Winter 2021 Virtual Conference

Join us for a day of a dynamic virtual conference filled with networking, current trends, and addressing the CHALLENGE TO CHANGE.

Conference Schedule: 

click session links to read presentation descriptions and presenter bios

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Session Descriptions:

Session 1:

Opening Keynote│College Recruiter

9:30 AM - 10:20 AM

Revolutionary Change: How Covid and the Killing of George Floyd have Upended Early Careers

Description: College Recruiter's founder and chief visionary officer, Steven Rothberg, will briefly recap the massive upheaval we all lived through last year and then dive into the impact that had on the needs and wants of candidates, employers, and other stakeholders in the recruitment of students and recent graduates. Attendees will walk away with several actionable takeaways, some of which will be tactical and therefore quick to implement but others of which will be more strategic and therefore require more thought, resources, and time to implement.

Presenter: 

Steven Rothberg

Steven is the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of College Recruiter, which believes that every student and recent graduate deserves a great career. College Recruiter's customers are primarily Fortune 1,000 companies, government agencies, and other employers who hire at scale, meaning dozens or even hundreds into the same or similar roles. These employers advertise their part-time, seasonal, internship, and entry-level jobs requiring 0-3 years of experience with College Recruiter. Each year, College Recruiter helps more than three million students and recent graduates find great careers in the U.S. and internationally.

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Session 2:

Hendrix College - Career Services

10:30 AM - 11:20 AM

Infusing Career Readiness into Your Campus

Description: To encourage/inspire/engage career services professionals to confidently pursue discussions/programs re: career competencies with campus colleagues outside of the Career Center's walls (faculty, senior administrators, staff/coaches). Participants will gain: 1) awareness of the NACE Career Readiness Competencies, why they are important and how they came about. 2) strategies for engaging campus partners to create a campus-wide competency awareness campaign. 3) access to student assessment data regarding competencies awareness (for Hendrix students, but applicable to other campuses hoping to gain momentum in this topic). 4) programming ideas for engaging faculty, staff, and students in talking about competencies.

Presenter: 

Leigh Lassiter-Counts

As the Director of Career Services at Hendrix College, Leigh believes passionately in the students she serves and their ability to change the world. She is the campus champion for career planning and discernment topics including the Be Hendrix Beyond Hendrix career competencies initiative and the creation of “Career Term” - a novel approach to career development for all Hendrix sophomores featured in The Washington Post, Inside Higher Ed, and The Chronicle. Leigh’s past higher education experience includes the areas of fundraising & alumni relations, academic advising, and intercollegiate athletics. A side-hustle as a certified fitness instructor keeps her sane, but her greatest joy lies in the role of wife to Richard and mom to Eliza and Finn. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and History from Hendrix College, a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and was named a Fulbright Scholar to Germany in 2016. She currently serves on the NACE National Planning Committee for the annual Career Competency Symposium and is one of 14 Fulbright Scholar Alumni Ambassadors for the Institute of International Education and the US Department of State’s Bureau of Cultural Affairs. Her life’s work is to inspire compassionate, caring students to live productive and joyful lives that can change the world!

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Session 3:

DEI Sponsored Workshop│University of Arkansas IDEALS Institute 

1:00 PM - 1:50 PM

Principles of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Description: This 1-hour interactive Facilitated Learning Opportunity (FLO) provides a fundamental understanding of key DEI terms (i.e. diversity, equity, inclusion, bias, etc.), establishes the relevance of this work to AACE's mission, vision, and key performance indicators, creates awareness about individual differences and offers practical strategies for addressing common challenges to workplace effectiveness.

Presenters: 

Dr. Rickey Booker 

Dr. Rickey Booker is the Associate Trainer, Facilitator, and Consultant for the IDEALS Institute at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Booker is a native of Warren, AR, and earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arkansas-Monticello in Health and Physical Education with an emphasis on Wellness Leadership. He obtained his Master of Education in 2006 and Doctorate in Workforce Development Education in 2011 from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. He has worked in higher education for 16 years and most recently worked as the Director of Career Programs for the University Career Development Center at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.

Anne Shelley 

Anne Shelley is the Senior Trainer, Facilitator, and Consultant for the IDEALS Institute and has facilitated DEI trainings and critical conversations in Arkansas for 22 years. Most recently she served as a contract trainer for the University of Arkansas Office of Diversity and Inclusion and Human Resources Department for which she provided Diversity Certification trainings. She has been a leader in nonprofit and social justice work in Arkansas, most recently as Executive Director of the NWA Center for Sexual Assault. Anne is the former director of Just Communities of NWA whose mission was to fight bias and racism through education. She currently serves on the DEI Advisory Council for the TRUE initiative in Northwest Arkansas.

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Session 4:

Aspirant

2:00 PM - 2:50 PM

What Job Seekers Really Want, and How They Find You

Description: This session is designed to inform and educate businesses about what the modern job seeker wants in this post-COVID market. The target audience is both recruitment professionals and hiring authorities seeking to have a better understanding of the talent marketplace. Attendees will learn about candidate attractors and motivators, and how to improve candidates engagement. This presentation can be from 30-45 minutes in length.

Presenter: 

Shally Steckerl

Shally Steckerl is globally recognized as one of the pioneers of the recruitment industry. Over his 25 year career, he has helped hundreds of Fortune 500 and mid-market organizations hire tens of thousands of candidates in the most challenging industries and environments. A speaker and author, Shally is the Director of Aspirant’s Talent Strategy and Innovation practice, helping organizations embed key recruitment initiatives into their hiring efforts.

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Session 5:

Next Level Training Solutions

3:00 PM - 3:50 PM

Giving Your Brand a Makeover

Description: Does your personal/professional brand need a makeover? The benefits of a makeover are to attract someone, to feel good, to highlight your positive side, or to get a fresh update. This session is designed to think about your personal brand experience. How do you showcase your strengths so you will stand out in the crowd? It’s time for you to set new standards and give your brand a makeover because taking your brand to the next level is not something that just happens. It requires training, work, and dedication. It takes just a quick glance, maybe three seconds, for someone to evaluate you when you meet them for the first time. In this short time, the other person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, body language, demeanor, and mannerisms. With every encounter, your coworker, customers, and others are evaluating you. This brand experience is your opportunity to learn more about yourself, so you can make decisions and plans that will maximize your brand growth and SOAR to the Next Level of excellence (SOAR – Using the right Strategic Objectives to Achieve Results).

Presenter: 

Tina Gilbert

Tina Gilbert, founder of Next Level Training Solutions Group, LLC — has more than 25 years of experience in the areas of training and organizational development, leadership, and customer service. Her consulting company has worked with local and state government agencies, corporate entities, faith-based and community groups. Tina’s mission is to add value to the lives of others, to help them grow, and develop so they can accomplish their goals. Tina is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in Management Leadership from Webster University. She has an extensive background and multiple certifications in the adult learning process. Tina has worked as an independent certified coach, teacher and speaker with the John Maxwell team and is a certified facilitator with Franklin Covey, Development Dimensions International, Achieve Global, and Diversity and Inclusion certificate from eCornell University. She is the author of a book and journal titled Next Level Thinking 90 Days to Inspire your Best Life. She is a certified Minority Business Vendor with the State of Arkansas, and is a Certified Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, and serves on the Tea Rose Foundation board, as the Vice President. She loves spending time with her family and friends

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