Pre-Conference Workshops

Have you already registered but want to also register for a pre-conference workshop? Email the WACUBO Office more assistance. 

PC1. Discover Your Strengths to Reach New Heights
Sunday, May 1 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM MDT

Workshop Overview

This session will explore leveraging strengths to reach new heights! Prior to this workshop, participants will have an opportunity to complete the CliftonStrengths assessment and unlock their Top 5 Theme Report.

When individuals focus on strengths, rather than weaknesses, they are six times more likely to be engaged in their work. Greater engagement leads to higher productivity and satisfaction, which positively affects all aspects of our lives. During the interactive workshop, participants will be guided through an exploration of their Top 5 Theme Report and how to develop and leverage their themes as strengths. They will uncover the power of strengths-based development and how to utilize their themes to enhance their professional growth and engagement in their work. Further, participants will explore the power of strengths for enhancing workplace culture and engagement, as a focus on strengths can lead to more positive and productive workplaces.

Learning Objectives

1. Uncover individual strengths based on the results of their personal CliftonStrengths Assessment
2. Gain an understanding of strengths-based concepts
3. Recognize how to develop, leverage, and partner their individual strengths to reach new heights as individuals and teams
4. Learn how to recognize strengths in action
5. Understand how to leverage Strengths as a tool for building connection and creating inclusive work environments
6. Explore how individual strengths differ from person-to-person and create opportunities to learn and grow

About the Presenters

Katy Rees Co-Founder The Culture People
	Katy Rees serves as the Co-Founder of The Culture People. She is a passionate employee engagement and transformational change advocate with over two decades of experience in organizational development programs. Katy previously worked at California State University San Marcos for twenty-six years in progressively responsible positions, culminating as Associate Vice President of Administration overseeing Safety, Health & Sustainability, Integrated Risk Management, Internal Audit, Compliance & Operations, and leading campus COVID-19 response initiatives. Katy also served as an Organizational Development Special Consultant for the CSU Chancellor’s Office assisting campuses with organizational assessments, strategic planning, affinity group development, and harnessing the power of the CSU system to deliver outstanding services for students, faculty, and staff. Katy served on the WACUBO (Western Association of College and University Business Officers) Professional Development Steering Committee and Chair of WACUBO Leadership Programs, Faculty for the WACUBO Business Management Institute, Board Member of NCCI (Network for Change and Continuous Innovation) and member of the NACUBO Advisory Group on Leadership Diversity. She served on the Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners and was a member of the inaugural NACUBO Fellows Program. Katy is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and MBTI Certified Practitioner. Katy has received numerous professional awards including the NCCI 2016 Leader of Change Award, and the designation of Administrator Emeritus from CSUSM honoring her contributions and career long commitment to the university and its mission.
Jennifer Williams Co-Founder The Culture People
	Jennifer Williams serves as the Co-Founder of The Culture People. Her career has focused on employee engagement and enhancing organizations to their highest level of excellence through a strengths-based approach. She has over fifteen years of experience in higher education, strategic planning, and organizational development, with a primary emphasis on organizational culture and employee engagement. She previously served as the Associate Vice President, Campus Climate and Chief of Staff to the President at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) where she was responsible for driving the university's strategic priority of Campus Climate, which included fostering, advocating, and advancing CSUSM's culture and employee engagement efforts. For her impactful work and commitment to CSUSM’s climate, she received the designation of Administrator Emeritus in 2019. Jennifer serves as a member of the WACUBO Professional Development Steering Committee and Chair of the WACUBO Mentoring Program. She holds a Master of Science in Psychology with an emphasis in Organizational Development. She also is a Certified-Gallup Strengths Coach, MBTI and DISC certified, a “Carrot a Day” Recognition Facilitator, and an ATD-Certified Change Management Facilitator. She has served as a California Baldrige Examiner for the California Council of Excellence and played an instrumental role in attaining statewide recognition for performance excellence for the Finance and Administrative Service’s division at CSUSM, receiving both the California Challenge Award in 2010 and the California Prospector Award in 2013.

PC2. Transforming Work Practices
Sunday, May 1 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM MDT

Workshop Overview

Although hybrid work arrangements have been around for years, the question of how and where we work is front and center as we continue living with the pandemic. How can we retain the best of what we have learned over the past couple of years while discarding practices that don’t provide value? There is a risk that we will fall back into a pre-pandemic mindset and lose the urgency and focus that produced innovation across our campuses during the most difficult of times. Retention of our best people is at stake in a time that has come to be known as “The Great Resignation.”

Learning Objectives

1. Transform meeting and committee culture into one of “ownership”.
2. Retain and improve work practices that accelerate decision-making.
3. Build a culture centered on fulfilling commitments.
4. Engage your teams to move from a sense of overwhelm to a connection with a higher purpose.

About the Presenter

Howard Teibel  President Teibel Education Consulting

Howard Teibel partners with higher education administrators, academics, and their boards to reimagine the value of a 21st century education. His approach focuses on transforming how the academy, administrators, and their boards collaborate to move from intractable positions to authentic dialogue and shared commitments. Through consulting, teaching, and public speaking, Teibel helps institutions transform outdated practices and creates accelerated and sustainable culture change. Teibel’s work is centered around empowering teams to define, commit, and implement changes in social practices, especially in the face of disagreement. Education in 2030 will look and feel different from today. Teibel’s mission is to break down the old fiefdoms -- The academy versus the administration -- to work across departments, to develop leaders who will step up, and to innovate and re-create education. Howard’s company, Teibel Education Consulting, leads team building, strategic planning, and leadership programs that move the needle on the critical initiatives facing institutions. Teibel’s client roster includes University of Colorado, California State University, New Mexico State University, Princeton, Rutgers University, University of New England, Georgia Institute of Technology, and many others. Howard’s podcast, Navigating Change brings together thought leaders to explore innovations that shift how teams in education work together. Along with numerous pieces in higher education journals, Teibel co-authored the book Redesigning Higher Education: Systemic Integration and Cluster Based Learning with President Don Bix of Plymouth State University. Howard is a graduate of University of Binghamton and long-time student of many modalities of personal growth including meditation, language action theory of Dr. Fernando Flores and the transformation work of the Hoffman Institute. He is also a co-founder of Fathers Forever, an organization dedicated to creating fellowship among men who have experienced the death of a child.

Sam Gilden  Design and Strategy Teibel Education Consulting

Sam Gilden is responsible for Design and Strategy for Teibel Education. Sam combines his expertise in data analytics with a passion for education, leadership theory, and organizational culture. Sam’s scope of work at Teibel Education includes design and delivery of our services and programs, running our Online Leadership Program, as well as leading strategic projects. He is also focused on identifying, researching, and presenting the latest and most significant trends in the field of higher education to help our clients make more informed decisions. Sam received a Bachelor of Science in Statistical Science and Data Analytics, graduating summa cum laude from the Fox School of Business at Temple University.

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