Event Kick-Off
Emcee
Matt Elwell, CPLP, is very excited to return as emcee for CETS. Matt is the President & CEO of ComedySportz of Chicago, Inc., a corporate entertainment, training, and events marketing organization which operates The ComedySportz Theatre in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. Matt designs soft skills training using the techniques of Applied Improvisation and has developed training for AT&T, Accenture, Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Cars.com, Navigant Consulting, Inc., and the Illinois Parks & Recreation Association, among others. Currently, Matt serves on the Board of the Chicagoland Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development.
Keynote: Cammy Bean
Cammy Bean is a longtime e-learning veteran who has designed hundreds of courses in a myriad of industries and on a multitude of topics since the mid-1990s. She is the VP of Learning Design for Kineo, an award-winning global provider of learning solutions. At Kineo, she leads learning design, working closely with clients from concept to execution. She is a frequent conference presenter and has chaired and worked on planning committees for several ASTD conferences. She is the author of The Accidental Instructional Designer: Learning Design for the Digital Age (ASTD Press, 2014). Cammy also founded and writes for Learning Visions, a popular eLearning blog that is consistently listed as the one of the top-10 most influential blogs in the tech learning space. | Session Description
Session Speakers
Kris Adzia has been the Project Manager for the Robert Crown Center for Health Education’s Heroin Prevention Project for 3 years. She was an elementary school teacher and holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Learning. After leaving the classroom, Kris worked with various community programs and the Education Department at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago on program development and community outreach programs and learning experiences. | Session Description
Jon Aleckson, Ph.D., is an educational leader and consultant in association learning technologies and e-learning. As founder and CEO of Web Courseworks, he works with association clients on LMS implementation and development, platform alignment and integration, and online curriculum development, giving him a holistic view of business models, operational practices, and educational approaches in association e-learning. Aleckson earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin. | Session Description
Cindy Berrey is a Resource Specialist at STARNET Region II. She has over 20 years’ experience in training and organizational development. Her experience ranges from creating e-learning to support teams and management in a Fortune 100 company to working for a non-profit providing professional development for teachers and administrators. She is currently implementing e-learning in a statewide quality initiative involving early childhood programs. | Session Description
Gary Bersh has been in the learning/technology space for over 16 years, mostly in an account management role. Gary holds a B.A. in Marketing from Michigan State University and a Masters in Adult Education from National Louis University. Gary has worked for organizations such as Oracle, BEA Systems, and New Horizons. Currently, Gary is with Ellegro Learning Solutions, a custom learning/performance solution agency. He is a member of CCASTD and the Executive Learning Exchange. | Session Description
Stephania Buteyn, co-founder of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions, Inc., has over 10 years of experience in the training industry. She designs and develops courses in all media, with a focus on e-learning. Her passions include helping and training people and making learning fun. She helps ensure courses use innovative professional training techniques that engage students and provide realistic, problem-based learning experiences. | Session Description
Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions, Inc., has over 15 years of experience in e-learning. He’s worked with a full range of clients, from IT service providers to international food service organizations. Previously, he was the training director for several technology companies. Recently, Tim won the Articulate Storyline guru contest for developing a course that uses scenario-based training as its foundation. | Session Description 1 | Session Description 2
David Charney has developed interactive training solutions for 15 years and is a founder of Illumen Group, a company focused on the creation of engaging e-learning solutions. He has developed many award-winning e-learning modules for Porsche, Johnson & Johnson, Harley-Davidson, and HP. He has presented and blogged about e-learning and, through Illumen, been a CETS sponsor for 5 years. | Session Description
Adrianne Claybrooks, Manager, Crowe Horwath LLP, has 10 years of experience in marketing and program management. As a program manager for firm-wide learning events, she leads onsite support activities or manages appropriate personnel to execute. Adrianne enjoys creating successful learning environments in multiple delivery formats (i.e., instructor-led, virtual, and conference training). Adrianne also serves as program committee member (chair in 2012) of Women Leading@Crowe – Connect Tier. | Session Description
Apryl Cox Jackson is an independent technical communicator who specializes in e-learning, writing, and editing. She has been developing e-learning courses for 12 years and has authored more than 30 courses with the free tool Udutu. Apryl has an M.S. in Technical Communication & Information Design from the Illinois Institute of Technology. | Session Description
Matthew Cummins has worked with knowledge-based and design automation systems for over a decade. He has consulted for small, medium, and multi-national design and manufacturing companies, helping them capture their tribal knowledge and codify it for both data reuse and training purposes. He is now applying these engineering methodologies to the e-learning development process with the Illumen Group team. Matthew has a degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University. | Session Description
Jennifer De Vries, CPT, is the President & Chief Solutions Architect for BlueStreak Learning. For over 25 years, she has managed e-learning programs for companies such as IBM, Motorola, Joint Commission Resources, and Thomson/NETg. She writes for e-learning industry journals and is known for her groundbreaking report Rapid E-Learning, published by Bersin & Associates. OnlineUniversityRankings.org named Jennifer one of the top-20 most influential people in online learning. | Session Description 1 | Session Description 2
Sue Deisinger is CARA’s Strategic Account Executive, specializing in training strategy and execution. Her experience spans over 20 years as both a practitioner and global corporate learning leader. Sue has an M.B.A. in accounting and finance from Vanderbilt University and a B.A. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sue is active in CCASTD, the Executive Learning Exchange, and the Healthcare Business Women’s Association. She’s presented at industry events, including ASTD, ISPI, and Corporate University Week. | Session Description
Kathleen Fortney, Ed.D., is a learning strategist at Berkeley Training, where she designs, develops, and facilitates corporate training programs, including two Brandon Hall award winners. Kathleen has managed cross-functional software and training development teams in a variety of industries, which has given her insights into the best practices for managing projects to get results. She is a member of ISPI and ATD. | Session Description
Caitlin A. Frano, M.A.Ed., is Director of Distance Education at Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies. Caitlin is responsible for training and supporting online adjunct faculty with limited time and resources. She has over 20 years of teaching and training experience in higher education, corporate, and consulting settings in on-ground, online, blended, and simultaneous learning formats. | Session Description
Dennis Glenn formed Discourse LLC in 2010 with two colleagues at Northwestern University to market virtual reality learning and assessment simulations. Discourse creates and distributes simulations to assess the cognitive decision ability in high-stakes endeavors, such as medicine, business, and law. Previously, Glenn held the position of Assistant Dean and Director of the Distributed Learning Center in the School of Communication. Glenn now holds an adjunct faculty position at DePaul University’s Graduate School for New Learning. | Session Description
Judith Hale, Ph.D., is a consultant with the Institute for Performance Improvement. She helps organizations build business cases for investing in learning technology, set up cost-feasible evaluation, and graphically show solutions’ value. Her 25+ years of experience spans the public and private sectors. Her Ph.D. is in educational computing, and Judith's research is on controlling bias in studies. She received the Outstanding Communication Award from ISPI for Performance-based Certification. | Session Description
Jennie Hartman is the IT Training & Staff Development Manager at Grant Thornton. She has 16 years’ experience in the learning and development field. She specializes in adult learning and development techniques and training formats and has technical skills in a variety of learning software, including Adobe Captivate and the e-learning suite. Jennie is a member of the Association for Talent Development and an ASTD Certified Master Trainer. | Session Description
Molly Heilmann is the Vice President of Custom Learning Solutions at Berkeley Training. Her team provides custom training solutions to companies that have a national and multi-national customer or employee reach. Adhering to a learner-centric approach, Berkeley creates highly customized programs based on its client's unique content, audience, and needs. Molly is a member of ATD. | Session Description
Andy Hicken, Ph.D., is a Product Innovation Specialist and instructional designer at Web Courseworks. His mission is to conceive new ways to solve problems, educate learners, and meet project objectives. Andy has been the lead designer on projects for the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Center for Education and Work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Miller Brewing. Andy received his Ph.D. in ethnomusicology in 2009 and stays active in the field. | Session Description
Ingrid Hubbard Reidy has over 15 years of experience managing technical projects and specializes in developing user-friendly solutions to complex business problems. Currently, she serves as the Director of Technology & Projects for ISMIE Mutual Insurance. She oversees all creative and technical development for the company’s educational program and has participated in the development of over 200 e-learning courses. | Session Description
Ian Hybert has worked in human performance and instructional design with PRH Consulting for 7 years. He has developed training, methodologies, and e-learning with clients such as Siemens Building Technologies, Eli Lilly, Hewitt, Huron Consulting, and Hospira. Ian has experience using a variety of e-learning tools, such as Storyline, Articulate Presenter, Quizmaker, and Engage, and he is an HTML5 beginner. | Session Description
Peter Hybert, CPT, has been a human performance consultant since 1984. His clients include Eli Lilly, Siemens, Chrysler Financial, General Motors, AT&T, Hospira, Fireman’s Fund Insurance, Hewitt Associates, SPX Corporation, and Huron Consulting. Pete has managed over 200 client projects spanning training, process improvement, and performance-based qualification. His company, PRH Consulting, publishes the Building Capability newsletter and blog. | Session Description
Jordan Kanter has been working in e-learning for almost a decade. As a veteran of an e-learning startup, he created and developed a novel engagement platform for disadvantaged parents. As technology coordinator at The Center: Resources for Teaching and Learning, he has implemented data systems for professional development, enterprise learning, professional development event management, mixed learning environments, and full stack network development for classrooms. | Session Description
Matt Kurtin has over 15 years’ experience developing technology-based learning solutions. He leads Innovative Learning Group’s mobile learning strategy and delivery efforts and has developed numerous mobile apps and courses. He’s proficient in Captivate, Articulate Studio and Storyline, Lectora, Flash, ASP, ASP.NET, JavaScript, and XML. Matt has presented technology topics for local and national ISPI chapters, Adobe User Groups, and The eLearning Guild. | Session Description
Becky Lucas, CPT, is the owner of Training Partners Plus, Inc. She has over 24 years’ experience developing training. She is a Certified Performance Technologist with degrees from Indiana University in Marketing/Advertising (B.S.) and Instructional Systems Technology (M.S.). Becky's expertise includes designing e-learning solutions using Articulate Studio and Storyline. She has also served in various capacities on the board of Chicago ISPI. | Session Description
Dana Lyons is a learning and development associate with a background in graphic design. She has been with the Grant Thornton IT Training Department for 3 years and is a member of the Association for Talent Development (ATD). | Session Description
Liesl Mahnke is the Lead Project Manager/Instructional Designer at Reflection Software. Her main role is ensuring that all products meet the needs of their clients. Starting with initial scripting and storyboard designs, she oversees the entire lifecycle for all projects. She works closely with the Development and Quality Assurance teams to ensure the development of quality products as well as to create new solutions. | Session Description
R.J. McMahon joined the Robert Crown Center for Health Education as CEO in June 2014. He has over 20 years of experience providing leadership and advocacy for educational nonprofit organizations and has extensive knowledge of the development and marketing of educational programs. Previously, R.J. served as Vice President, Director of Development for Fenwick High School, where he established highly successful constituent initiatives, restructured development operations, and formalized key organizational structures. | Session Description
Eileen Mrowka is a strategic training manager at AbbVie. Eileen has an established record of success in developing communication, marketing, and training strategies and solutions. She uses communications strategies to effectively build a “bridge” among business, technical, and creative teams to ensure that programs developed meet business objectives. | Session Description
Dannette Nicastro is Director, L&TD, for the Advanced Group. She has 20 years of experience with designing and implementing creative learning experiences. Her experience with integrating technology and learning began when she was an instructional designer with Arthur Anderson. Dannette has always looked for technologies that offer affordances. She likes to see what a technology can do and then ask, what if…?! Dannette is a member of ASTD, the eLearning Guild, and a variety of LinkedIn groups and forums. | Session Description
Chris Osborn has been in the employee development arena for many years. In his role as VP of Marketing at BizLibrary, he’s emerging as an industry thought leader in employee development and learning technology. He writes and speaks frequently on emerging trends in learning technology. He is the author of numerous short e-books on learning technology, mobile learning, and learning content. | Session Description
Dana M. Peters has spent the past 20 years in leadership roles implementing strategic learning initiatives. Consulting with corporate leaders on their unique virtual learning needs, Dana connects them with high-quality experts and niche training firms. Since establishing Mondo Learning Solutions, Dana has worked with clients to deliver exceptional virtual instructor-led training (VILT) sessions, in addition to coaching those new to VILT. | Session Description
Warner (Chuck) Pyne III is the VP of Sales for Kryon Systems, developers of the Leo performance assurance software. Since joining Kryon, he's worked with instructional designers, senior operations, IT, and financial and process managers to examine software usage challenges and provide solutions in a variety of industries, including telecommunication, healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, and financial services. | Session Description
Edward Roach has experience with courseware content development, LMS configuration and virtual classrooms. He has delivered consulting services to study the impact of technology on learning and performance. At American Airlines, he worked with accelerative learning techniques to reduce training time while improving retention. Ed holds a B.S. from Cornell and is completing his M.S. in Learning Technologies at the University of North Texas. | Session Description
Marty Rosenheck Ph.D., is CEO and Chief Learning Strategist at Cognitive Advisors, the makers of the TREK Learning Experience Manager™ software. He is a thought leader and sought-after consultant, speaker, and writer on the application of cognitive science research to learning and performance. He has been helping people and organizations develop expert performance for over 25 years. | Session Description
Sheri South is a Senior Functional Training Manager at Astellas. She has 15 years’ experience in training and development and earned an M.S. in Instructional Systems Technology from Florida State University. Sheri has worked as a learning consultant as well as in internal corporate positions. She is a two-time presenter at Corporate University week for International Quality & Production Center (IQPC) and is a member of ATD and the eLearning Guild. | Session Description
Larry Straining, CPLP, is the owner of Larry's Training, LLC. He is a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) who speaks around the country on technology-related topics. He is the author of Learniappe: 111 Creative Ways to Use QR Codes and is a contributor to the book Interactive and Engaging Training—A Practical Guide. Larry is a member of ASTD and the eLearning Guild. | Session Description
Rob Van Hyfte, M.Ed., is a project manager/instructional designer for Berkeley Training with 10 years of experience designing e-learning courses and managing projects. Skilled at managing multiple projects simultaneously, Rob developed a number of strategies for successful completion on time and within budgets. Rob has been the driving force behind three award-winning projects. He is a member of ATD. | Session Description
Jackie Zahn is the Director of eLearning for I Want to eLearn. She is an award-winning instructional designer, trainer, and author of How AF2F Communication Can Improve Business Relationships. Jackie holds a B.A. in Organizational Management from Concordia University and an ASTD certificate in instructional design. A member of ATD and CCASTD, she also draws from her former advertising background to merge industry best practices with the training she develops. | Session Description