ASTD Mid Michigan Chapter

June 21, 2012 – Organizational Development/Training Book Club

Blair Miller — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:16:14 +0000

This session will establish an ongoing Book Club for members interested in participating in a monthly online ‘live chat’ about selected titles in Organizational Development and Training. Participants want to share what they read, as well as learn from and support one another’s individual path of personal growth and achievement. Which books would you like to read? Which books have you read that you think others would like to read? Send your suggestions and we will add them to the list! The process of using online tools to support Book Club chat and selection of a title sequence will be discussed, and a schedule for upcoming meetings will be determined based on participant input and availability.

May 17, 2012 – Doing Business in China – A Global View on Culture, Communications, Manners

Blair Miller — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:12:43 +0000

This session is specifically geared toward professionals and teams who intend to explore the Chinese market or seek to build more successful business relationships with Chinese clients, suppliers and colleagues. Through a review of culture, communication and manners you will gain knowledge and skills to maximize your competitive advantage when doing business with China. Including hands-on practical advice and solutions, the program will also provide opportunities for business networking.

April 19, 2012 – Curriculum/Training Design and Development – New Essential Knowledge

Blair Miller — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:09:54 +0000

With conference budgets being reduced, it can be difficult to stay on top of new and emerging trends in curriculum design and development. Come to this session, participate in a survey of the new, emerging essential knowledge in the field, including research, implementation plans and options for integrating new leading practice in your own organization.

March 15, 2012 – Building an Employee Volunteer Program

Blair Miller — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:07:45 +0000

Organizations spend a lot of time working to attract the best employees, motivate them, increase productivity, create a corporate culture and positively support a community. Building an employee volunteer program (EVPs) can be an outstanding tool to strengthen CSR programs, differentiate corporate culture and reduce costs. Building a corporate volunteer program takes more than rounding up some employees on a Saturday for Habitat for Humanity and can become the backbone of highly energizing and satisfying outreach. This session will highlight the components and choices to build effective employee volunteer programs, with a model action plan.

February 15, 2012 – 4 Generations in Workplace –Training and Development Implications

Blair Miller — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:06:21 +0000

Annual Meeting – For many organizations, four generations share the workplace. Failure to understand workplace generational differences can result in a clash of communication styles and work ethics that can create cultural chaos. Employees from all generations must take on the responsibility to overcome the generational differences and bridging the generation gap. Being able to appreciate and use these differences to enhance the workplace environment is what this training is all about. The session will offer a specific focus on how to become more productive by recognizing and utilizing the strengths of the different generations within the team and the organization.

Denyse Berkeypile, Two Men and a Truck

Blair Miller — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:06:00 +0000

Meet Denyse Berkeypile, Training and Development Specialist with Two Men and a Truck in Lansing. Denyse is relatively new to Two Men and a Truck, being there only eight months to date. She also is quite new to the chapter, having joined just last summer. She is a graduate of Western Michigan University in 2004, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communication with a minor in biology.

Denyse’s training experience began during her five years working for Flagstar Bank, where she began as a teller. While sitting through a required two-week training session for tellers, she became interested in the role and work of the trainer. So much so, that she identified that as being her long-term interest. And when an opening in the training department came along, she jumped at the chance to focus in on her interest in training.

Currently her work at Two Men and a Truck is focused on the e-learning aspects of the curriculum. Two Men and a Truck has just implemented a learning management system (LMS), and she has been involved in the testing, setting up, and creation of courses. Their training department currently holds a two-week course for new franchise owners and other training focused on their unique population of franchisees.

Denyse’s professional development has often focused on on-the-job training, but she has also attended and benefited from courses offered by Langevin Learning Services.

Her ASTD membership has been a critical component in her ability to network with other training professionals. Given her work at Two Men and a Truck and their unique business strategy, she is always anxious to share with and discuss training with others who focus on the franchise business. And although she hasn’t yet had an opportunity to participate in some of the learning activities sponsored by the chapter, she finds the chapter’s newsletter, FOCUS, a valuable tool in learning more about upcoming events and learning about other members.

Denyse is married to Alan, and they currently live in Jackson with their two children, Spencer, 3, and Zoey, eight months. Welcome Denyse!

Jay Havener, Municipal Employees Retirement System (MERS)

Blair Miller — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 20:32:08 +0000

Jay Havener, Instructional Designer

Jay Havener has been working in instructional design for about 10-12 years. He was an adult educator for the Hazel Park school district. When funding was cut, Jay went to work for Electronic Data Systems for 10 years as a trainer in their Global Learning Solutions department. He began working and developing his skills as an instructional designer while at EDS. He left EDS about three years ago, and now works for the Municipal Employees Retirement System (MERS) as an instructional designer, developing training for staff, municipalities and MERS members at large.

He is currently working on staff product and service training programs. MERS manages retirement systems for state and local municipalities, including defined benefit, defined contributions, and similar types of programs. With such a large variety of products and services available to MERS members, the goal is to keep staff aware and informed of products and services, regardless of what role they play organizationally. He is also involved in the development of training for MERS members and also for municipal employers to increase understanding of MERS programs, their responsibilities to keep programs up to date, generate reports, contributions requirements, changes in retirement laws, new products and processes, etc.

Currently the MERS learning programs are about evenly divided between online and instructor-led, and one-on-one interactions with municipal employer clients by MERS Benefit Education Specialists and regional team members. They are in the process of moving more and more online, as people continue to become more tech savvy and able to get answers quickly and easily.

Jay’s training in instructional design has been mostly through excellent mentoring opportunities at EDS, with a lot of it occurring on the job. As his interest grew, more and more opportunity arose, the mentoring became a great asset. Jay continues to be excited to sharpen and further develop his craft, striving to be as good a designer as he can be, he wants to create opportunities for people to learn.

Jay is very new to the chapter, joining only last month. He was introduced to ASTD by his manager. He is looking forward to the opportunity to network with other members and see how others are working in instructional design, creating online learning, as well as see how it might match up with work he’s involved with. He plans to join national ASTD in early 2011.

Jay is married to Kathi, with two sons, Joshua age 25 and Jacob age 21. Joshua is studying community development and land use management at the master’s level a the University of Oregon. Jacob is attending community college while working. Jay and his wife currently live in Oxford, Michigan, where they have lived for more than 30 years. He is also an ordained minister at the Oakwood Restoration Branch of Jesus Christ’s Church in Oakland County where he is one of three congregational Pastor, where he also puts his passion for training and instructional design to work as the Director of Priesthood Training.

Calendar

Blair Miller — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 21:28:58 +0000

Calendar developed and supported by Kieran O'Shea

The Power of 2

Blair Miller — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:59:40 +0000

What is the “Power of 2?”: When ASTD members join both the national organization and their local chapter, they choose to be knowledge leaders in the workplace learning and performance (WLP) profession and change makers in their own backyard. Joint membership offers learning and training professionals a unique opportunity to connect with local, national, and international professionals. Joint members can learn about trends in the field, and gain access to research, principles, practices, and templates they can apply directly to impacting organizational results, their community, and advancing their career.

Blair Miller — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:53:31 +0000