Events

Six Degrees of Insight - Webinar Series - Purchase 6 Sessions for the Cost of 5!

Join us for Six Degrees of Insight - a webinar series brought to you by six local SHRM chapters.

From NOW until February 4, 2026, purchase access to all 6 webinars for the price of 5!

• $75 for members
• $100 for non members

Schedule of Sessions:

1. February 5 | Val Grubb | Strategic Leadership in Action: Building the Workforce of the Future | Sponsored by Ashtabula SHRM
2. March 5 | Summer Jelinek | How to Make Difficult People Disappear...Without Going to Jail | Sponsored by Medina SHRM
3. April 2 | Tamra Morowski | AI in HR | Sponsored by LGA SHRM
4. May 7 | Dyann McDowell | Civility in the Workplace | Sponsored by Portage County SHRM
5. June 4 | Michael Karst K|W|W | Immigration | Sponsored by Akron Area SHRM
6. July 2 | Jamie Lewis-Smith | Empowering Leadership | Sponsored by Western Reserve SHRM

2026 January 13 | Total Rewards

Join us for Total Rewards on January 13, 2026!
Location: Davis Family YMCA, 45 McClurg Rd, Boardman, OH (Free Parking on site)

Agenda:

8am | Registration, Breakfast, Networking

8:30am - 9:30am | Program

Session Description: As the war for talent continues, a strong benefits and total rewards program is becoming more crucial. This presentation emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to organizational wellbeing and the need for strategic communication and employee engagement. The discussion focuses on future work trends, employee benefits, talent retention strategies, and benchmarking data for employers, using the NBS survey results which includes over 4035 organizations.

In this session, you can expect to:

Gain insight on the 4 leading employee wellbeing and attitude drivers of retention

Learn about the top 3 long-standing benefits trends which are losing popularity

Discover critical know-now benchmarking data on medical, prescription drug, voluntary benefits, and paid holidays

Acquire details on the shifts for investments in “life moments

Speaker: Joe Roberts is a Senior Area Vice President of Gallagher for the Ohio branch. With over 15 years in the employee benefits industry, Joe leads a team that specializes in working with employers throughout the country by providing strategic employee benefit and HR consulting services. His focus is on bringing emerging strategies, innovation, and cost-effective healthcare strategies to his clients. Joe’s outside the box thinking brings a fresh perspective to every meeting.

Joe grew up in northeast Ohio and attended Kent State University, where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Joe currently resides in Hudson, Ohio with his wife Nicole and his three children, Emily, Elliot & Everly.

This event has been submitted for recertification credits, which are currently pending.

Six Degrees of Insight - Session 1/6 - February 5, 2026

Join us for Six Degrees of Insight - a webinar series brought to you by six local SHRM chapters.

Kicking off on Thursday, February 5, 2026 with Strategic Leadership in Action: Building the Workforce of the Future presented by Val Grubb.

Session Description: The workplace is changing faster than ever — and leaders are racing to keep up. From AI and automation to Gen Z’s arrival as the dominant workforce, the future demands new thinking, new skills, and a new kind of leadership.

In this high-energy session, Val Grubb explores what it takes to lead in a world defined by constant disruption and five generations working side by side. You’ll uncover what today’s employees want most, why they stay (or leave), and how leaders can create a culture that drives innovation, engagement, and accountability across every level of the organization.

Packed with humor, data, and real-world examples, this keynote will help you reimagine how to lead, learn, and level up for the workforce of tomorrow.

Learning Objectives:

• Decode the Workforce of the Future: Understand the trends reshaping work — from generational shifts and gig-based employment to AI-driven transformation — and what they mean for your leadership strategy.
• Lead Across Generations with Confidence: Identify the expectations, motivators, and communication styles of Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers to build teams that collaborate, innovate, and stay engaged.
• Level Up Your Leadership Game: Discover actionable strategies to elevate your strategic thinking, strengthen trust, and drive culture change that positions your organization to thrive in the decade ahead.

Speaker Bio: Val Grubb helped launch Oxygen for Oprah and IAC for Barry Diller. Now, she partners with companies and associations to transform leadership potential into measurable performance that impacts the bottom line.

With additional leadership experience spearheading high-performance teams at NBC Universal and Rolls-Royce, Val knows what it takes to drive accountability and engagement under pressure.

Val specializes in executive training, keynote speaking, and leadership coaching focused on skills that directly affect financial results. Her book, Clash of the Generations: Managing the New Workplace Reality, equips leaders to harness the strengths of multigenerational teams.

Be on the lookout for a confirmation email with Zoom Login information! We will meet from 12:00pm to 1:15pm EST. Sessions have been submitted for credits from SHRM & HRCI. Sessions will be recorded and credits will be available for up to 60 days.

Six Degrees of Insight - Session 2/6 - March 5, 2026

Join us for Six Degrees of Insight - a webinar series brought to you by six local SHRM chapters.

Join us on Thursday, March 5, 2026 with How to Make Difficult People Disappear...Without Going to Jail presented by Summer Jelinek.

Session Description: Have you ever wondered why people won’t listen to you? Or found yourself surrounded by those jaw-clenching, nerve-fraying, challenging personalities? As an HR Professional, you’re expected to walk a tightrope; strong, but not aggressive; polite, but not a pushover. It’s exhausting!

This high-energy session based on the True Colors Personality Assessment will help you decode behaviors, adapt your communication, and transform difficult relationships, all while keeping the experience fun, engaging, and full of laughs.

Learning Objectives:

• Discover the Trick of Self-Management...because the first step to handling difficult people is managing yourself.
• Uncover the 4 Types of Difficult People—and how to work with them instead of against them.
• Walk away with actionable strategies to improve relationships with clients, teams, and even family.

Speaker Bio: Do you find yourself wondering if people are intentionally being difficult or if they just have a special skill?

Do you wish that there was something you could do to make the difficult people in your life disappear that wouldn’t get you arrested?

Does it sometimes feel like your job would be so much easier if it weren’t for the people?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are in the right place!!!

Our next speaker has over 25 years’ experience leading with companies such as Walt Disney World, The Disney Institute, the Center for Creative Leadership, and even a dude ranch.

When she is not transforming leaders, she is chasing her 9 year old daughter, determining which Disney villain has the greatest redemption arc, and studying neurodivergence in the organization for her PhD.

2026 - March 25 - Chapter Meeting (IN PERSON)/Partnership with YSU Chapter of SHRM

Western Reserve SHRM Chapter is inviting you to a presentation with John Bernatovicz
Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 4:00pm - 6:00pm.

Williamson College of Business YSU / 224 N Phelps St / Youngstown, OH 44503

Pricing: Members $21.00 / Non -Members $25.00

Session Description: Coming soon!

Speaker Bio: John Bernatovicz is a family first, business leader, balancing roles as a husband, father, brother, coach, and competitive amateur golfer. In addition to being an entrepreneur, podcast host, keynote speaker, author, and HR and payroll expert, John is on a mission to empower leaders to transform how people feel at work while making a positive impact. With a rich entrepreneurial history spanning 25 years, John has been at the helm of six business ventures. Currently serving as the president of Willory, a boutique professional services firm empowering the HR tech, payroll, and HR communities, John's passion lies in elevating purpose-driven organizations to their full potential. At Willory, he is dedicated to attracting, developing, and empowering top talent. John's leadership has propelled Willory to remarkable achievements, including recognition in prestigious lists such as NorthCoast 99, Weatherhead 100, Crain’s 52, and Inc. 5000. In addition, John’s book, HR Like a Boss, is the first SHRM-published book to reach #1 New Release on Amazon.


This event has been submitted for recertification credits which are currently pending.

Thank you to our sponsor: