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• March Chapter Meeting - How AI Elevates Learning & Development with HR Full Circle

  • When
    Wednesday, March 11, 2026
  •  
    11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    The Warehouse on State

  Register

  • Featured Topic: Enhance, Not Replace: How AI Elevates Learning & Development

    AI has helped many of us be more productive at work. We use AI to draft content, summarize reports, analyze data, answer questions, and more. Such shortcuts to knowledge often replace learning and even threaten to replace employees in many industries; a concern that keeps many HR professionals up at night.
    
    But what if we could use AI to make us sharper, smarter and better at applying new skills? Many learning and development initiatives stop at introducing new skills, but real behavior change comes from practice.  This session introduces an AI-powered practice and coaching platform that enables learners to rehearse real-world scenarios, strengthen decision-making, receive on-demand mentorship, and assess their skill mastery.
    
    Attendees will explore how AI can enhance and scale L&D programs, support individualized skill development, and create safe spaces for training participants to learn by doing. You’ll gain practical strategies and examples to integrate AI practice into your learning and development initiatives.
    
    Speaker: Kelly Gust, HR Full Circle

    Kelly Gust got her start in HR working at the bar her parents owned in Wisconsin. Why DID so many people like to drink cocktails and complain about their jobs? With a liberal arts degree from the University of Minnesota, she was worried she’d ALSO end up bartending, so she pursued her master’s from California State University, then worked at great companies like Starwood Hotels and Hot Topic. Her 20-year career has been spent making work BETTER; better hiring, onboarding, leader development, employee engagement and team building. Kelly now owns a business, but instead of a bar it’s HR Full Circle, where she helps organizations hire, inspire and engage their teams to make work better. She also stays busy raising 2 teenage sons, cooking healthy food that they refuse to eat as well as running, gardening, travel, trying to improve her golf game and spending time at the lake. She serves as HR Expert-in-Residence for University of Illinois Research Park and is a Springfield Business Journal columnist. She serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity, Women Entrepreneurs and her local SHRM chapter. 
    

    Recertification Credits:

    -1 hour of general HRCI and 1 SHRM PDC will be shared with attendees after the meeting.

    Meeting Agenda:

    -11:30-11:50 Check-in & Networking

    -11:50-12:00 Chapter Announcements & Speaker Introduction

    -12:00-1:00 Presentation, Q&A 

    Guests:

    -Member: $30

    -Non-Member: $40

    -First-time guests can join for free - reach out to Allison Gottwald at agottwald@eastersealsci.com for more information.

    Registration Deadline: Monday, March 9 @ 5 pm

    Location:

    -The Warehouse on State: 736 SW Washington St Peoria, IL

    
    

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• April Chapter Meeting - The Financial Wellness Program Conundrum

  • When
    Wednesday, April 08, 2026
  •  
    11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    The Warehouse on State

  Register

  • Featured Topic: The Financial Wellness Program Conundrum
    

    Financial insecurity and stress are wreaking havoc on workers. It affects their mental and physical health, as well as their working lives, in numerous and detrimental ways.

    In today's workplace, financial wellness is essential for both employee well-being and productivity. "The Financial Wellness Program Conundrum" examines the disconnect between employer-led financial wellness programs and the actual financial health of employees, shedding light on common pitfalls and often overlooked elements.

    This presentation challenges the status quo by introducing a new approach that prioritizes outcomes over activities. Attendees will gain the knowledge and tools needed to create a financially secure, healthy, and productive workforce.

    Learning Objectives

    • Uncover essentials that set effective financial wellness programs apart.

    • Understand psychological and behavioral aspects for employee success.

    • Be cost effective and deliver needed results without expending unnecessary time and money.

    • Prioritize outcomes over activity to provide genuine financial wellbeing to employees.

    Speaker: Chris Thixton, QPA, QKC

    For 25 years, Chris has been an advocate for improving the financial security of employees in the United States. He serves on the leadership council for the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA), one of five member organizations of the American Retirement Association based in Washington, D.C. He is a Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) and Qualified 401(k) Consultant (QKC®). Chris has testified in Washington D.C. at the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration on fiduciary matters related to fee disclosure as part of the Hearing on Reasonable Contracts or Arrangements. He has testified before the DOL’s ERISA Advisory Council. He leads workshops and private training sessions for fiduciary committees nationwide and has been a featured speaker at more than 100 industry conferences and programs.

    Recertification Credits:

    -1 hour of general HRCI and 1 SHRM PDC will be shared with attendees after the meeting.

    Meeting Agenda:

    -11:30-11:50 Check-in & Networking

    -11:50-12:00 Chapter Announcements & Speaker Introduction

    -12:00-1:00 Presentation, Q&A 

    Guests:

    -Member: $30

    -Non-Member: $40

    -First-time guests can join for free - reach out to Allison Gottwald at agottwald@eastersealsci.com for more information.

    Registration Deadline: Monday, April 6 @ 5 pm

    Location:

    -The Warehouse on State: 736 SW Washington St Peoria, IL

    
    

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• June Chapter Meeting - No Meeting Due to SHRM National

  • When
    Wednesday, June 10, 2026
  •  
    11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    The Warehouse on State
  • Spaces left
    0

  Registration is closed

  • No Meeting Due to SHRM National.

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