SPEAKER
PRESENTATION SUMMARY
What if your next difficult conversation could become your biggest opportunity for clarity, connection, and growth? What if you could consistently lead your team with confidence?
Join us for a powerful, interactive session designed to help you move from conflict avoidance to confident dialogue using The POSITIVE Approach to Courageous Conversations©, using the I–We–You conversational intelligence framework and real-world strategies.
As a people leader and a team member, do communication breakdowns make you tired of tiptoeing around tension? Do you find yourself looking for the right approach, the right words to resolve conflict? This session will help you reframe challenging talks into meaningful breakthroughs. Let’s help you experience less stress and greater confidence leading your team when those courageous conversations, or any conversation, needs to happen..
You’ll walk away with a Conversation Compass, and a 5-question prep sheet to help you immediately apply what you’ve learned.
SPEAKER BIO
Melinda Stallings, CEO The Positive Consultant & Disrupt HR-Austin
Creator of The POSITIVE Approach©, award-winning speaker, best-selling author, executive coach, strategist, global consultant, and the 2026 recipient of LSU’s Distinguished Faculty Award for Meeting Students’ Needs. She has been a significant contributor at the national and local levels of SHRM, working to establish the first BOCK, assisting in certification exam knowledge and serving on boards.
Melinda has catalyzed profound transformations for individuals and organizations worldwide. Melinda draws from a deep well of over 30 years of expertise as an industrial/organizational psychologist and a wealth of experience in global contexts. As a result, Melinda offers a unique blend of insight and practical solutions combining scholarly knowledge with real-world wisdom and application to drive impactful change as she empowers leaders and teams through her innovative Positive Approach to Leadership (PAL), a hybrid management 2-day,in person facilitation of core leadership competencies, and a corresponding 6-week online - gamified employee course designed to promote a shared language of understanding throughout an organization.
CANCELLATION POLICY
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
USE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES
“Set it and forget it” no longer works in employee benefits.
In this session, we’ll discuss the biggest benefits and wellness trends impacting employers in 2026 and what HR leaders should expect heading into 2027. From alternative funding arrangements to no-deductible plan designs to evolving contribution strategies, employers are searching for creative ways to control costs without sacrificing the employee experience.
We’ll also explore why benefits need to become a year-round experience — not just an open enrollment conversation. Using real examples and industry data, we’ll discuss employee education, engagement challenges, and how better communication can help employees make smarter healthcare decisions.
Attendees will walk away with practical ideas, discussion points, and strategies they can take back to their organizations immediately.
COMING SOON
The desire for effective leadership has seemingly been growing across society for several years. In August 2025, U.S. News & World Report published troubling results from a Harris Poll conducted on public views of leadership. First, 60%+ of Americans didn’t see leaders they wanted to emulate in public service, health care, education, or business. Second, and most troubling for organizations, is that “72% of adults agree that the U.S. is experiencing a business leadership crisis.” Additionally, well-known authors such as Stephen M.R. Covey and John C. Maxwell have focused on leadership deficiencies in their most recent books. Given significant quantitative evidence and expert opinion that paint a poor picture of leadership across society, what can we do about it?
This presentation will initially focus on defining leadership and, more importantly, distinguishing it from management. Unfortunately, the two terms are often incorrectly used interchangeably. Leadership is a function of management, but not all managers are good leaders. Otherwise, this discussion wouldn’t be necessary. Then, we’ll examine what organizations can do to improve the state of leadership. Some options that may come to mind are surprisingly limited, yet others are simple and cost-effective.
Professor Loafman graduated with a BBA in Management from Abilene Christian University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence and Master of Business Administration from Texas Tech University. He’s completed twenty-one years as a full-time faculty member and eighteen years at Texas A&M University-Central Texas, where he is a tenured Professor of Management. He served for almost 10 years in various administrative roles, including as Chair of the Management and Marketing Department, Associate Dean, and twice as Interim Dean of the College of Business Administration. Among many publications on law and education, he’s published two articles in the prestigious American Business Law Journal (ABLJ) and another in the Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy. He is a past President of the Employment Law Section of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business and active in community service, having served on the Board of Directors of the Killeen ISD Education Foundation, Bell County Sportsman's Club, Slice of Heaven Educational Farm, and was the Merit Badge Coordinator for the Chisholm Trail District of the Boy Scouts of America. He continues to do numerous community service activities with First Baptist Church of Salado.
Employer branding isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a strategic advantage. In today’s competitive talent market, organizations of all sizes need to stand out authentically. This session will explore practical ways to create and communicate a compelling employer brand that resonates with diverse audiences, including veterans and underrepresented groups. We’ll cover how recruitment marketing and inclusive messaging can strengthen your talent pipeline and drive business success—without falling into token gestures.
Key Takeaways:
Alex is a global employer brand storyteller, currently residing in Austin, TX, and enjoys all things employer branding, recruitment marketing, and candidate experience. Outside of work, he's also a founder of CommonThread (global community for EB/Comms/Candidate Experience), does public speaking, and provides mentoring advice to fellow practitioners. When he's not working he enjoys traveling, being with family, music, karaoke, movies, podcasts, and mentoring others.
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