Parking and Building Instructions:
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Morris University Center – 2nd Floor, Legacy Room (Room 2038)
1 Hairpin Drive, Edwardsville, IL 62026
- Please park in Lot B off of Circle Drive (see map below).
- Note your parking space number and enter it at the kiosk, along with the free parking code: 2560.
- Kiosks are located at the top of the lot and inside the Morris University Center.
- After parking, enter the Morris University Center and go to the 2nd floor.
If you experience any issues, please contact Camryn Tunney at ctunney@imec.org.
The event will be held in the Legacy Room (Room 2038)
Join us for an engaging seminar designed to help leaders and HR professionals strengthen every stage of the employee journey. From recruitment and onboarding to development and long-term retention, this session will provide actionable strategies to build a more resilient, motivated, and loyal workforce. Whether you’re navigating workforce challenges or looking to enhance your company culture, this seminar will equip you with the tools to attract top talent, foster growth, and retain your best employees.
8:00 – 8:30 AM | Arrival, Coffee & Resource Hub
Enjoy coffee while engaging with resources and experts ready to help at the Hub.
- IMEC
- IMA
- Hire Level
- Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center
- Madison County Employment and Training
- Illinois Department of Human Services – Division of Rehabilitation Services Work
- St. Clair County
8:30 – 8:40 AM | Welcome & Kickoff
8:40 – 9:20 AM | Keynote Presentation
Topic: Partners in Progress: Forging Pathways to Workforce Success
Presented by: Ne’Keisha Stepney, Assistant Provost of Workforce Development at Waubonsee Community College
In today’s rapidly evolving labor market, building effective workforce solutions and pathways requires more than isolated efforts, it demands intentional partnerships. This keynote highlights Waubonsee’s Workforce Development Unit and its collaborative approach with industry, community partners, and stakeholders to co-design workforce solutions that are responsive, equitable, and future-focused.
This case study offers actionable strategies that organizations can adapt and replicate in their own communities to strengthen workforce pipelines and partnerships.
Attendees will gain practical insights into:
- Aligning training programs with regional labor market needs
- Expanding opportunity through apprenticeships and career-integrated learning models
- Removing barriers that limit access to education and employment
9:20 – 10:00 AM | Attracting & Onboarding Talent
Topic: Rebuilding the Talent Supply Chain
Presented by Amy Clary, IMEC Regional Manager and Joanne Ruiz, IMEC Technical Specialist
Talent Pipeline Management is lead by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and is adopted as the workforce solution across the state of Illinois. In this session you will learn at a high level what Talent Pipeline Management® (TPM) which is a demand-driven, employer-led approach to close the skills gap. Built by business, for business, TPM provides employers and their education and workforce development partners with strategies and tools to co-design talent supply chains that connect learners and workers to jobs and career advancement opportunities. It is a strategy create a collaborative with companies with similar demographics to proactively solve the workforce challenges.
10:00 – 10:45 AM | Tools for Talent Pipeline Collaboration
Presented by Amy Clary, IMEC Regional Manager and Joanne Ruiz, IMEC Technical Specialist
In this session, you will explore the tools used in the Talent Pipeline Management® strategy for effective implementation beyond this session. You will also learn about collaborative resources. We will focus on 2 specific strategies in the process.
- Strategy 4: Analyze Talent Supply Identify where employers historically source their most qualified talent and analyze the capacity of those sources—as well as untapped talent sources—to meet projected demand.
- Strategy 5: Build Talent Supply Chains Build talent supply chains to create a positive return on investment for all partners
10:45 – 11:00 AM | Coffee Break & Resource Hub Networking
11:00 – 11:45 AM | Retention & Engagement
Topic: Why They Stay – Culture, Communication & Career Growth
Presented by Paola Velasquez, IMEC Director of Organizational Culture
Strong company culture attracts and retains top talent, keeps employees engaged, and creates a collaborative team environment. It spreads across all aspects of your company, your business, your employees, and your customers. In this workshop, you’ll discover how intentional culture-building drives employee retention, engagement, and performance. Together, we’ll explore the difference between a Culture by Design—where expectations are clear, behaviors are aligned, and employees thrive—and a Culture by Default, where lack of clarity and consistency lead to disengagement and high turnover.
Through group discussion, you’ll uncover the hidden drivers of retention: healthy communication, psychological safety, and visible growth pathways. Learn how culture impacts not just your employees, but your customers and overall business success.
Key takeaways include:
- Understanding what company culture is and is not—and why it matters.
- How to create a workplace where people feel safe to speak up, contribute, and grow.
- Identifying leadership behaviors that either strengthen or weaken your culture.
- Simple, actionable steps you can implement today to improve engagement, build loyalty, and set your company up for long-term success.
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM | Expert Talk: Exit & Knowledge Transfer
Topic: Preparing for Transitions Without Losing Legacy Knowledge
Presented by Ed Huey, IMEC Technical Specialist
Your most valuable asset is not just your products or services, it is the knowledge your employees carry. As staff members retire or move on, organizations risk losing years of expertise unless they act intentionally.
In this session, Ed will share practical strategies to protect and transfer institutional knowledge, so your operations remain strong during workforce transitions.
Key Takeaways:
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How to capture critical processes, insights, and relationships before they are lost
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Approaches for mentoring and cross-training to prepare future leaders
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Ways to create a culture of continuous knowledge sharing and documentation
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Simple steps to prevent costly knowledge gaps and ensure business continuity
12:15– 1:00 PM | Lunch
1:00 – 1:45 PM | Upskilling Onsite – Grants, Programs & ROI
Developing your team is an essential part of long-term success. In this panel, workforce experts will explain the grants, training programs, and resources available to help you strengthen your organization without overspending.
Moderator: Paola Velasquez, IMEC Director of Organizational Culture
Panelists:
- Breck Newman, Director of Strategic Accounts and Retention at Hire Level
- Jo Ann Di Maggio May, Illinois Metro East Small Business Development Center Director
- Kayla Boesing, Work-Based Learning Coordinator for Madison County Employment and Training
- Ryan Langdon, IMEC Regional Manager
- Randy Prince, Senior Business Development Manager at IMA
1:45 – 2:00 PM | Closing
