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Louisville Session Descriptions

KEYNOTES | COMPETENCY WORKSHOPS | BREAKOUTS | Post-Conference Workshops | Service Event

Keynotes

It Starts With You! 3 Breakthrough Steps to Playing Bigger in Leadership, Business, and Life
	Justin Patton Keynote Speaker, Coach, Author The Trust Architect LinkedIn
Leadership is not about you, but it starts with you! If you want to be a great leader of others, you must first be a great leader of yourself. Impactful speaker Justin Patton will have you explore the wake that you leave, the #1 trait that holds all leaders back, and how your presence builds or erodes trust and connection in your relationships. This highly engaging presentation will challenge you to look at yourself differently, and it will change how you lead and communicate in every part of your life.

Elevate Your Team to Champion-level Performance
	Dr. Ivan Joseph Keynote Speaker, Author, Performance Coach Ivan Joseph Leadership, Inc LinkedIn
Self-confidence, cohesion, and expectations drive team performance. Through Dr. Ivan Joseph’s approach, leaders and teams see an immediate impact. Sharing funny and moving stories, and research-based insights, Dr. Ivan will inspire you to elevate your team to achieve even your toughest goals. In this powerful session, you’ll gain insights and techniques to: Articulate common values and a shared sense of purpose. Create team cohesion, the foundation of elite team performance. Set higher expectations to achieve new levels of performance. As NAIA National Coach of the Year, Dr. Ivan cracked the code for developing champion-level performance. He led a tiny college in Iowa to win a national soccer championship. He led a marginal university athletic program to national prominence. And that’s why he’s invited to speak on stages around the world. Because when teams thrive, they elevate everyone to a level they didn’t realize was possible!

Hot Industry Topic Breakouts

Attendees that are not taking a competency workshop can choose to take one or two alternate breakouts during those time periods. Details on breakouts will be added as they are confirmed. Want to present a breakout in Louisville? CHART members and partners can fill out this form with their topic idea. Non-members can express an interest in presenting a breakout or keynote here. 

Hospitality Training Competency Workshops

Learn more about CHART's Hospitality Training Competencies Program.

Executive Track

Business Acumen
	Kelly McCutcheon, CHT (Master Facilitator) Group Director of Training | Whataburger LinkedIn		Winona Bullis Director of Field Training–Specialty Brands | GoTo Foods LinkedIn
Hone your ability to make profitable business decisions and secure executive buy-in for your programs. Become a valuable partner in your company’s business strategy by learning to better speak the language of business, understand financial and HR metrics, succession planning, talent development, and strategic partnerships.

Communication & Influence
	Corban Nichols Vice President of Restaurant Excellence | Piada Italian Street Food LinkedIn		Christopher Auteberry Director, Commercial Learning & Development | Hyatt Hotels Corporation LinkedIn
Become a more effective communicator and motivator. Develop active listening and negotiation skills and other tools that will help you be viewed as the corporate expert and champion on all aspects of training.

Strategic Planning
	Audrey Benet Director of Training | GuestCounts Hospitality, Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar LinkedIn		Donna Herbel, FMP, SPHR (Master Facilitator) CEO and Chief Igniter | Blue Phoenix Learning LinkedIn
Solidify your seat at the strategic table by learning to develop corporate plans and quantify results. While you’re at it, enhance your skills and techniques in effective cross-departmental communication and become a closer business partner with leaders in your organization.

Manager Track 

Coaching & Development
	James Frank (Master Facilitator) Board Member | CHART LinkedIn		Nadine Willems-Antersijn, CHT CEO and Sr. Facilitator | Momax Trainings & More LinkedIn
Learn to develop your staff by becoming aware of their strengths and weaknesses, using feedback to increase their performance, delegating appropriately, and encouraging team members’ ongoing education and training.

Operational Knowledge
	Jason Lyon, FMP (Master Facilitator) President and Founder | Wicked SMART Performance Strategies LinkedIn		Alie Gaffan, CHT Senior Vice President of People & Culture | Pacifica Hotels LinkedIn
Get a clearer picture of how your team relates to others and fits into the company’s overall organizational structure and strategy so that you can achieve operational excellence. Learn to distinguish between training solutions and operational roadblocks.

Project Management
	Ashley Helkenn, MBA, MSML (Master Facilitator) Sr. Director of Training | Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken LinkedIn
Learn to prioritize training projects by assessing those that provide the best return on investment and ensure training is developed on time and within budget.

Instructional Designer 

Instructional Design Fundamentals
	Dr. Felicia White, Ed.D., CHT (Master Facilitator) Vice President of Learning and Development | Ascent Hospitality Management LinkedIn		Christina Heilig, CPTD Learning & Development Manager | Dewey's Pizza LinkedIn
Learn to shape raw information into easily digestible, relevant training programs that are directly linked to your company’s mission and business goals. Everything you need to know about training program design and how to get started.

Effective Learning Design
	Keith Strew, CHT (Master Facilitator) Sr. Director of Learning & Development | On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina LinkedIn		Damian Hanft (Master Facilitator) Vice President, Talent Experience | Inspire Brands LinkedIn
Gain the knowledge and skills you need to be able to understand and clearly present complex issues. Review adult learning principles, learn the necessary skills for program development, and hear how to work with subject matter experts for course content.

Training Evaluation
	Monique Donahue (Master Facilitator) Director, Commercial Learning | Hilton LinkedIn
Get the tools you need to properly evaluate programs to ensure they are meeting objectives and adapting to changes in the operational environment. Learn to make use of the feedback given by executive management, respond to changing stakeholder needs, align training to strategy, and monitor, evaluate, and update programs for effectiveness.

Trainer Track 

Presentation Effectiveness
	Dr. Jennifer Belk White, Ed.D., SPHR, CHT (Master Facilitator) VP of Human Resources | General Hotels Corporation LinkedIn		Jay Hartwig Director of People and Retention | Fox Restaurant Concepts LinkedIn
Discover the behaviors that will enhance your ability to prepare and make a quality presentation that will more effectively drive your company’s sales and build profits. Learn to make a great first impression and immediately capture your audience’s attention.

Participant Management
	Serah Morrissey, SPHR (Master Facilitator) Senior Director, People & Culture | Schoox LinkedIn		Rachel Richal, CHT (Master Facilitator) Vice President, Training | Buffalo Wild Wings, Inspire Brands LinkedIn
Sharpen and improve your training sessions by learning to better convey your ideas, motivate and respond to your audience, and effectively use presentation tools — so that attendees walk away from your training sessions having truly absorbed the material. You will learn about different learning styles, group facilitation, and more.

On-the-Job Training
	Anna Mason, CHT (Master Facilitator) Sr. Director of People Experience | A.Ray Hospitality LinkedIn		Kelli Laube National Field Trainer | National Restaurant Association LinkedIn
Learn how to accomplish this task consistently and successfully in the sometimes chaotic work environments of hospitality organizations. You’ll discover principles of adult learning in field-based education, how to overcome obstacles to learning, effective training for new hires, and using OJT for new product rollouts and new store openings.

Learn more about CHART's Hospitality Training Competencies Program.

Post-Conference Workshops

Pre-conference Service Event

Sunday, March 2, 2025 9:00 AM - Noon

At the conference, we will continue our tradition of giving back by participating in a community service project that benefits a local charitable organization. Participating in the Service Event is a GREAT way to begin networking while giving back to the community that will be hosting our conference. We have a long history of kicking off conferences with a service event - we have done more than 40 of them so far! (View past service events.) The service event typically takes place the first morning of the conference before sessions begin. Usually about 9:00 AM - noon (-ish), so be sure to plan your travel accordingly if you would like to participate.

More information will be announced as details are confirmed. You can indicate your interest in participating in the service event when you register for the conference. If you have already registered and would like to sign up for the service event, email Susan.

CHT Recertification Points

Keep track of your documentation before it’s time to renew! You need a total of 50 points, every 5 years. The point breakdown for each CHART activity is as follows: