ATD St. Louis upcoming events

Stop Tackling The Symptoms! W/ Mike Rener of The Arbinger Institute (Meal Included) (30 Apr 2026)

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:30:00 GMT

Join our speaker Mike Rener from the Arbinger Group to explore L&D and training professionals explore why performance initiatives often stall. How shifting focus from symptoms to root causes elevates impact. Learn how to better align learning efforts with organizational priorities to drive ownership, application, and results.

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

Shift focus from symptoms to root causes to elevate impact

Learn how to better align learning efforts with organizational priorities to drive ownership, application, and results.

About Our Speaker:

Mike Rener of The Arbinger Institute

Mike Rener deeply connects with people around their own real-world challenges and helps them see new possibilities for ways forward. His caring, empathetic manner draws in clients, inspiring and motivating them around mindset change. Mike has been a focused keynote speaker at conferences, delivered hundreds of in-person work sessions, and provided implementation consulting sessions.

The Arbinger Institute is the author of best sellers including Leadership and Self-Deception, The Outward Mindset, and The Anatomy of Peace. Arbinger is a global leadership training and management consulting firm that helps, leaders, teams and individuals be more effective in achieving results.

For over the last decade, Mike has worked with corporate executives in Fortune 100 companies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, local and federal government leadership, and senior officers in the military. He has a passion for helping people see and leverage the practical applications of Arbinger’s material. Mike lives with his family in Park City and enjoys taking advantage of the many outdoor activities that Utah offers.

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Need help sharing the why with leadership or documenting this development on your performance review?

This work session helps articulate the impact of mindset on performance, collaboration, and culture—making it easier to connect learning initiatives to the outcomes leaders care about most.

This session Builds the following Capabilities and skills from the ATD Capability Model:

Personal Capability - Communication, Emotional Intelligence & Decision Making, Collaboration and Leadership, Cultural Awareness and Inclusion, Compliance and Ethical Behavior, Lifelong Learning Professional Capability - Learning Sciences, Training Delivery and Facilitation, Career and Leadership Development, Coaching, Evaluating Impact

Organizational Capability - Consulting and Business Partnering, Organizational Development and Culture, Talent Strategy and Management, Performance Improvement, Future Readiness

This session has been approved for recertification credits by the Association for Talent Development.

Networking in Nature Community Event (02 May 2026)

Sat, 02 May 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Want to trade your "business" for "casual" and network with other professionals outside?

Join us for a choose-your-own adventure community giveback event that's free for ATD STL members and guests!

Members and guests can choose from nature-based activities facilitated by an ATD STL board member, including: 1) a shorter hike (~1.5 miles), 2) a longer hike (~4 miles), or 3) trailhead activities for all levels, especially those with little ones.

Whatever adventure you choose, our goal is for attendees to:

Strengthen professional connections with other ATD members
Contribute to to the local community through a giveback opportunity (River City Outdoors' Gear Lending Library)
Promote workplace well-being as a strategic priority
Consider this kind of experience for your own organization

Water and light snacks will be provided to all registered attendees (bring your own reusable water bottle). Additional details about our meet-up location and give-back opportunity will be shared with registrants via email.

Event Host: Sarah Garner, ATD St. Louis VP for Community Engagement & Founder of Evergreen Explorations

Event Co-Host: Dave Kolmer, ATD St. Louis Director of Technology

Event Co-Host: Erin Magner, ATD St. Louis Director of Partnerships

Event Co-Host: Nikki Thompson, ATD St. Louis President

ATD St. Louis Event Announcement: Empathy Is Your Superpower (04 May 2026)

Mon, 04 May 2026 16:30:00 GMT

Save your your team from Distrust, Disconnection and Disengagement!!

Join our speaker Holly Pyatt and explore how empathy enhances facilitation, trust, and learner engagement. Discover practical strategies to apply empathy in training, communication, and leadership for more connected, impactful learning experiences.

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

Differentiate among cognitive, emotional, and compassionate empathy and explain how each enhances facilitation and learning outcomes.

Demonstrate empathy-based communication strategies that strengthen psychological safety and learner engagement.

Apply empathetic leadership techniques to navigate challenges in training environments and improve collaboration and learning transfer.

About Our Speaker:

Holly Pyatt, President Pyatt Consulting

Holly Pyatt is a leadership development and organizational effectiveness consultant with

more than 20 years of experience helping individuals and organizations grow to their fullest potential. As the founder of Pyatt Consulting Company, L.L.C., Holly partners with businesses, nonprofits, and franchises to design and deliver tailored solutions in leadership development, succession planning, team building, and talent development.

Holly’s career spans multiple industries, including healthcare, technology, and energy, Where she has led organizational initiatives that strengthened culture, developed high performing teams, and equipped leaders with the skills to navigate change. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), a Six Sigma Green Belt, an experienced

MBTI practitioner, and has been a certified Crucial Conversations facilitator since 2016, facilitating both in-person and virtual programs for diverse audiences. Her facilitation style is engaging, empathetic, and practical — blending interactive learning with tools that leaders and teams can apply immediately. Holly is especially passionate about helping people build confidence, strengthen communication, and embrace the skills needed to thrive in both business and life.

Holly holds an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) post graduate degree in Educational Leadership from Saint Louis University, an MBA from University of Central Missouri, and a dual Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration and Marketing from Missouri Baptist University. She is an active member of professional networks including ATD St. Louis, STL-ODN, and Project Management International (PMI), and frequently speaks on topics such as emotional intelligence, advocacy, and leadership superpowers. When she’s not facilitating, Holly enjoys being with family, podcasts, working out, traveling, and supporting her daughter’s journey as a competitive golfer. She lives in Eureka, Missouri with her junior high sweetheart husband and two wonderful daughters.

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Need help sharing the why with leadership or documenting this development on your performance review?

This session Builds the following Capabilities and skills from the ATD Capability Model:

Personal Capability - Communication, Emotional Intelligence & Decision Making, Collaboration & Leadership

Professional Capability - Career & Leadership Development

Organizational Capability - Organization Development and Culture,

This session has been approved for recertification credits by the Association for Talent Development.

AI Adoption: From Rollout to Real Use (Meal Included) (28 May 2026)

Thu, 28 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

AI adoption doesn’t happen when you roll out a tool—it happens when people actually use it. This session shows teams how to move from “We launched it” to “We live it.” Terri will explain how to master and adopt AI as a must-have business and communication tool.

Terri Turner, TST Business Strategies, Inc., Founder

Speaker Bio:

Terri delivered her first national training at just 23—and walked off stage to a standing ovation. Since then, she’s spent her career proving one thing: communication isn’t a soft skill; it’s a power skill that drives every result.

Today, Terri equips L&D teams, HR leaders, and mission‑driven organizations to communicate with clarity, confidence, and strategic impact. Her programs help leaders master AI as a communication tool, navigate tough conversations, reduce team friction, and deliver feedback that actually moves the needle.

Her workshops and executive sessions are fast‑paced, neuroscience‑backed, and infused with her signature enthusiasm. Terri has trained thousands across organizations like American Express, H&R Block, American Red Cross, Alpha Delta Pi, the National Small Business Association, and USA Gymnastics. A Certified Management Consultant and former NFL cheerleader, she brings unmatched energy and expertise to every room.

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze current AI usage patterns to distinguish between one-off search engine use and systems-thinking, AI assistant-level application that identifies bottlenecks where AI can improve productivity and efficiency.

2. Apply the proprietary TST RCRQQ framework to teach clear, outcome-driven, prompt structures that support consistent organization-wide AI use and remain relevant despite rapid AI changing updates.

3. Evaluate TST SOP Guidelines to determine AI security and usage parameters that best align with organizational culture and human-centered needs.

Need help sharing the why with leadership or documenting this development on your performance review?

This session Builds the following Capabilities and skills from the ATD Capability Model:

Personal Capability - Communication, Emotional Intelligence and Decision Making, Collaboration and Leadership, and Lifelong Learning
Professional Capability - Training Delivery and Facilitation Technology Application, Career and Leadership Development
Organizational Capability - Business Insights, Consulting and Business Partnering, Organizational Development and Culture, Future Readiness

This session has been approved for recertification credits by the Association for Talent Development.

Instructional Designer Growth Series Launchers SIG (01 Jul 2026)

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 17:30:00 GMT

Instructional Designer Growth Series

A year-long, capability-building journey for new and emerging Instructional Designers.

The Instructional Designer Growth Series is a four-part, year-long Special Interest Group designed to help new and developing Instructional Designers build clarity, capability, and confidence in their professional practice. Each quarter blends mindset, skill development, and practical application—aligned with the ATD Talent Development Capability Model—to help participants grow from task-focused designers into strategic learning professionals.

Across four quarterly sessions—THINK, BUILD, GROW, EXECUTE—participants will clarify their professional identity, strengthen core instructional design capabilities, develop reusable assets and workflows, elevate their design decisions, and build sustainable habits that support long-term career growth. Each session includes prework, hands-on exercises, peer collaboration, and a field assignment that reinforces real-world application.

Meet our Speaker: David Kolmer!

Who is David Kolmer?

David Kolmer is a learning experience designer, gamification strategist, writer, and podcast host who helps organizations turn training into engaging, behavior-changing experiences. With over a decade of experience in corporate learning and leadership development, he designs practical, human-centered programs that blend play, technology, and business outcomes to drive real performance.

What Will You Learn by Attending?

By the end of this session you will be able to:

Articulate a Definite Chief Aim that guides business decisions.
Describe how identity influences entrepreneurial behavior and performance.
Distinguish between assets and liabilities in entrepreneurial contexts.

Who Should Attend?

If you're an early-career and developing Instructional designer, career-pivoter, or L&D professional seeking structure, community, and a strategic path to becoming a confident, capable, and future ready Instructional Designer!

Need help explaining the “why” behind this work to leadership or highlighting its impact?

This session Builds the following Capabilities and skills from the ATD Capability Model:

Personal Capability - Emotional Intelligence and Decision Making, and Lifelong Learning
Professional Capability - Career and Leadership Development
Organizational Capability - Organization Development and Culture, and Change Management

To learn more about our capability model, visit https://capability.td.org/!

This session has been approved for recertification credits by the Association for Talent Development.

Annual ATD St. Louis Learn Conference -Celebrating 80 Years of Growth: From Legacy to Learning Revolution (17 Sep 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Annual ATD St. Louis Learn Conference

Our Chapter's Turning 80!!!!

Join your peers in the Learning & Talent Development community for our annual ATD St. Louis Learn Conference! Register EARLY for discounted pricing! Registration opens April 15th!

Conference highlights...

Both In Person and Virtual Options
Free Parking
Target Learning Tracks facilitated by experienced facilitators
Light Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks included with registration
L&D Focused Vendors on site throughout the conference

And so much more!!!

More details about our speakers and session descriptions will be posted soon on our conference website.

To for questions about sponsorship or vendor opportunities please reach out to presidentelect@atdstl.org.

These sessions have been approved for recertification credits by the Association for Talent Development.