Symposium 2024

April 16, 2024

Virtual Event with in-person networking after the event on April 18th.
You must register for each event to attend.

Symposium 2024 Schedule

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2024 Symposium Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Morning Keynote

Alan Mallory
Project Everest: Hybrid Agile Strategies for Reaching New Heights in Project Management

Alan Mallory is an international speaker, author and performance coach who is passionate about leadership and reaching new heights in all that we do. His unique philosophy of life revolves around empowering people and embracing an agile mentality focused on goals and results. By understanding what drives and motivates us, we are able to cultivate more innovative and effective ways of thinking and taking action. Alan holds a degree in Engineering from Queen’s University and a Masters in Psychology from Adler University, giving him a well-balanced approach to the outer and inner challenges we all face. He has worked internationally with large organizations as a professional engineer and project manager developing patents and implementing solutions to complex challenge in the mining and metals industry. Living and working abroad has given Alan the opportunity to deepen his understanding of individual and team challenges, better appreciate cultural diversity and successfully adapt to different organizational structures. Building experience through a lifestyle of adventure and challenge, in the spring of 2008 Alan embarked on the project of a lifetime and set a world record on Mount Everest along with three members of his immediate family. The expedition involved two years of planning and two months of climbing through immense challenges but they were able to overcome these obstacles through strategic planning, healthy team dynamics, self-awareness and perseverance.

Alan’s dynamic keynote is built around the two years of planning and two months of climbing that went into making the project of reaching the summit of Mount Everest a reality for Alan and three members of his immediate family. Alan puts specific emphasis on adopting an agile mentality so that we are not too rigid in our thinking, reframing activities to focus on results rather than tasks, developing a level of trust in professional relationships, gaining alignment and commitment, working through change, recognizing strengths, managing schedule and risks, adopting an iterative approach which incorporates immediate feedback, and effectively working together to achieve strategic goals. Alan’s message is about the passion, commitment and resilience that are needed to reach new heights in all that we do as well as the strategies and tools that allow great leaders and committed teams to achieve breakthrough performance.
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Afternoon Keynote

Dorice Horenstein
The Wholeheartedly Resilient Human: Four Secrets to Get You There!

After serving as an officer in the Israeli army followed by years of leadership in the education field, Dorice, Oy to Joy speaker, uses her energy and charisma as she transitioned to make the world her platform. Dorice inspires others to improve their mental fitness, sharpen their resilience, navigate challenges, discover opportunities for growth, thus find their champion within and live a purposeful life. Dorice is a Positive Intelligence expert and a best-selling author of Moments of the Heart: Four Relationships Everyone Should Have to Live Wholeheartedly.

Nobody wakes up in the morning aiming for a setback. Yet setbacks and failures, in the professional or personal arena, are impossible to avoid. Setbacks are real and scary, and they affect our relationships, productivity, and even our wellness. How can you not only bounce back after a setback but continue to thrive? As our hearts have 4 chambers, this session will bring awareness to each of the 4 chambers of resilience, the values and the secrets within each one, and tips and steps to take so your cup is not only full but overflowing with strength!
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Morning Technical Session

Dr. Tina Woodard
Conflict: Getting to its Root and Navigating it Effectively

Dr. Tina Woodard founded Capstone Performance Solutions, Inc. in March 2016 with a vision to inspire leaders and organizations to reach their maximum potential. As both an accomplished engineer and HR executive with over twenty years of experience in the manufacturing, government, and education sectors, Dr. Woodard brings innovative solutions to clients looking to improve their profitability, build a strong organizational culture, and become transformational leaders. Prior to managing Capstone full-time, Dr. Woodard served for eight years as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Organizational Development at the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG). Recognized by the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) as a Champion of Learning, her visionary work led to growing the talent pool for executive level leadership positions in the USG from 0 to 300 executives within a six-year period. As a passionate advocate for youth and giving back to the community, Dr. Woodard earned a Doctorate with honors in Adult Education from the University of Georgia for her extensive research on growing leaders through strategic talent management practices. She also holds a Master of Human Resource Development and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Clemson University.

We all experience conflict in the workplace, but have we paused to consider what causes it? In this keynote presentation, Dr. Tina Woodard will help participants explore the root of conflict as it relates to our beliefs and assumptions. We will dissect the Competing Values Framework to understand the types of conflict that may exist in every organization and relationship. Participants will consider their own style and factors that may help alleviate or navigate conflicts in the future.

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Tammara Buckey
Conflict Resolution Strategies for Project Managers

Tammara is the owner and CEO of Raise Your Own Bar LLC, a firm that specializes in coaching, consulting, and training. She has worked in a variety of positions surrounding financial and business project management for over two decades, with experience ranging from a handful of startups, 3 Fortune 50 companies, to the U.S. Department of Defense and foreign governments. She conducts training classes and workshops to teach a variety of topics in the realm of agile project management, financial transformation, emotional and relationship intelligence, process improvement, and personal mastery, among others. In addition to speaking, coaching, and training, Tammara is a stand-up comedian and emcee that provides entertainment for corporate events and awards shows. She has over 11 years of experience producing and performing comedy and won the crown of 2022’s Funniest Accountant in the South competition. She is working on her first book, “Imposter Syndrome Survival Guide” that is expected to be published later this year.
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Afternoon Technical Session

Nigel Smith
Are you a Commander? A Cheerleader? a Career? or a Critical Thinker?

Nigel is a Project Management Coach at one of silicon valley’s fastest growing private tech companies, Sitetracker, Immediate Past Director of Professional Development at the Project Management Institute UK Chapter and a long-standing member of Toastmasters International, where he's currently president of PMI UK Changemakers Club. He’s also an aspiring writer, speaker, avid reader, visual storyteller, world traveler, music lover and car fan, though not necessarily in that order! He’s passionate about bringing out the very best in himself and others. As such, he always seeks out great opportunities to learn, have fun and share his world, particularly with those who get him thinking and drive his curiosity! And pretty much that is what brings him here today!
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Reggie Bailey
Understand What Courage Is, Why it Matters at Work and How it Can Help You at Work

Reggie Bailey is an experienced Project Manager who has worked in higher ed for almost a decade and previously was in event management. Reggie has a PMP from the Project Management Institute as well as a master’s degree in psychology. This has led to a driven, out of the box thinker who has developed a collaborative approach that breaks down silos and moves people to action. She has helped build PMO’s with business owners and higher education for the past two decades. She has spoken at events on many topics both related to project management and the psychology behind motivation and confidence.

Currently, Reggie works in Higher Ed as Project Manager on many types of projects including technology, construction, parking management, risk management, and more. On average Reggie manages Programs and projects of close to 30 at any given time. She manages 4 staff including Project Coordinators and Project Assistants. She has over 10 years of progressive experience in program and project support, mentorship, and leadership.

Reggie prides herself on collaboration through showing care and humor to break through resistance and get the job done. She values creating a safe space where people can feel open and vulnerable, but also successful and supported. She is an advocate for women and other marginalized groups but is also someone that has spent over 10,000 hours in community service since 2005.
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