Agenda

Meetings will take place at the Hyatt Regency Greenville.  Agenda is subject to change. All times listed are in Eastern time.

Attending this conference earns you three credits toward your NTCA certificate: B105, B111, T108. Learn more about NTCA certificate programs. 

NTCA would like to thank the following members who dedicated their time and expertise to developing this year’s agenda:

• Tiffany Ashley, Etex Telephone Cooperative, Inc. (Gilmer, Texas)
• Liz Cheatham, Endeavor Communications (Cloverdale, Ind.)
• Michelle Dohrmann, Consolidated Telcom (Dickinson, N.D.)
• Jerilyn Hyder, STRATA Networks (Roosevelt, Utah)
• Jenny Ligon, Taylor Telephone Cooperative Inc. (Merkel, Texas)
• McKenzie Maddox, Blue Valley Tele-Communications Inc. (Home, Kan.)
• Ashley  Olberding, Twin Valley Communications, (Miltonvale, Kan.)
• Brittany Ramey, West Carolina Rural Telephone Cooperative Inc. (Abbeville, S.C.) 
• Kimberly Steffen, Wiatel-Western Iowa Telecom (Lawton, Iowa)
   

Sunday, August 2

5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Greenville Culinary and Historic Walking Tour with NTCA Rural Broadband PAC
Additional registration required
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Monday, August 3

7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Registration and Information

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast Buffet

8:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
First-Time Attendee Session
Kimberly Nunnally, Vice President of People, NTCA
If this is your first time attending the HR and Benefits Conference, this session is designed to help you familiarize yourself with the structure, sessions, networking opportunities and NTCA staff. 

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Opening General Session

Welcome

Navigating a Changing Workplace
Kimberly Nunnally, Vice President of People, NTCA
AI adoption, workforce transitions and evolving employee expectations are reshaping both the rural broadband and HR landscapes. Amidst these changes, HR professionals lead the path forward. This panel brings together NTCA members to discuss the changes most impacting HR right now and how they are responding in real time, offering practical insights on adapting policies, supporting staff and leading through ongoing change. 

Opening Keynote

11:10 a.m. – Noon
Peer-to-Peer Roundtables by Region
Join one of five roundtable discussions, organized by region so you can network with peers. This unique opportunity allows for an exchange of invaluable advice and perspectives. The interactive session brings individuals from different member companies together to share their experiences and learn from one another.

Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Networking Lunch

Concurrent Sessions
The conference continues with breakout sessions in three tracks: 

HR Foundations: Processes, benchmarks and other resources essential to human resources work.

Strategic HR: Strategies to improve HR processes and workplace culture.

Practical Benefits: Discussions and practical tools for managing a benefits program, including annual enrollment and other resources. Includes updates for NTCA benefits for participating organizations.

1:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.
Concurrent Breakout Sessions

HR Foundations
AI Tools for HR Efficiency
Holly Shaskey-Platek, CNS HR Business Partner, Cooperative Network Services, LLC 
Curious how AI can support your day-to-day HR work? This hands-on session explores practical, low-risk ways to use AI tools to streamline common tasks such as drafting job descriptions, preparing interview questions, organizing policies, summarizing regulations and improving internal communications. We’ll discuss implementation tips, data privacy considerations and guardrails to avoid common mistakes. Walk away with simple, actionable ideas you can begin applying immediately to save time and increase efficiency.

Strategic HR
Strategy, Communication and Talent Readiness in Succession Planning
With a wave of retirements on the horizon, rural broadband providers must move from informal transition plans to intentional succession strategy. This session explores how to design a practical succession framework aligned with business goals, communicate the plan clearly to leadership and staff and train both emerging and experienced managers to step into future roles. We will also examine retention strategies that protect your talent pipeline, ensuring your succession plan is ready to activate when the time comes.

Practical Benefits
Designing a Benefits Plan
Patsy Schoellerman, Member Relations Manager, NTCA
Benefits are a key tool for recruiting and retention of top talent. This session explores how to design a comprehensive benefit plan that balances traditional offerings, such as health coverage, retirement savings and paid leave, with innovative, non-traditional benefits that support employees’ evolving needs.   

2:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions

HR Foundations
Building a Well-Rounded Employee Wellness Program
Jimmy Lopez, HR & Executive Assistant, YK Communications
Employee wellness is evolving beyond traditional health screenings and gym discounts. This session explores emerging trends — from walking pads and movement challenges to mental health resources and flexible work support — and how to design programs that address physical, mental and emotional well-being. Learn how to secure executive and employee buy-in, draft clear wellness policies and create sustainable initiatives that align with your culture, budget and long-term workforce goals.

Strategic HR
Leading with Culture: The Multiplier That Shapes Everything
Holly Shaskey-Platek, CNS HR Business Partner, Cooperative Network Services, LLC
Culture is more than stated values — it is reflected in daily behaviors and decisions. This session explores how leadership, communication and accountability shape culture and how alignment drives results. Learn practical ways to model behaviors, reinforce expectations and align HR systems. Walk away with actionable steps to intentionally strengthen culture across your organization. 

Practical Benefits
NTCA Benefits Updates for 2027
Scott Gardner, Vice President of Retirement Services, NTCA
Jennifer Moore, Vice President of Group Health, NTCA
(Session repeats Tuesday, 10:45 a.m.–11:35 a.m.)
This session will provide updates on recent and upcoming changes to the NTCA benefit plans.  Attendees will hear from NTCA benefit experts on regulatory updates, plan changes and best practices for communicating benefit changes to employees. 

3:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions

HR Foundations
Documentation Best Practices
Clear, current and well-structured HR documentation protects your organization and supports your workforce. This session explores best practices for developing and maintaining standard operating procedures, employee handbooks and key policies. Learn how to draft practical, enforceable documents, avoid common pitfalls and create a documentation framework.

Strategic HR
Executing an AI Policy
Greg Matthews, Attorney at Law, Greg Matthews
Patrick Todd, Vice-President of HR and Public Relations, RTC Communications
Creating an AI policy is only the first step. This session focuses on how to successfully implement and operationalize your organization’s AI guidelines. Learn practical strategies for onboarding employees to approved AI tools, encouraging responsible use in everyday tasks and integrating AI into existing workflows. We willl also discuss training approaches, accountability measures and how to respond when misuse occurs, helping HR teams ensure AI policies are not just written, but actively followed.

Practical Benefits
Beyond Benefits: Unlocking the Full Value of NTCA Membership Through HR Leadership
April Irwin, Vice President of Member Engagement, NTCA
Leif Oveson, Vice President of Government Affairs, NTCA
HR professionals play a critical role in helping their organizations maximize the return on their NTCA membership investment. Explore how NTCA resources can support workforce development, strengthen employee engagement, build future leaders, enhance benefits education and create valuable industry connections. Walk away with practical strategies to promote NTCA resources throughout your organization and increase employee participation, professional growth and organizational success.

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Networking Reception
Enjoy an opportunity to meet and greet other HR and benefits professionals.

Tuesday, August 4

8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Registration and Information

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Breakfast Buffet

8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Morning General Session

Legislative and Regulatory Updates and What They Mean for Rural Broadband Providers
Leif Oveson, Vice President of Government Affairs, NTCA
As Universal Service Fund reform, broadband deployment funding, permitting reform, upcoming elections and other shifting federal priorities continue to reshape the industry, HR teams play a critical role in dealing with changes that come out of Washington, D.C. This session highlights key legislative and regulatory developments and explains their impact on rural broadband providers, their employees and the communities they serve.

Employment Law Update
Lucas Asper, Shareholder, Ogletree Deakins
Employment law continues to evolve, and HR teams must stay ahead of changes that affect workplace policies, compliance and risk management. This session provides an update on recent and emerging legal developments impacting rural broadband providers, from wage and hour issues to leave requirements and workplace policies. In addition to highlighting key updates, the discussion will offer practical guidance on documentation, risk awareness and recognizing when it is time to involve outside employment counsel. 

10:45 a.m. – 11:35 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions

HR Foundations
Bridging the Generational Gap in Hiring and Management
Amanda Copeland, Human Resources Generalist, BTEL
Stephen Dukes, Chief HR Officer, Farmers Telephone Cooperative
Leigh Anne Duncan, Human Resources Manager, North Central Telephone Cooperative
Maddi Jones, Member Relations Manager, NTCA
Today’s workforce may span four or more generations, each bringing different expectations around communication, career growth, benefits and workplace culture. This session explores how generational perspectives can influence recruiting, onboarding, performance management and retention. Walk away with tools to strengthen hiring decisions and foster a workplace culture where every generation can succeed.

Strategic HR
Upskilling for Impact: Investing in Your People and Their Potential
Nicole Cochran, CX Programs Manager, Pivot
In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, upskilling is a key strategic investment in your people. This session focuses on building structured professional development programs that strengthen management capability, expand technical skills and enhance employee competencies. Learn practical approaches to identifying skill gaps, creating development pathways and fostering a culture where continuous learning supports both employee growth and organizational success.

Practical Benefits
NTCA Benefits Updates for 2027
Scott Gardner, Vice President of Retirement Services, NTCA
Jennifer Moore, Vice President of Group Health, NTCA
(Session repeats Monday, 2:00 p.m.–2:50 p.m.)
This session will provide updates on recent and upcoming changes to the NTCA benefit plans.  Attendees will hear from NTCA benefit experts on regulatory updates, plan changes and best practices for communicating benefit changes to employees. 

11:35 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch on Own

1:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions

HR Foundations
Prioritizing Your Personal Growth
HR leaders spend much of their time supporting the development of others, but their own growth is just as important. This session explores practical strategies for prioritizing personal professional development while leading learning initiatives across the organization. Topics include setting career goals, building accountability into your development plan and identifying meaningful training opportunities.

Strategic HR
HR Tech
Greg Laney, Senior Manager Global Compensation, FinThrive
HR technology is no longer a “nice to have” — it is a core part of how HR functions operate efficiently and effectively. This session explores the role of technology in supporting everyday HR tasks, from workforce management to communication and compliance.

Practical Benefits
Educating Employees on the Value of Their Benefits
Jennifer Benson, Member Relations Manager, NTCA
This session will explore practical approaches for educating employees on both traditional and non-traditional benefits. The session will review effective communication methods, timing and tools to reach a diverse workforce. 

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Closing General Session

Rural Broadband Industry Compensation and Benefits Report
Scott Hackworth, President, CPA, Industry Insights
This session will provide an in-depth look at the Rural Broadband Industry Compensation and Benefits Report, produced by NTCA in partnership with ACA Connects and NRECA Broadband. Hear an overview of the survey, what information it contains and how it can be a valuable resource for members. Additionally, examine how the data is presented, how to interpret it for benchmarking your own jobs and how to maximize the insights to make informed, competitive compensation decisions will be explored.  

Exploring Strategic Compensation
Scott Hackworth, President, CPA, Industry Insights
Angie Miller, Human Resources Manager, SkyLine Membership Corporation
Lisa Stuhaug, Chief Human Resources Officer, Garden Valley Telephone Company
Take the conversation around the Rural Broadband Industry Compensation and Benefits Report further with this panel discussion on how to apply the report’s findings to your workplace. Learn how to effectively analyze survey data, including key trends such as where positions are gaining or losing prominence, how pay is evolving and what this means for your workforce strategy.

Closing Keynote
What To Do About Too Much To Do
Jones Loflin, Speaker and Coach, JonesLoflin.com
Let’s be honest. Your proverbial plate is already running over with all you have to do. Even worse, your mind is racing with fresh ideas for improvement and growth. If only there was a solution to this dilemma that didn’t involve cloning yourself. Our speaker today says the answer is to run off and join the circus… at least mentally.

Using the model of a successful circus, this highly engaging presentation will equip you to better manage your time and energy to explore new opportunities and achieve better results. From being a stronger ringmaster to building a quality “3 ring” lineup, expect to leave this session with a myriad of practical tips to manage your distractions and more fully focus on the present moment. Most importantly, you’ll be ready to run your circus instead of letting the circus run YOU!

Wrap-Up 

6:30 p.m. 
West End Windup: Baseball Night at Fluor Field With FRS 
Additional registration required
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Wednesday, August 5

8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Registration and Information

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
OSHA Seminar
Craig Rapp, Risk Manager, Utilicom Safety LLC/Telcom Insurance Group
The kick-off to an in-depth 10-hour session on general industry at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Compliance Seminar and earn an OSHA Compliance Certificate. Separate registration is required, breakfast and lunch included.
Presented by:

 

 

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Thursday, August 6

8:00 a.m. – Noon
OSHA Seminar (continued)
Craig Rapp, Risk Manager, Utilicom Safety LLC/Telcom Insurance Group
The 10-hour session on general industry at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Compliance Seminar continues. Earn an OSHA Compliance Certificate. Separate registration is required, breakfast included.
Presented by:

 

 

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