PSHRA Greater Kansas City Chapter Spring Conference

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07 May

PSHRA GKC Spring Conference

PSHRA GKC Spring Conference

Thursday, May 7, 2026 (12:00 AM to 11:59 PM)
5 PDCs
Provider: IPMA-HR GKC Chapter
Course Name: PSHRA Greater Kansas City Chapter Spring Conference

Speaker: Jenna Eschenbrenner, Dr. Nicole Price, Stacie Engelmann, Abby Stevenson, Meredith Tranks, Megan Dodge, Bethany Gabb, Ashley Stephenson
Program Type: Conference
Registration URL: https://pshra-gkc.org/
PSHRA GKC Spring Conference, Merriam, Kansas
Email Details

Leadership & Navigation (Jenna Eschenbrenner keynote) Relationship Management (Dr. Price keynote + conflict resolution) Business Acumen (Lockton workforce trends) HR Expertise (wellbeing strategy) Organizational Leadership & Culture (Gardeners of Culture) Technology Management (HCM transformation) Total Rewards (workplace banking)

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The PSHRA Greater Kansas City Chapter's 2026 Annual Spring Conference, HR in Full Bloom, is a full-day professional development event held Thursday, May 7, 2026, at the Merriam Community Center in Merriam, Kansas. Designed for HR professionals serving municipalities, counties, school districts, utilities, and special districts across the greater Kansas City metro, the conference features two keynote addresses and six concurrent breakout sessions across three rounds, with up to 6.5 PDCs available. Sessions are mapped to SHRM BASK competency domains: Leadership and Navigation, Relationship Management, Business Acumen, HR Expertise, Organizational Leadership and Culture, Technology Management, and Total Rewards. The conference opens with Jenna Eschenbrenner, founder of Eighty-One Eleven, whose keynote Scoring Fresh Goals draws on her background as a third-generation entrepreneur to explore how legacy-driven values — partnership, quality, and investment in people — translate into effective HR leadership. Attendees will articulate how institutional legacy shapes HR culture, identify renewed professional priorities, apply a people-centered philosophy to current challenges, and recognize the long-term impact of intentional HR practice on employee experience and sustainability. The second keynote features Dr. Nicole Price, CEO of Lively Paradox, featured in Forbes, CNN, Fortune, and MSNBC. Dr. Price presents empathy as a strategic, measurable, and learnable leadership competency. Drawing on adult learning science, attendees will define empathy as distinct from sympathy, identify behaviors that build empathetic leadership during change and conflict, and evaluate their own approach to strengthen team trust and reduce voluntary turnover. In Round 1, Stacie Engelmann, SVP Talent Solutions at Lockton and past Missouri SHRM State Council Director, shares findings from Lockton's 2026 Workforce Priorities research. Attendees will distinguish leading from lagging workforce indicators, adjust talent strategy based on current data, and communicate findings to position HR as a strategic partner. Concurrently, Abby Stevenson, MPH, guides a structured reinvigoration of existing wellbeing programs through inventory, gap analysis, and communication channel evaluation, while equipping attendees with micro-habits for managing their own stress and energy. In Round 2, Meredith Tranks, Licensed Professional Counselor at Resolve Counseling and Wellness, presents Gardeners of Culture, exploring psychological safety, sustainable performance, and trust as conditions for organizational flourishing. Attendees will assess their culture and develop communication strategies that reinforce inclusivity without compromising standards. Concurrently, Megan Dodge, certified mediator and Senior Consultant at EverStrive Solutions, delivers From Gridlock to Progress — equipping attendees with practical mediation tools for employee disputes, tense team dynamics, and negotiations, including how to diagnose conflict and determine appropriate escalation. In Round 3, Bethany Gabb, Workday HCM Practice Lead at Guidehouse, covers public sector HCM transformation across the full project lifecycle. Attendees will assess modernization readiness, build stakeholder buy-in with governing bodies, and apply change management principles to sustain adoption. Concurrently, Ashley Stephenson of Commerce Bank introduces Workplace Banking, a no-cost financial wellness program built on the My Milestones by Commerce platform. Attendees will examine the link between financial stress and workforce outcomes and develop a rollout plan for integrating financial wellness into their total rewards strategy.

PSHRA GKC Spring Conference
PSHRA GKC Spring Conference
6040 Slater St
Merriam, KS 66202-2809

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