Setting the Gold Standard in California HR Since 1988
2025 Conference Schedule
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
7:30 am - 8:30 am
Check-in/Registration & Networking Breakfast
Registration - Lobby Area
Breakfast/Conference - The Grand Ballroom (Salons I-IV)
8:30 am - 9:00 am
Welcome & Introductions
The Grand Ballroom
9:00 am - 10:15 am
CalGovHR - Opening Playdate
Lauren Yee & Maddy Gabor
Betterment Work
The Grand Ballroom
10:15 am - 10:30 am
Break & Networking
10:30 am - 11:45 am
Leave & Light Duty: From Workers' Comp, to Personal, to Pregnancy
Rachel Shaw
Shaw HR Consulting
Keeping Your Workplace Safe During Tumultuous Times
Katie S. Hagen
California Dept. of Industrial Relations
Bringing Mindful Leadership and Strategic Thinking to HR Legal Issues
Tom Richard & Lauren Zalona
RTGR Law
11:45 am - 1:00 pm
Luncheon & Networking
The Grand Ballroom
1:00 pm - 2:15 pm
The Twists & Turns of Investigations - How to Tackle the Unexpected
Sarah Tobias & Kayleigh Birks
Van Dermyden Makus Law Corp
Competency Modeling: Transforming Teams, Elevating Performance, and Fostering Inclusion
Wendi Brown
WBCP, Inc
Transformational Leadership Through Transitions - Navigating Change for Personal & Professional Growth
Cheryl Rhodes Alexander
2:15 pm - 2:30 pm
Break & Networking
2:30 pm - 3:45 pm
Scope It Out - Defining and Sticking to Scope in Investigations
Ilona Turner & Madeline Buitelaar
Oppenheimer Investigations Group
The AI Revolution: Utilizing AI for Investigation Reports
Yashar Daf
Kolabrya
Christopher Boucher, esq.
Boucher Law, PC
Leading With Purpose: Balancing Mission and Humanity in Public Sector Leadership
Mallory Vongchanyakul-Thaut
BetterUp
3:45 pm - 4:00 pm
Break & Networking
4:00 pm - 5:15 pm
Putting The "Success" Into Succession Planning
Michael Leytem
Catching Leadership
Harnessing The Power of Skills & AI to Drive Employee Retention and Recruiting
Erick Allen
Cornerstone OnDemand
Safety Officer Claims: Mitigating Public Safety Workers' Compensation Exposure
Kyle Royer
RTGR Law