a technical college and what it took to roll it all out. 

Strategic HR 
HR and Benefits During Mergers and Acquisitions  
Dana St. Jean, Benefits Compliance Manager, NTCA
Judi Ushio, Midwest Division Manager, GVNW
With business combinations of all types happening across the industry, it is important to consider how HR and benefits issues play into potential mergers and acquisitions. Learn about the strategic questions you should ask throughout the process.

Benefits 
My NTCA Benefits: Member Company Portal Overview 
Lesly Chester, Sr. Benefits Enrollment Specialist, NTCA
Leah Hill, Benefits Enrollment Manager, NTCA
Jenna Houston, Sr. Benefits Compliance Specialist, NTCA
Designed for those responsible for administering the NTCA benefit plans at their company, this session reviews how to access and pay your NTCA benefit plan bills, process new hires and employee status changes through the portal, and produce reports. 

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 
WELCOME RECEPTION

 

 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 20 

7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. 
BREAKFAST

8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. 
GENERAL SESSION

Executive Perspectives on HR and Benefits 
NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield is joined by telco executives for this panel discussion to share insights from the executive office on current issues and trends in HR and benefits and to use them as an effective tool while keeping the lines of communication open throughout the company. 

 

 

Addressing Opioids in the Workplace 
Debra Nussbaum, PhD, LCSW, Senior Director of Behavioral Product, Optum/UnitedHealthcare
Communities across the country are being hit with consequences of the opioid addiction epidemic with small, rural populations being hit especially hard. Hear about strategies for addressing opioid addiction prevention and education with your employees. 

10:50 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. 
CONCURRENT SESSIONS B (repeat) 

Noon – 1:00 p.m. 
NETWORKING LUNCH

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. 
CONCURRENT SESSIONS C

HR Fundamentals 
Survival Guide for the HR Department of One  
Kimberly Nunnally, HR Manager, NTCA
In smaller offices, the HR role can be lonely, but all the work still needs to get done. Learn some basic strategies for prioritizing the vital operational, compliance and personnel needs at your telco. 

Strategic HR 
Employment Law Update 
Robert Kaiser, Partner, Armstrong Teasdale LLP
In the ever-changing world of employment law, it’s important for you to help keep your workplace practices and polices current with the latest rules and standards. This review of recent developments in human resources and employment law keeps you current with what you need to know, including the specific challenges faced by rural employers. 

Benefits 
NTCA Group Health Program: 2020 Updates and Enhancements 
Jennifer Moore, Vice President of Group Health, NTCA
Join NTCA Benefits staff to learn about upcoming changes to the NTCA Group Health Program for 2020, as well as innovative program features designed to deliver quality healthcare to your employees. 

2:10 – 3:10 p.m. 
CONCURRENT SESSIONS C (repeat) 

3:30 – 4:30 p.m. 
CONCURRENT SESSIONS D 

HR Fundamentals
Generation THEM: Navigating a Multi-Generational Workforce 
Heather Lebischak, Administrator, genWHY Communication Strategies
With approximately half of the current U.S. population under 33 years of age and 50% of executives expected to retire in the next ten years, organizations must begin putting a plan in place to embrace generational diversity and attract and retain top talent. Learn what it takes to motivate and manage employees regardless of the generation in which they happen to have been born. 

Strategic HR
A Rural Provider’s Guide to Workforce Planning 
Leslie Cunningham, Director of Human Resources, Tri County Telephone Association
The telecommunications industry is changing rapidly, but not just with technology. Independent telcos are finding themselves overstaffed after fiber deployments, understaffed leading up to build outs or dealing with pending retirements. Learn how to address these issues through hands-on workforce planning activities and discussions about generating buy-in, executing the plan and evaluating results. 

Benefits
NTCA Retirement Plans:  Options for Cost Containment and Flexibility 
Scott Gardner, Director of Pension Services, NTCA
Peter Perretti, Director of Savings Plan Services, NTCA
NTCA Benefits staff will review the NTCA retirement plans—the Retirement & Security Program and the Savings Plan—including the program’s funding status and the roles both play in helping create a retirement income stream. You will leave this session with tools and information needed to make strategic decisions about these important workplace benefits. 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21

7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. 

Beach Yoga with Shirley
Join NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield for a morning yoga session to begin your day centered, stretched and serene. 

 

 

 

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. 
BREAKFAST

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 
Concurrent Sessions D (repeat) 

10:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. 
CLOSING GENERAL SESSION

 

The Leadership Lens  
David Huff, Founder, Peak 1 
Photographers see the world through different lenses with a heightened sense of the people, places and things around them. Good photographers capture the image in front of them; great photographers tap into their heart and tell the stories behind what they're seeing. Likewise, good leaders are present in the moment; disciplined and focused—while at the same time poised and prepared for action; great leaders trust their hearts. 

11:30 a.m. 
Conference Adjourns

 

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1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 
OSHA Seminar*
Attend a 10-hour session on general industry at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Compliance Seminar and earn an OSHA Compliance Certificate.  

FULL AGENDA

*ADDITIONAL FEE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THE OSHA SEMINAR 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 22

7:30 – 5:00 p.m. 
OSHA Seminar* (continued)

FULL AGENDA

*ADDITIONAL FEE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THE OSHA SEMINAR