Greetings ATD Pittsburgh Chapter Members:

As we approach the last few days of 2023, I want to thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Chapter President for the last 12 months. When I take a moment and reflect on the past year, the first word that comes to mind for me is thankful. ATD Pittsburgh was successful this year because of you, our chapter members, and for that I am thankful. Let’s face it—talent development professionals are rock stars!

There is such great talent among the ATD Pittsburgh chapter membership. Our members were busy this year doing what they do best--developing others, leading within their organizations, motivating people to do better and be better, and helping employees to untap their wildest potential. Yet with all that, they still found time to elevate their own skills and attend our ATD Regional Webinar Series, ATD Executive Education Speaker Series, ATD Pittsburgh Networking Events and local chapter programming. If that’s not a rock star, I don’t know what is.

I also want to acknowledge the rock stars on the 2023 ATD Pittsburgh Chapter Board: Angela Rogers, Past-President and Vice President of Finance, Sharron Corle, Vice President of Membership, Sheila Raza-Self, (former) Vice President of Programs, Keith Kuckenbrod, Vice President of Marketing & Communications and Sandra Marsh-McClain, Vice President, National ATD Liaison. I am thankful to have had an opportunity to work with such a dedicated group of people, who worked so diligently this year mapping out plans for the future state of the ATD Pittsburgh Chapter. The board and I began the year creating a three-year strategic plan, and we have been busy executing on some of the tasks within the plan.

• We have re-instated ATD Pittsburgh Chapter Meetings! This is a great opportunity for the board to share important information with membership. Look for more in 2024!
• We increased our presence on social media! Look for upcoming events on Facebook, LinkedIn and on the ATD Pittsburgh webpage.
• We hosted three in-person networking events at various locations in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Coming back from the pandemic, we all need to connect with like-minded peers. Look for more in 2024!
• We re-branded our mission, vision and values to be more aligned with what you, our members need from ATD Pittsburgh in a post-pandemic world.

I am thankful for the dedication that fuels our collective impact, and I’m inspired by all the positive changes that we’ve achieved so far this year. As I look ahead to the new year, the ATD Pittsburgh Chapter Board and I will continue to work collaboratively and support one another as we strive for excellence in all that we do.

And speaking of the Board, I am pleased to announce the 2024 ATD Pittsburgh Board:

Chapter President Dana Whatley Smith

VP Finance Angela Rogers

VP Membership Sharron Corle

VP Programs Jeff Tobe

VP Marketing & Communications Keith Kuckenbrod

VP National ATD Liaison Jennifer Kennedy

Director of Networking Sandra Marsh-McClain

Director of Social Media Kyra Miller

Director of Orientation Vacant

Director of Recognition Vacant

Past-President Dana Whatley Smith

President-Elect Keith Kuckenbrod

There is still room for you to help shape the success of the Chapter. If you are interested in learning more about our open roles, let’s talk! You can reach me at president.atdpgh@gmail.com

Wishing you and your families a restful, safe and blessed holiday season and a prosperous new year!

It is my pleasure to serve as your chapter President,

Dana Whatley Smith

Dear ATD Pittsburgh Members,

I hope you had an awesome first half of the year. But wait, isn’t it October? Aren’t we almost done with this year? Well maybe some of you are dusting off your noisemakers and getting ready to ring in the new year. But for talent development professionals, more so than in January, the dawn of the fall season feels like the start of a new year.

https://www.postworksavvy.com/september-month-new-beginnings/

Thinking back to childhood, we are programmed to see September and October as fresh starts. You remember—being excited about new school clothes, new books, new teachers, and the new challenges that being in a higher grade brought forth. The fall is when life settles into a routine. The lazy days of summer are over, kids and young people are back in school, and talent development professionals are busy planning for or preparing to launch new development programs.

As we enter the fall/winter season, I encourage all our members to get involved in the Chapter, attend training workshops, networking events and chapter meetings. We still have a few more board roles to fill, so If you are interested in building your leadership skills and serving in a leadership role, consider joining the board. Maybe you just want to learn more about what ATD Pittsburgh has to offer. Our chapter can always benefit from new ideas, and we have plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Speaking of new ideas, the ATD Pittsburgh board has been busy working on updating our strategic plan. Thanks to the feedback we received from our members, we have made updates to the website, as well as to our mission, vision and values, and we’d like to share them with you! We will be hosting a virtual Chapter Meeting on Tuesday, November 7. This will be an opportunity for you to “Ask the Board Anything”.  The first 5 people to register will be entered in a drawing for a cool prize.  Remember, our chapter meetings are FREE, and a great way to find out what’s going on in the chapter and how YOU can be a part of it.

I hope that you will join me at the chapter meeting next month, and for an exciting time at the ATD Pittsburgh holiday party in December.  The date and location will be announced soon.

It is my pleasure to serve as your Chapter President.

Dana Whatley Smith

Pittsburgh ATD Chapter President, 2023

Dear ATD Pittsburgh Members,

I hope you had an awesome Membership Month in March and were able to attend some of the great training offered by both the ATD Pittsburgh and National chapter. As your ATD Pittsburgh Chapter president for 2023, I want to express my gratitude for your continued membership, support and dedication to the mission of our chapter which is empowering professionals to develop talent in the workplace. I am very proud and excited to be leading the ATD Pittsburgh chapter this year, and will continue, with your help to make it shine.

As we enter the spring/summer season, I encourage all our members to get involved in the Chapter, attend training workshops, networking events and volunteer to serve on committees. We still have a few more board roles to fill, so If you are interested in potentially serving in a leadership role or on a committee, or perhaps you just want to learn more about what ATD Pittsburgh has to offer, please do not hesitate to contact me. Our chapter can always benefit from new ideas, and we have plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Speaking of new ideas, the ATD Pittsburgh board will be hosting an in-person strategic planning session on Saturday, April 22, just a few days away.  If you are interested in helping to shape the future of our ATD Pittsburgh chapter, please send an email to president.atdpgh@gmail.com by noon on Friday, April 21, and join the board for a half day of thought-provoking discussion and creative thinking!

Finally, the ATD International Conference in San Diego is fast approaching in May. As many of our board members are planning to attend, please let us know if you will be attending too, by sending an email to president.atdpgh@gmail.com. It would be great for Pittsburgh ATD members to meet each other at the conference.

I look forward to seeing and connecting with each of you at an upcoming event in the very near future.

It is my pleasure to serve as your Chapter President.

Dana Whatley Smith

“Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.” Aristotle

Our keynote speaker at ALC this month referred to the quote above. It’s a good one to reflect upon. I ask myself what habits am I cultivating that will bring about excellence?  What habits am I cultivating that will not bring about excellence? Your membership and engagement in your Pittsburgh chapter is a space to cultivate those habits that bring excellence.  For example, five members of our chapter’s executive board attended ALC this month.  I’ve learned that three members of our chapter will be giving a presentation at ATD ICE in San Diego in May. And congratulations to member Paul G., who won the Panera gift card at our November 10 lunch and learn program. We have plenty of action to finish up this calendar year, including an in-person networking event at the Hard Rock in Station Square, Pittsburgh on December 6.  I hope to see you there!

 Board Updates:  Develop and share your leadership capacity

We are actively seeking members who would like to volunteer to serve on the ATD Pittsburgh Board of Directors to:

• Enhance your leadership capabilities in a supportive learning environment 
• Build and expand your network within the Talent Development community
• Deepen your understanding of the trends in our industry

​Serving on the ATD Pittsburgh Chapter Board provides you with an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to and shape the direction of our chapter. Board leaders participate in monthly board meetings and chapter events, as well as engage member volunteers in strategizing and leading their specific role. 

Board leaders are elected to one-year terms and must be a member in good standing of the ATD Pittsburgh Chapter and ATD National for the elected year. ATD Pittsburgh Board Members qualify for additional benefits through ATD National. 

• Discounted ATD National Membership rates and an automatic upgrade to Professional Plus level

• ATD International Conference and Exposition Perks

More details about Board Roles

The Succession Committee will be reaching out to individuals, but you don’t have to wait for us to call you! If you are interested in serving on the chapter board in 2023, please reach out to Angela Rogers (amr115@psu.edu) An engaged board is necessary for our chapter to continue to thrive.

Board Meeting

The Chapter board meets on the last Tuesday of each month, at 7 p.m. on Zoom.  Any chapter member is welcome to attend the board meeting. See the schedule here https://www.tdpittsburgh.org/Chapter-Board-Meetings 

Fall Programs and Events
Many of our programs are free for chapter members!

November 17, noon ET Power Up Your Development: Leveraging ATD Membership

November 29, 7 pm ET: Chapter Board Meeting

November 30, 6 pm ET Regional Webinar: The Science of Hybrid: What Every L&D Professional Needs to Know!

December 1, noon ET New Member Welcome and Orientation

December 6, 6 pm ET In Person Holiday Networking Social

December 6–10, Employee Learning Week

December 14, 6 pm ET Regional Webinar: Executive Presence

November Member Reminder

Remember to use the ChIP code in the ATD store online  when you renew your membership or purchase materials  so our chapter receives an incentive. Our code is CH3019 or just select “Pittsburgh” as your chapter

“Aprils have never meant much to me, autumns seem that season of beginning, spring.” --Truman Capote

Summer is officially over and it’s time to re-engage.  Fall is my favorite time of the year. It feels like the time to get back to school, back to work, back to life. I indulge in my nerdy pleasure of seeking out the perfect pens, planners, folders, and other fresh office/school supplies—my gear for a productive year. I invite you to take a deep breath of the crisp autumn air and reengage with what matters to you. Pittsburgh ATD has many opportunities this fall for you to turn over a new leaf!

 Board Updates:  Develop and share your leadership capacity

We are actively seeking members who would like to  serve on the ATD Pittsburgh Board of Directors to:

• Enhance your leadership capabilities in a supportive learning environment 
• Build and expand your network within the Talent Development community
• Deepen your understanding of the trends in our industry

​Serving on the ATD Pittsburgh Chapter Board provides you with an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to and shape the direction of our chapter. Board leaders participate in monthly board meetings and chapter events, as well as engage member volunteers in strategizing and leading their specific role. 

Board leaders are elected to one-year terms and must be a member in good standing of the ATD Pittsburgh Chapter and ATD National for the elected year. ATD Pittsburgh Board Members qualify for additional benefits through ATD National. 

• Discounted ATD National Membership rates and an automatic upgrade to Professional Plus level

• ATD International Conference and Exposition Perks

ATD Pittsburgh Board Roles

President: Oversees all chapter business and projects.

Vice President, Finance: Oversees chapter finances.  Collects membership dues and program revenues, pays expenses, balances the books, prepares and files required financial reports.

Vice President, Programs: Oversees the development and delivery of all programming.

Vice President, Membership: Oversees development of projects to attract and retain members.

Vice President, Communications: Responsible for the communication/brand strategy

Director of Recognition: Develops and manages recognition of members, speakers, and volunteers.

Director of Networking: Plans and coordinates all social and networking events.

Director of Orientation: Works with VP Membership to develop targeted orientation program for new members to engage them in the chapter.

More details about Board Roles

The Succession Committee will be reaching out to individuals, but you don’t have to wait for us to call you! If you are interested in serving on the chapter board in 2023, please reach out to Angela Rogers (amr115@psu.edu) by November 5. An engaged board is necessary for our chapter to continue to thrive.

Board Meeting

The Chapter board meets on the last Tuesday of each month, at 7 p.m. on Zoom.  Any chapter member is welcome to attend the board meeting. See the schedule here https://www.tdpittsburgh.org/Chapter-Board-Meetings 

Fall Programs and Events

Many of our programs are free for chapter members!

September 22, noon ET: New Member Welcome and Orientation 

September 27, 7 pm ET: Chapter Board Meeting

October 5, 6 pm ET: Good Leaders Don’t Brag (Do They?) Group Coaching Experience with Christy Uffelman  

October 6, noon ET: Virtual Learning Series: Best Practices in Producing Virtual Learning

October 12, 6pm ET: 2022 Executive Education Speaker Series Session 6 "Enhancing the Employee Experience as a Key Driver of Customer Success

October 25, 7 pm ET: Chapter Board Meeting

November 10, noon ET: Virtual Learning Series: Podcasting

November 12, ATD Central PA 75^th Anniversary Conference in Hershey!

November 29, 7 pm ET: Chapter Board Meeting

December 6–10, Employee Learning Week

September Member Reminder

Have you moved or changed jobs? Take a few moments to review and update your profile on the chapter website. Make sure we have a postal mailing address for you.

Here’s how: 

1. Go to: https://www.tdpittsburgh.org/
   

2. Log in (upper right hand corner) 

3. Click on “View Profile” under your name appearing in the upper right hand corner
   

4. Review content there or click “Edit profile” button to make changes 

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has. —Margaret Mead

Board updates

Member Survey: The chapter conducted its annual member survey during the month of May, a CARE requirement. If you completed the survey, thank you!  Five survey completers were randomly drawn and set a $25 Amazon gift card!

We learned that members  like webinars and would like to see more networking events. We also learned that members would like to see some lunchtime programs.  We are working on making both of those things happen!

Succession Planning: We are halfway through 2022 and it’s time to start thinking about succession planning. If you have an interest in or questions about serving on the board or on the succession planning committee, I’d love to hear from you!

The Chapter board meets on the last Tuesday of each month, at 7 p.m. on Zoom.  Any chapter member is welcome to attend the board meeting. See the schedule here https://www.tdpittsburgh.org/Chapter-Board-Meetings 

Upcoming programs

Register today and mark your calendar for these engaging webinars on current trends.

July 27, 2022: ATD Regional Webinar Series 2022: Session 7 "Worldclass Leadership Development on a Shoestring Budget"

August 31, 2022: ATD Regional Webinar Series 2022: Session 8 "Combatting the Great Resignation: Stay Interviews

September 28, 2022: ATD Regional Webinar Series 2022: Session 9 "Personal Branding in the Workplace"

October 5, 2022: Good Leaders Don’t Brag (Do They?) with Christy Uffelman

November 9, 2022: ATD Executive Education Series 2022: Session 9: Rethinking Organizational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Jamie Campbell

In development

We are working on some lunch and learn webinars around virtual learning technology. Topics being considered include podcasting, virtual conference platforms, best practices in producing virtual events, and planning hybrid events.

July member reminder

Want to submit a speaker proposal for ATD ICE 2023?  The deadline is August 9, 2022. The ATD22 Program Advisory Committee recorded a session at ATD22 about how to submit a successful speaking proposal.

“Do not stop thinking of life as an adventure. You have no security unless you can live bravely, excitingly, imaginatively; unless you can choose a challenge instead of competence.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Board update

The board met on February 22 and conducted a SWOT  (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats).  Many thanks to chapter member Cathie Carr for facilitating this important activity for us. Board members are reflecting on the results of the SWOT and  setting goals for the year. Those goals will be shared with the chapter at large soon.  

One of the questions we asked ourselves to start off the SWOT session was, “In one sentence, what is your definition of a ‘thriving’  ATD Pittsburgh chapter?”  How would you answer that question?

Your input is welcome, If you have thoughts about chapter SWOTs or suggestions for goals, send them to me (amr115@psu.edu) by March 14.

Learn more about our board members on the Board Directory page of our chapter website. https://www.tdpittsburgh.org/board/ 

The Chapter board meets on the last Tuesday of each month, at 7 p.m. on Zoom.  Any chapter member is welcome to attend the board meeting. See the schedule here https://www.tdpittsburgh.org/Chapter-Board-Meetings 

Membership Fact: The chapter has 41 joint members out of 57 chapter members yielding a rate of 72% Power membership which is excellent!

Scheduled programs

March 30: ATD Regional Webinar Series 2022: Session 3 "Training the Citizen Developer for Organizational Success"

April 13: 2022 Executive Education Speaker Series: Session 4 "Developing Adaptive and Vibrant Workplaces through Mindfulness Practice"

We are in the process of organizing a May program on storytelling, and more events are on the way.

Please let me know [amr115@psu.edu] what kinds of programs make your membership in the chapter valuable. 

March member reminder: Connect with ATD on LinkedIn

Join our chapter group to keep up to date with what your fellow members are doing  and share what you are doing. We currently have 299 group members.  Will you be number 300?

Also consider joining the Association for Talent Development (ATD) Group which has more than 150,000 members. I have found this group to be an excellent source of assistance and advice.

"The beginning is the most important part of the work." - Plato. 

 New Chapter Board 

A new year means new board members for our chapter. Thank you to all board members who are rolling off. We appreciate your leadership and service to the chapter: Vince Kwisnek, Carlye Henderson, Denise Galloni, Kathleen Himler, and Corey Hollenmeyer. 

Welcome to all continuing and new board members who are moving into new chapter leadership roles. We appreciate your willingness to join the board and continue moving ATD Pittsburgh forward into 2022. 

2022 Board Members: 

• Chapter President: Angela Rogers 
• VP of Finance: Pearl Walker 
• VP of Membership: Kristina Kress 
• VP National Liaison: Sandra Marsh McClain 
• Director of Recognition: Jennifer Kennedy 
• Director of Networking: Dana Whatley Smith 
• Director of Orientation: Pearl Hughey 
• Past President: Laurel Shaw 

Learn more about our board members on the Board Directory page of our chapter website.https://www.tdpittsburgh.org/board/ 

Board meeting: the last Tuesday of each month, starting on January 25, at 7 p.m. on Zoom.  Any chapter member is welcome to attend the board meeting. See the schedule here https://www.tdpittsburgh.org/Chapter-Board-Meetings 

Volunteers Wanted

• Director of chapter social media  
• VP Programming 
• VP Communications 

 If yo have an interested in the above open roles, please let me know.

Programs 

We continue to collaborate with other chapters in offered virtual programming into 2022.  

 Monthly on the second Wednesday:   

The Executive Education Speaker Series, a collaboration with our sister chapter, Philadelphia and Eastern PA, continues with primarily Academic thought leaders talking on important trends for talent leaders to think about. Three changes to this series from last year: 1. We will take a break for the summer months of June, July, and August. 2. You need to register for each event individually. 3. The nonmember fee is $20 for each event.  Our February speaker is Dr. Wesley Donahue from Penn State, who will talk about “Building leadership competence.”

Monthly on the last Wednesday:  

ATD Regional Webinar Series, a collaboration with Philadelphia, Eastern PA, Northern New Jersey, Mid New Jersey, New York City and New York Long Island chapters.   The January 26 program featured Meredith Bell speaking on “How to create peer coaching in your organization.”

We are working on scheduling several more chapter events on the following topics: 

• Power membership 
• Podcasting 
• Storytelling
  
• Book Club on "Grit," by Angela Duckworth
  

Please let me know what kinds of programs make your membership in the chapter valuable. 

Have you moved or changed jobs? Take a few moments to review and update your profile on the chapter website. 

Here’s how: 

1. Go to: https://www.tdpittsburgh.org/ 
2. Log in (upper right hand corner) 
3. Click on “View Profile” under your name appearing in the upper right hand corner 
4. Review content there or click “Edit profile” button to make changes