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Wednesday, April 8, 2026
7:45 AM - 6:30 PM
CDT
Main Conference Registration Open
7:45 AM - 6:30 PM
CDT
Main Conference Registration Open
Location: Baird Ballroom Prefunction- 4th Floor
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
CDT
Breakfast
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
CDT
Breakfast
Location: Exhibit Hall A-B 3rd floor
8:15 AM - 6:00 PM
CDT
Member Lounge
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
CDT
Member Lounge
Location: 2nd Floor
Ramona Rodriguez-Brooks, n/a (she/her/hers)
– NCEO
Grace Dawson (she/her/hers)
– NCEO
Jaymie Oviedo
– National Center for Employee Ownership
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
Concurrent Session 6
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
A Crash Course in ESOP Accounting, Financial Reporting, and Banking Covenants
Location: Exhibit Hall A-B | 3rd floor
Tom Clarke
– PNC Bank
Will Beard
– Forvis Mazars
Operational Excellence
CE: 1
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
Benefit Corporations and Employee Ownership: A Perfect Match?
Location: Baird Ballroom A
Wally Brockhoff, n/a
– Polsinelli PC
Jean Sand
– Room & Board
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
Contingency Planning for a World on Fire
Location: 108
Rich Armstrong (he/him/his)
– The Great Game of Business
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
Demystifying ESOP Segregation: Best Practices for Plan Sponsors
Location: 106
Christopher R. Wingard, MBA/JD (he/him/his)
– Kleinbard LLC
Jennie Msall, CVA (she/they)
– Ventura Trust Company
David S. Horvath, dhorvath@prairiecap.com
– Prairie Capital Advisors, Inc.
Repurchase Obligation and Sustainability
CE: 1
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
Executive Compensation: The Aspect of Business You Cannot Afford to Miss
Location: 204
Michael Kenneth
– WealthPoint Business Advisory Services, LLC
Effective Governance
CE: 1
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
Holding Company Strategies and Case Studies to Diversify and Grow Shareholder Value
Location: 208
Mary Sullivan Josephs, n/a (she/her/hers)
– Verit Advisors
Mark J. Edmonds
– Employee Owned Brands
JoAnne Williams (she/her/hers)
– Holden Industries, Inc.
Growth Strategies
CE: 1
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
Human Leadership, Smart Tools: Using AI to Strengthen Performance Conversations
Location: Baird Ballroom E
Kim Dinwiddie, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CPC
– Empowered Ventures
Workforce Development
CE: 1
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
Managing Cybersecurity Risk: Must-Dos for Boards and Leadership
Location: Baird Ballroom D | Demo Stage
Johan Hammerstrom, n/a (he/him/his)
– Community IT Innovators, Inc.
Janet Schulz, MBA, FACHE
– MyPath
Tina Chang (she/her/hers)
– SysLogic Inc.
Effective Governance
CE: 1
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
Nothing Artificial About It: Building Prosocial Teams, Collective Intelligence, and a People-First Culture
Location: Baird Ballroom F
Dallan Guzinski, n/a (he/him/his)
– Prudent Fiduciary Services
Krisi Schell, SRC Holding Company (she/her/hers)
– SRC Holdings
Culture and Engagement
CE: 1
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
Participatory Decision-Making as EO Connective Tissue
Location: 206
John Abrams
– Abrams+Angell
Allison Curtis (she/her/hers)
– The ICA Group
Alexander P. Moss, MPPM (he/him/his)
– Praxis Consulting Group
Culture and Engagement
CE: 1
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
The Perfect Blend: Integrating Fun, Learning, and Ownership in Employee Engagement
Location: Baird Ballroom G
David Graham
– KJT Group
Katherine Ephlin
– KJT Group, Inc.
Culture and Engagement
CE: 1
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
CDT
Unleashing Employee-Owners’ Potential: The Multiplier Effect
Location: Baird Ballroom B
Melisa S. Gillis, M.ED, PCC
– Gillis Consulting
Megan Glidden
– Web Industries
Mark Stailey
– UNH Browne Center
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
CDT
Coffee Break
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
CDT
Coffee Break
Location: Baird Ballroom Prefunction
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
Concurrent Session 7
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
Communicating Annual ESOP Valuation to Engage Employees and Drive Performance
Location: 208
Susan Kildahl, n/a (she/her/hers)
– NHS Northstar, Inc
Nels Carlson, J.D., LL.M.
– Summit Fiduciary Group
Aaron Pryor, ASA, CFA
– Acclaro Valuation Advisors
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
Effective Governance: Board Development and Training Workshop
Location: Baird Ballroom G
Steve Ryan, n/a
– GreatBanc Trust Company
Kate Roosevelt (she/her/hers)
– Campbell & Company
HAYDEE CALDERO, n/a (she/her/hers)
– TXI
Debra McGuire (she/her/hers)
– Private Directors Association (PDA)
Effective Governance
CE: 1
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
Forecasts, Predictions, and Wild-A$$ Guesses
Location: 206
Steve Baker, n/a (he/him/his)
– The Great Game of Business
Culture and Engagement
CE: 1
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
From Insight to Action: Using Performance Management to Improve Job Quality
Location: Baird Ballroom F
Rachel Merfalen, RachelEvaMerfalen@outlook.com (she/her/hers)
– Good Future
Workforce Development
CE: 1
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
Green Light, Yellow Light, Red Tape: The ESOP Year in Motion
Location: Baird Ballroom D | Demo Stage
Tiffany Richoux, n/a
– SCJ Fiduciary Services
Tina Fisher, n/a
– Principal
Operational Excellence
CE: 1
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
Growing Good Through Acquisition: Lessons From Building a Diversified ESOP
Location: 104
Jane Wintz
– The Omni Family of Services
Eric Strickland, MBA
– 3LS, Inc.
Jim Gardner
– Retired, Senior VP, Servisfirst Bank, CFO Roane Transportation Company
Tracy E. Woolsey, n/a (she/her/hers)
– GreatBanc Trust Company
Growth Strategies
CE: 1
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
Life Cycle of an ESOP: Case Study
Location: Baird Ballroom B
Bill O'Brien, n/a (he/him/his)
– Morgan Stanley
Brian D. Wurpts
– Waste Gas Fabricating Co.
Kjersti Cory (she/her/hers)
– SCJ Fiduciary Services
Operational Excellence
CE: 1
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
Planning for Payouts: Build Your ESOP's Liquidity Playbook in Real Time
Location: 204
Brenda A. Bennett, CFP®, CEPA®, CRPS
– UBS Financial Services Inc.
Jeff R. Behrens
– SCIPI Companies
Repurchase Obligation and Sustainability
CE: 1
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
Rising Leaders Peer Network: Conflict Resolution
Location: Baird Ballroom A
Kimberly McCourtney, kmccourtney@nceo.org
– NCEO
Karen D. Ng, n/a (she/her/hers)
– N&G Legal Group, APC
Linshuang Lu, MSOD (she/her/hers)
– Praxis Consulting Group
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
Scenario Planning: Engaging Employee-Owners to Lead Through Unpredictability
Location: 108
Marcy Tessmann
– The Charleston Orwig Collective
Ginny Vanderslice, Ph.D (she/her/hers)
– Center for Social Policy and Practice, Univ of Pennsylvania
Lynn Bruns, PE
– ISG
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
Using Employee Ownership / EOTs as a Business Succession and Exit Planning Tool
Location: Baird Ballroom E
Craig West, B.Bus(Mgmt), M. Tax Law, M.Bus(Acct/Finance), DBA, CEPA
– Succession Plus
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
CDT
What is an AI-Native Company?
Location: 106
Roger Cawdette, n/a
– Village Labs
Operational Excellence
CE: 1
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
CDT
Lunch
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM
CDT
Lunch
Location: Exhibit Hall A-B 3rd floor
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
Concurrent Session 8
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
Building a Feedback Culture
Location: 106
Lindsay Isaac, n/a (she/her/hers)
– NCEO
Andrea DiMatteo (she/her/hers)
– NCEO
Culture and Engagement
CE: 1
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
Clarity as Capital: The Hidden Multiplier Driving—or Dragging—Your ESOP’s Fair Market Value
Location: 208
Erica L. Roberts, Certified Pinnacle Business Guide, Certified ValueBuilder Advisor, EQ-i 2.0 Certified Coach, Authorized Partner Everything DiSC, Authorized Partner Five Behaviors, Working Genius Certified
– inVantage Business Guides
Operational Excellence
CE: 1
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
Demystifying the Financing Process
Location: Baird Ballroom G
Jade Palermo, n/a
– Empire Valuation Consultants
Brian Lowe
– First Financial Bank
Growth Strategies
CE: 1
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
Engage, Empower, and Grow: Workforce Activation Through Employee Ownership Strategies
Location: 104
Greg Daugherty, n/a
– Porter Wright
Jacqueline R. Radebaugh (she/her/hers)
– Jason Wiener p.c., a public benefit corporation
Operational Excellence
CE: 1
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
ESOP Sustainability: What ‘R’ is right for you right now?
Location: 204
Markus Dahl, CPA
– Eide Bailly LLP
Barbara M. Clough, QPA, QKC, QKA (she/her/hers)
– Blue Ridge Associates
Bob Kitta
– Mead Lumber Company, Inc.
Brad Frehner
– Caltrol Inc
Lesa Drysdale
– ISG
Jenny Cripps
– Gemini Industries
Repurchase Obligation and Sustainability
CE: 1
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
How Employee Ownership Can Align Your Purpose, People, and Profit
Location: Baird Ballroom D | Demo Stage
Bob Whalen
– HB Global, LLC
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
How Employee-Owner Stories are Supercharging the Movement to Expand ESOPs
Location: Baird Ballroom E
Daniel Massey, n/a
– Expanding ESOPs
Keith Dixon
– Ambac International
Morgan Uridil
– Crystal Group
Kevin Sims
– Web Industries
Culture and Engagement
CE: 1
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
HR Peer Network: Talent & Onboarding Strategies for Employee Ownership
Location: Baird Ballroom A
Kimberly McCourtney, kmccourtney@nceo.org
– NCEO
Jodi Lamb (she/her/hers)
– Houchens Insurance
Workforce Development
CE: 1
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
Leadership Through the ESOP Life Cycle: Emerging Issues at Every Stage
Location: Baird Ballroom F
Kim Abello (she/her/hers)
– Wells Fargo Advisors
David B. Solomon (he/him/his)
– LP
Jim Massey
– Chartwell
Growth Strategies
CE: 1
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
Mature ESOP Company Investment Considerations
Location: 206
Michael J. McGinley, ASA, CVA
– Monarch Investment Partners
Daniel J. Goldstein, n/a
– Go ESOP LLC
Growth Strategies
CE: 1
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
Pairing Investment Policy and Sustainability Studies for Long-Term Success
Location: 108
Ashleigh Newlin, n/a (she/her/hers)
– Chartwell Financial Advisory
Christine M. Hurt, CPA, MBA (she/her/hers)
– Ayers Saint Gross, Inc.
Amy Schuster, FINRA Series SIE, 79 and 63 licenses and MBA
– PNC Bank
Repurchase Obligation and Sustainability
CE: 1
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM
CDT
Which Hat Are You Wearing? The Challenges for Internal Directors, Independent Directors, and Executive Management
Location: Baird Ballroom B
Elizabeth A. Di Cola, n/a (she/her/hers)
– USCB, Inc.
Natasha Daniels
– USCB, Inc.
Alexander P. Moss, MPPM (he/him/his)
– Praxis Consulting Group
Effective Governance
CE: 1
2:15 PM - 2:45 PM
CDT
Coffee Break
2:15 PM - 2:45 PM
CDT
Coffee Break
Location: Baird Ballroom Prefunction
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
CDT
Concurrent Session 9
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
CDT
Building Ownership Culture from Day One: Lessons from ESOP and EOT Leaders
Location: Baird Ballroom B
David Gray, n/a (he/him/his)
– Project Equity
Brent H. Hutchings (he/him/his)
– North River Boats
Jeanne Taylor (she/her/hers)
– ShopBot Tools, Inc.
Culture and Engagement
CE: 1
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
CDT
Getting Real Use Out of Your NCEO Membership: A Practical Workshop
Location: Baird Ballroom G
Matt M. Licina (he/him/his)
– NCEO
Grace Dawson (she/her/hers)
– NCEO
Lori Atone, n/a
– TVF
Patrick K. O'Brien, n/a
– Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, a Terracon Company
Culture and Engagement
CE: 1
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
CDT
Growing Successors: Effectively Building the Next Generation of Leaders
Location: 106
Angela Busk, n/a (she/her/hers)
– Colorado Pool + Spascapes
Marshall Foote (he/him/his)
– Colorado Pool + Spascapes
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
CDT
Hot Topics in ESOPs: Transactions, Regulation and Litigation
Location: Baird Ballroom D | Demo Stage
Ted Becker (he/him/his)
– McDermott Will & Schulte LLP
Allison wilkerson, JD (she/her/hers)
– McDermott Will & Schulte
Erin K. Turley (she/her/hers)
– McDermott Will & Emery
Myriem Bennani
– McDermott Will & Schulte LLP
Julian Andre
– McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Operational Excellence
Sponsored By
CE: 1
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
CDT
Leading in the Gap: Turning Uncertainty Into Innovation
Location: Baird Ballroom E
Celina E. Peerman, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, CSP (she/her/hers)
– The Peerman Group
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
CDT
Managing Repurchase Obligations for a Mature ESOP
Location: 208
Joe Marx, CPA (he/him/his)
– Principal
John P. Murphy
– Chartwell Financial Advisory, Inc.
Rob Starkey
– Hypertherm Inc.
Repurchase Obligation and Sustainability
CE: 1
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
CDT
Navigating the Path of ESOP to ESOP Mergers
Location: 108
Hillary L. Hughes, CFA, ASA (she/her/hers)
– Prairie Capital Advisors
Tracy E. Woolsey, n/a (she/her/hers)
– GreatBanc Trust Company
Mindi M. Johnson (she/her/hers)
– Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC
Growth Strategies
CE: 1
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
CDT
Spot the Flaws: A Critical, Hands-On Review of the ESOP Valuation Report
Location: 204
Jennifer Krieger, CVA (she/her/hers)
– Weaver
Laurie-Leigh White, n/a (she/her/hers)
– BVA Group
Operational Excellence
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
CDT
The Large ESOP Company Peer Network: Scaling ESOP Excellence: Leading Big with Purpose & Ownership
Location: Baird Ballroom A
Kimberly McCourtney, kmccourtney@nceo.org
– NCEO
Terry Leahy, J.D., M.B.A. (he/him/his)
– MyPath
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
CDT
What Do Standout Trustees Do Differently in Governance?
Location: 206
Christine Adee, n/a
– Private company
Annmarie Logue, n/a
– Maxive Consulting, Inc.
Effective Governance
CE: 1
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
Concurrent Session 10
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
Brand is Culture, Culture is Brand: Why Strategic Marketing Builds ESOP Value
Location: Baird Ballroom B
Angi Krueger
– OwnersEdge
Chelsea Drusch
– Weidert Group
Culture and Engagement
CE: 1
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
Culture as Capital: The Ownership Effect
Location: 206
Kyla Alterman, n/a (she/her/hers)
– Prudent Fiduciary Services
Mark Koenig
– Bluedog
Melissa Krchma
– Bluedog
Culture and Engagement
CE: 1
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
EO Through Acquisitions: Rethinking Pathways to Increasing Shared Prosperity Through Employee Ownership
Location: Baird Ballroom A
Malini Ram Ram Moraghan, n/a (she/her/hers)
– The Torana Group
Isabelle Steichen (she/her/hers)
– Torana Group
Mike Brady (he/him/his)
– 40 Million Owners
Raam Jani
– BakerHostetler
Growth Strategies
CE: 1
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
Let's Talk About Process: What Do I Do with an Unsolicited Third-Party Offer?
Location: Baird Ballroom E
Tabitha M. Croscut, n/a
– Devine, Millimet & Branch, P.A.
Effective Governance
CE: 1
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
Mastering Your ESOP Statement Release: Strategies for Success
Location: 106
Cecilia Miller, n/a (she/her/hers)
– Blue Ridge Associates
Lynn Phelps
– MTI Boats, Inc
Denise Herndon
– Renkim Corporation
Culture and Engagement
CE: 1
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
Ownership 365: Strategies for Year Round Engagement
Location: Baird Ballroom F
Sean OBrien, n/a (he/him/his)
– Alliant Engineering
Beth Winter (she/her/hers)
– Alliant Engineering
Nick Grage, PE, PTOE, RSP (he/him/his)
– Alliant Engineering
Culture and Engagement
CE: 1
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
Risk Management in an Evolving Litigation Environment
Location: 208
Blake Roter, n/a (he/him/his)
– Burke Warren MacKay & Serritella
Lars C. Golumbic, JD (he/him/his)
– Groom Law Group
Jeanne Flanagan (she/her/hers)
– M3 Insurance
Effective Governance
CE: 1
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
The Foundation of a Successful ESOP Client-Third Party Administration Relationship
Location: Baird Ballroom G
Alex Plyler, n/a
– Principal
Jerry Bohnsack, CPA
– Cross Company
Bronwen A. Sholar, CPA
– Cross Company
Operational Excellence
CE: 1
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
The Language of Ownership: How Effective Communication Builds Culture
Location: 104
Jermie Howell, SHRM-SCP
– Inline Electric Supply Company
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
The Power of Leverage: Managing ESOP Repurchase with Confidence
Location: 108
Amy L. Byrd (she/her/hers)
– Pacific Steel & Recycling
Richard Shuma, n/a
– Prairie Capital Advisors
Repurchase Obligation and Sustainability
CE: 1
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
When Growth is a Strategy: Developing Leaders for the Long Haul
Location: 204
Kathleen McInerney Kane, n/a (she/her/hers)
– Praxis Consulting Group
Dave Nowak, P.E.
– Sentry Equipment Corp
Marcease Warren
– Sentry Equipment Corp
Innovative Leadership
CE: 1
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
CDT
Women's Networking
Location: Exhibit Hall A-B | 3rd floor
Ramona Rodriguez-Brooks, n/a (she/her/hers)
– NCEO
Eva Lianos, CMP
– NCEO
Madelyn Hammack, n/a (she/her/hers)
– National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO)
Grace Dawson (she/her/hers)
– NCEO
Francesca Santos (She/They/Ella)
– National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO)
Sponsored By
CE: 0
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
CDT
Closing Cocktail Reception
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
CDT
Closing Cocktail Reception
Location: Baird Ballroom Prefunction