Have you ever been told you need to "think more strategically," but weren't quite sure what that actually means? 

You're not alone. Join us for a hands-on workshop led by Mark Schaff, a former Principal Trainer at the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA).

Strategic thinking is often treated as a single, vague capability. In reality, it is a set of distinct ways of thinking that can be learned, practiced, and improved.

This highly interactive workshop provides a clear, practical model for how effective leaders think strategically—and applies it directly to the real challenges participants are facing.

The program is built around a three-part framework drawn from graduate-level leadership research and teaching at Northwestern University.

You'll learn to strengthen strategic thinking by developing:

From the beginning, you'll work in groups on real issues as you identify and prioritize the most important challenges you are currently facing. These issues become the working material for the day, ensuring that concepts are applied in a way that is immediately relevant and transferable.

Each element of the framework is introduced, demonstrated through a familiar case, and then applied in your small groups to your selected issues. Interactive exercises, simulations, and games are used to make abstract ideas tangible and to surface common strategic pitfalls that even experienced professionals encounter.

Pricing:

Lunch, snacks, and coffee will be provided.	Early Bird thru 3/13/26	Just in Time after 3/13
Member	$119	$129
Members of all other ATD chapters	$139	$149
Non-Member	$169	$179

About our Presenter:

Mark Schaff (CPA, MBA) is a seasoned business educator and leadership development practitioner with experience spanning public accounting, corporate finance, and organizational training. He retired in March 2025 after nearly 20 years with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA),  where he served as Principal Trainer and led enterprise wide leadership development efforts.

At OCTA, Mark designed and delivered leadership programs focused on improving judgment, decision-making, and organizational effectiveness. He created the agency’s flagship Leadership Development Program in 2016, which brings together selected employees for monthly, full-day sessions over the course of a year. Participants study leadership and strategic-thinking models, apply them to real organizational challenges, and complete the program with a capstone presentation aligned to OCTA’s strategic goals. Before transitioning into organizational development, Mark built a successful career in corporate financial management, holding senior and executive roles at divisions of publicly traded companies including Times Mirror, International Rectifier, and McKesson Corporation. He began his professional career at KPMG’s Los Angeles office and is a licensed CPA in California (inactive).

Mark holds a B.S. in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge, and an MBA from the University of Southern California.

In his current work, Mark focuses selectively on teaching, consulting, and research related to strategic thinking, leadership development, and organizational systems. His facilitation style emphasizes clarity, real-world application, and helping professionals think more effectively in complex environments. Mark is also a certified Working Genius facilitator, and incorporates insights about energy, contribution, and team dynamics into his leadership and development work where appropriate.

Earn Professional Professional Development Points

This program is worth 4.5
Professional Development points. 

Find out more about APTD/CPTD Certifications here.

ATD Capability Model

This program aligns with the following Domains and Capabilities: 

Building Personal Capability

Developing Professional Capability

Impacting Organizational Capability

Talent development professionals should be able to implement a multilevel, systematic method for gathering, analyzing, and reporting on information about the effectiveness and effort of learning programs.

To find out more about the ATD Capability Model for the Training and Development Profession, visit http://tdcapability.org.

Accessibility

ATD-OC events are accessible to all participants. If you have questions or require special accommodations or auxiliary aid related to a disability for you to participate in the event, please notify us at least three weeks in advance by message to ocoffice@atdoc.org, with subject line "ADA Accommodations," outlining your needs and request for accommodation.

We will make every effort to work with you to accommodate your need.

PHOTOGRAPHY RELEASE

As part of your registration, you will be required to indicate your acceptance or rejection of the statement below:

By registering for this event, I hereby give the Association for Talent Development, Orange County Chapter, its clients, agents, and assigns, full permission to use, publish and copyright photographic images, film images, video images, sound recordings, and any reproductions from these materials of me and/or my property or any part thereof, either in conjunction with or without using my name, and make changes or alterations therein and/or alterations thereto Worldwide in perpetuity. Some places these images and recordings may be used and posted include, but are not limited to, the Internet, emails, social media, etc.

If I do not provide permission, I understand I will be seated outside of the field of video.

AI. Green technology. Augmented reality. All these topics are popular nowadays. Companies are either using them directly or developing products that incorporate them. Organizations need people who have the aptitude to learn technically complex topics quickly. The technical staff are these people. For a variety of reasons, though, technical professionals can struggle with effectively communicating these topics, especially to non-technical audiences.

Talent Development leaders can help overcome this challenge by developing speaker training programs for the technical staff.

In this session, we will discuss why developing a speaker program makes sense, what developing a speaker program entails, and how to track the usefulness of the program.

This session is for Talent Development professionals who recognize the issue of their technical staff struggling to convey technical information that others in the organization can understand and appreciate and are open to the idea of establishing speaker training programs to address the issue.

By the end of this session, members will be able to:

1. Identify and address specific challenges technical staff face in public speaking.
2. Discover effective methods for providing opportunities to practice speaking and get constructive feedback.
3. Understand the importance of tracking progress and measuring the impact of speaker training programs.
4. Receive reasons to implement speaker training programs for the technical staff.

Agenda:

6:00 PM — Welcome / Informal Networking 

6:10 PM — Structured Networking

6:25 PM — A Little Chapter Business

6:30 PM — Main Event

7:30 PM — Closing/Informal Networking

What To Bring

The Administrivia

The lunch-and-learn workshop offers a fresh, confidence‑building approach to telling your professional story through resumes and cover letters that feel clear, compelling, and genuinely reflective of who you are.

We’ll reframe these application documents as powerful self‑marketing tools—ones that highlight strengths, impact, and capabilities rather than repeating generic tasks or job descriptions.

Together, we’ll explore how to transform experience into value‑driven bullet points that resonate with hiring teams and communicate your unique contributions. You will leave this workshop with practical strategies, real examples, and a renewed sense of agency in navigating their job search.

By participating in this session, you will:

About the Presenter

Lola Ivy, M.S., is a facilitator and certified Career Management Coach with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UCLA and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Learning from Pepperdine University. She leads a year‑long cohort‑based professional development program at UCLA and provides individualized career coaching to employees across campus and UCLA Health.

She also serves as Vice Chair of the UCLA Administrative Management Group (AMG), an organization dedicated to cultivating leadership growth and advancement at the university. As a learning and organizational development professional, she is committed to helping employees expand their potential, strengthen their confidence, and thrive as both professionals and community members.

About the Career Transition SIG

This SIG is a joint effort of the ATD-Orange County and ATD-Los Angeles Chapters and provides support and education to professionals making the exciting transition into the L&D field.

About Your Co-Leaders:

Kesha Thomas Clark is an experienced professional currently working to transition into the learning and development field. Recently, Kesha worked with UCLA’s Office of Undergraduate Admission and the Association for Talent Development—Orange County chapter to facilitate leadership workshops to executive staff and senior managers. Driven by a desire to help people, Kesha is interested in leveraging her unique experience in business and the nonprofit sector to create impactful strategies and learning experiences that support professional growth and organizational success.

James Oakley is an Instructional Designer and eLearning Developer who specializes in the electrical, engineering, and technical spaces. He started out his career as a High School English Teacher and then took his passion for education into adult learning. Most recently, James developed a comprehensive curriculum of eLearning and Instructor-Led training courses for Critical Facility Engineers in Meta Data Centers across the globe. In this space, James makes meaningful and results driven training experiences for Fortune 500 companies.

Earn Professional Professional Development Points

This program is worth 1 Professional Development point. 

Find out more about APTD/CPTD Certifications here.

ATD Capability Model

Each ATD-OC Learning Event will be aligned to at least one Talent Development  Capability, as identified by ATD National.

This program aligns with:

Building Personal Capability:

Developing Professional Capability:

Impacting Organizational Capability:

Disruption via technology will continue to be a reality for organizations and talent development functions. Talent development professionals must have the ability to identify, select, and implement the right learning and talent technologies that serve the best interests of the organization and its people. Practitioners should be able to identify opportunities to adapt and leverage the right technologies at the right time to meet organizational goals.

To find out more about the ATD Capability Model for the Training and Development Profession, visit http://tdcapability.org.

PHOTOGRAPHY RELEASE

As part of your registration, you will be required to indicate your acceptance or rejection of the statement below:

By registering for this event, I hereby give the Association for Talent Development, Orange County Chapter, its clients, agents, and assigns, full permission to use, publish and copyright photographic images, film images, video images, sound recordings, and any reproductions from these materials of me and/or my property or any part thereof, either in conjunction with or without using my name, and make changes or alterations therein and/or alterations thereto Worldwide in perpetuity. Some places these images and recordings may be used and posted include, but are not limited to, the Internet, emails, social media, etc.

If I do not provide permission, I understand I will be seated outside of the field of video.

Your assignment: gather 5 new connections at ATD International Conference and Exposition 2026.

The ATD International Conference and Exposition is landing in our backyard (Los Angeles), and it represents a massive investment in your professional development.

But: An investment in skills without an investment in relationships is incomplete.  

Yet many of us dread the "work" in "network." Swapping business cards or reciting a rehearsed elevator pitch feels transactional, not relational. And frankly, it doesn't work. You end up with a pocket full of cards from people you don't actually know.

Tonight, we are going to explore how to strip away the corporate veneer and show up as your genuine self.

Embrace Serendipity: Break the ice and open up to chance connections by dropping preconceived notions.

Understand Authenticity: Understand why being authentic is crucial for building genuine, long-lasting trust and authority in your network.

Refine the Connection: Apply this authenticity to a core networking tool—the elevator pitch—making it powerful and memorable because it's genuinely you.

By the end of this session, members will be able to:

1. Identify 

Agenda:

6:00 PM — Welcome / Informal Networking 

6:10 PM — Structured Networking

6:30 PM — Main Event

7:00 PM — Structured Networking

7:30 PM — Closing/Informal Networking

What To Bring

The Administrivia

Join us for a day of improving communication, leadership, and collaboration through fun, laughter, and a few well-designed games. Yes, And for Business leaders is an interactive workshop that introduces improvisation and storytelling as practical tools for modern leadership. This session uses structured creativity exercises to help participants build presence, adaptability, and trust.

This experience is built specifically for professionals, especially HR leaders, who want practical takeaways, not performance pressure. Every activity is guided, purposeful, and immediately applicable back in the workplace. And you'll probably have a few laughs too!

Part 1: Warming Up to Presence:

We begin with light, engaging games like Pass the Clap and a One-Word Group Story. These exercises gently bring participants into the room mentally and physically while building: real-time listening, awareness of others, letting go of overthinking, and co-creation without control. Participants quickly experience an important leadership truth: being present matters more than being clever.

Part 2: The Power of "Yes, And"

At the heart of improv is a simple concept: Yes, And. This isn't about blind agreement. It's about acknowledging a contribution and building on it. Through small-team storytelling and partner-based fun and games, participants practice: supporting ideas instead of correcting them, moving conversations forward, shared ownership, nonverbal communication, and trust and adaptability. HR professionals often see firsthand how quickly ideas die in meetings. This section gives them language and exercises they can bring back to teams to improve brainstorming, feedback conversations, and cross-functional collaboration.

Part 3: Storytelling Under Pressure

Clear communication is a leadership superpower. Participants learn a simple framework of Who/ What/ Where to anchor conversations, presentations, and high-stakes discussions. Through "heightened storytelling" and scene-based exercises, they practice: structuring ideas quickly, staying grounded while adapting, listening under pressure and responding instead of rehearsing

By adding creative constraints (changing pace, tone, or physicality), participants break rigid thinking patterns for fast-moving organizational environments.

You will leave with strengthened:

This workshop doesn't end in the room. You walk away with:

Where leaders are constantly responding to change, the ability to listen, build, and adapt in real time is a competitive advantage. And it turns out, you can build it through play.

Pricing:

Lunch, snacks, and coffee will be provided.	Early Bird thru 3/24	Regular 3/25 to 4/15	Just in Time after 4/16
Member	$150	$170	$190
Members of all other ATD chapters	$170	$190	$210
Non-Member	$200	$220	$240

About our Presenter:

Erica Mesirov is the Founder and President of Joy At The Top, where she partners with organizations to prevent burnout, strengthen team connection, and build resilient, high-performing cultures. As a corporate wellness consultant and strategist, Erica works with leaders and teams in high-pressure environments to implement sustainable stress management practices that improve focus, engagement, and performance.

With a master's degree in Holistic Nutrition and advanced certifications in meditation, sound healing, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and hypnosis, Erica brings both scientific grounding and behavioral insight to her work. She equips teams with practical, accessible tools to regulate stress, increase presence, and restore energy. Her workshops and programs blend neuroscience, mindset training, and experiential learning to create measurable outcomes: reduced turnover, fewer sick days, improved productivity, and stronger team cohesion.

Erica's approach is also shaped by her unique creative background. A former professional actress, she completed a two-year intensive program in performance and improvisation at the New Actors Workshop, studying under legendary director Mike Nichols, director of The Graduate, and improv pioneer Paul Sills, founder of The Second City. This training deeply informs her work today, where she integrates storytelling and improvisational techniques to help leaders communicate more effectively, adapt quickly, and build authentic connection within their teams.

Her belief in workplace wellbeing is also personal. Erica met her husband while on a six-month theater tour across the United States and Europe. Today, he works in Human Resources and led the leadership and employee development program at Los Angeles International Airport during the COVID-19 crisis. This gave Erica a close-up view of the pressures HR leaders and organizations face during times of disruption and change.

Erica believes joy at work isn't a luxury, but a company advantage. Through keynotes, workshops, and long-term wellness strategies, she helps organizations create environments where people stay sharp, resilient, and fully engaged in even the busiest seasons

Earn Professional Professional Development Points

This program is worth 4.5
Professional Development points. 

Find out more about APTD/CPTD Certifications here.

ATD Capability Model

This program aligns with the following Domains and Capabilities: 

Building Personal Capability

Developing Professional Capability

Impacting Organizational Capability

Talent development professionals should be able to implement a multilevel, systematic method for gathering, analyzing, and reporting on information about the effectiveness and effort of learning programs.

To find out more about the ATD Capability Model for the Training and Development Profession, visit http://tdcapability.org.

Accessibility

ATD-OC events are accessible to all participants. If you have questions or require special accommodations or auxiliary aid related to a disability for you to participate in the event, please notify us at least three weeks in advance by message to ocoffice@atdoc.org, with subject line "ADA Accommodations," outlining your needs and request for accommodation.

We will make every effort to work with you to accommodate your need.

PHOTOGRAPHY RELEASE

As part of your registration, you will be required to indicate your acceptance or rejection of the statement below:

By registering for this event, I hereby give the Association for Talent Development, Orange County Chapter, its clients, agents, and assigns, full permission to use, publish and copyright photographic images, film images, video images, sound recordings, and any reproductions from these materials of me and/or my property or any part thereof, either in conjunction with or without using my name, and make changes or alterations therein and/or alterations thereto Worldwide in perpetuity. Some places these images and recordings may be used and posted include, but are not limited to, the Internet, emails, social media, etc.

If I do not provide permission, I understand I will be seated outside of the field of video.

RIGHT IN OUR OWN BACKYARD!!!

We expect to have a great turnout
from the local chapters!

Attend and expand your local L&D network at a discounted rate.

See below how to save $500!

ATD26 - International Conference & Exposition

Collective Insights. Lifelong Learning.

For nearly 80 years, the Association for Talent Development (formerly ASTD) has hosted conferences to educate and inspire professionals in the talent development field. From the very first conference held in Chicago in 1945 which drew 56 attendees to today’s international event, learning and development professionals have come to expect only the best from ATD conferences.

Our commitment to providing world-class speakers, thought leadership, and unprecedented networking and collaboration opportunities make the ATD International Conference & Exposition the premier event for our field. More than 13,000 professionals from 80+ countries rely on ATD’s annual conference to learn about trends and best practices, discover new tools and solutions at the largest EXPO for training and development practitioners, and share ideas with peers who are committed to helping create a world that works better.

No other L&D conference offers the depth and breadth of programming, EXPO suppliers, and networking that ATD’s international conference offers. Discover it for yourself!

ATD Members Save BIG!

JOIN OUR CHAPTER TEAM!

Indicate your interest by registering on this page!

Sign up on this page for the Chapter Team and we'll send you a the Discount Code. Power members save even more.

Step #1: "Register" on this page to indicate here that you'd like to be part of the group and get your discount code.

Step #2: Please register for the conference at your appropriate level and use your discount code at https://atdconference.td.org/

IMPORTANT: Register early to lock in the cheapest rate.

Below are the chapter team rates compared to regular rates. 

Please note: if you are a chapter member only and not also an ATD National Member, the non-member rate applies.

If you already registered, instructions are in the confirmation email to get a pro-rated refund for the difference from the appropriate group rate.

Registration is Now Open!

Save $500!! Below were the Chapter Team rates for 2026:

	If you are a member of both ATD National & the OC Chapter...** You pay:	If you are a member of the OC Chapter only...* You Pay:
Early Bird Rate (Ends Dec 31)	$1595 $2095	$1995 $2495
Preferred Rate (Ends Feb 27)	$1795 $2295	$2195 $2695
Advanced Rate (Ends April 11)	$1895 $2395	$2295 $2795
Standard Rate (Ends May 17)	$1995 $2495	$2395 $2895
Onsite	$2095 $2595	$2495 $2995

*Chapter members: Join ATD National as a Plower Member for $269 and get a net savings of $131. Call the office for details: 714.527.4785!

**National members: Join the ATD-Orange County chapter as a power member for $85 and get a net savings of  $415. Call the office for details: 714.527.4785!

Find out more about ATD26 and register!

Be sure to use chapter code CH8091.

Didn't Go to ICE? No Problem! Let's Unpack the Insights Together!

The ATD International Conference and Exposition (ICE) is a whirlwind of "Collective Insights" and a launchpad for "Lifelong Learning." But let's be real, soaking up all that knowledge is one thing; figuring out how to actually use it in your day-to-day as a learning and development professional is another. And what if you couldn't make it to ICE this year? You shouldn't miss out on the valuable takeaways!

That's why ATD Orange County is excited to host a Virtual Post-ICE Roundtable. Think of it as your pass to "aha!" moments, practical strategies, and emerging trends from the conference, all from the comfort of your own space.

Why This Roundtable? It's More Than Just a Recap!

We know you're busy, and there are plenty of online summaries out there. But this isn't just another recap. This is your chance to really dig into what "Collective Insights" from a global stage mean for your work right here in Orange County. How do those big-picture ideas translate into actionable strategies for your team, your organization, and your professional growth?

This roundtable is where the magic of "Lifelong Learning" truly happens. It's about connecting the dots, discussing challenges, and focusing on the practical application of knowledge within a supportive community of your peers.  It's essential for your continuous professional development, and we're making it accessible to everyone.

How We'll Make It Work (No Boring Lectures Here!)

We're leveraging Zoom to create a dynamic, collaborative learning environment. Forget passive presentations! This is an active dialogue designed for you to:

• Share Your Key Takeaways: If you attended ICE, what resonated most with you? What surprising insights did you gain? This is your moment to share and spark new conversations.
• Discuss Practical Applications: How do you see yourself applying what you learned (or what you could learn!)? What challenges do you anticipate in implementing new ideas, and how can our community help you overcome them?
• Explore New Ideas Collectively: This is a fantastic opportunity to brainstorm and refine new approaches based on the conference's overarching themes. You might just find the solution you've been looking for from a fellow ATD-OC member!

What You Can Expect: Real Insights, Real Connections

This virtual roundtable is a dedicated space for real-world application of the ideas sparked at ICE. You'll gain diverse perspectives from your peers, hear about sessions you might have missed, and get answers to your questions in a way that generic online resources simply can't provide.

Unlike broad online summaries, this is your chance to engage with a community of talent development professionals who truly understand your local context and challenges. It's about making those "Collective Insights" genuinely collective and accelerating your "Lifelong Learning" journey with the support of your ATD-OC community.

If the only LMS you're familiar with is either Cornerstone or SAP/Successfactors, you're missing out on innovative options that are designed to meet the specific needs of learning organizations.

On January 26, the Training and Technology SIG will join ATD National as they check out live demos from five leading learning management systems (LMS). Each 30-minute demo allows us to see the platform in action, ask questions, and request additional information. Selecting an LMS is a tough decision and a big investment. Let ATD Demo Day help you learn about the benefits of a variety of options at once.

Who is it for?

Anyone who is currently looking for a new LMS, soon to be in the market for a new LMS, or simply interested in staying current on the latest LMS suppliers and features. Whether you're looking to streamline training, scale L&D programs, or are seeking more sophisticated analytics, customizations, and personalization features, join us to discover the latest updates from these leading LMS providers. 

Register for this event is available on webinars.td.org.