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 Christine Rachwal, SPHR is a Human Resources Generalist at Pall Corporation in Fort Myers, FL.  She has extensive experience in handling a variety of different human resources functions from recruiting and onboarding to employee retention and performance management.  Her specialties include developing and maintaining positive employee relations as well as ensuring compliance. Chris received her B.S. degree in Management from the University of South Florida.  She is a certified HR professional earning her PHR (Professional in Human Resources) in 2005 and her SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) in 2008.  Chris has been a member of the ASTD Southwest Florida chapter for three years. In addition Chris has been the Director of Certification for the Human Resources Management Association of Southwest Florida (HRMA) where she organized the PHR/SPHR certification training programs which included scheduling, teaching classes, and evaluating for effectiveness. In 2008 Christine was recognized by HRMA as the HR Professional of the Year.

One of Simone Johnson's roles at Pall Corporation in Fort Myers is the Continuous Improvement Specialist within the Pall Enterprise System. This year marks her fifth year as the Filtration and Separation Global Leader.  Simone's training subject diversity brings an eclectic array of training and development experience. Born and raised in New York City and prior to moving to Florida, Simonne worked as an Account Executive for Alkit Digital Imaging, yet her dynamic personally and passion for learning was the catalyst to her career change to a workplace trainer, initiating Alkit's New Employee Training Program.  At Pall Corporation she has created, coordinated, conducted and facilitated comprehensive training programs in Human Resource, Safety Compliance, Quality Control, cross -functional Manufacturing Operations and Lean Conversion. As a Lean Conversion practitioner, Simonne has lead and facilitated Kaizen events ranging from Standard Work, Point of Use Inventory, and Value Stream Mapping, in addition to conducting training in multifarious Lean Conversion Tools: Kanban, Daily Management, and 5S to name a few. Simonne has also managed the Quality Assurance Certified Operator and the Pall Enterprise Systems training programs winning Pall the 2009 Organization Employee Development Award.

Graduating with honors from Hodges University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and a minor in Sociology, Simonne's training diversity aligns with her role at Pall Corporation as the trainer /facilitator in the cross-functional development of associates ranging from operations and procurement to planning and maintenance.  As the champion of Pall Corporation's culture of learning, Simonne continues to develop, not only her skills and expertise in the field of Workplace Learning and Development, but also thrives on sharing her talents with those of her training audience.

ASTD International Conference and Exposition

May 22 - 25

Ava Fluty and Joanne Hartke

Having attended several annual ASTD international conferences over the years,and paying the full registration fee to attend, we have to tell you that volunteering a day and getting a day free is the best offer out there!   

Four of us from our chapter took advantage of this opportunity and the benefits were many.   

Not only did we save money, we represented our Chapter, heard some great (and a few not so great) speakers, networked with other volunteers and attendees, visited the Expo, and got to know each other better in the process.

There were a couple of things in particular we took away from this experience that we would like to share with you:

• Just do it!  All 4 of us have signed up to do this again next year already.  Volunteering at the conference and service learning in general, is a great way to try out new skills, make connections, benchmark with peers, and keep you immersed in current issues/trends.

• Social media in learning was the buzz phrase of the conference.  The Expo overflowed with exhibitors in everything from webinars, blended learning, smart phones as hardware, etc.  I-pads were everywhere; the emphasis was on the cost-savings, mobility, and accessibility.  We already know that future learners/employees/leaders will expect (and be well-versed in) technology - so training professionals will need to be prepared to keep them learning and engaged.

• True leadership always involves other people; this is Lorna Kibbey's style.From the planning stages to the last day we were there Lorna shared what she knew about the process and the four of use received the benefits.  If a leader thinks they are leading and no one is following, they are walking alone.  In Lorna's case she had all of us following and asking what's next!

Lee Knapp

Every time a Conference comes around I always ask myself, "why should I take the time, spend the money, and make the effort to attend?"  This is exactly what I was asking myself in determining if I wanted to attend the recent ASTD Conference in Orlando.  What helped my decision to attend was the opportunity of being a volunteer and earning a free day into the Conference. 

Being a volunteer was really a joy.  I was an "Ask Me" volunteer, which meant I provided directions to the over 8,000 attendees who were looking for help.  Now, if you know me, you know that I have a very poor sense of direction.  So for me to have this role was worth some fun laughs.  I must say, however, I took my role seriously and studied all the maps for the Orlando Convention Center.  As far as I know, I didn't give anyone bum directions.

For me, the real value of the Conference came through networking and attending all the exhibitions in the exposition hall.  The amount of new information that was being offered by all the vendors was amazing.  We have such a changing marketplace with all of our technology.  If you are serious about your business you have to be up to date on all this knowledge.  It was totally overwhelming but "awesome." 

I met an amazing woman from Egypt who is starting a training business in Egypt and another woman from The Harvard Business Review who was a "hoot."  I hope to have further contact and build a relationship with both of these women.  Every bone ached in my body by the time I got back to Ft. Myers but it was all worth it.  I plan to attend the 2012 Conference in Denver for a repeat performance as a volunteer.  Thank you Lorna Kibbey.

Lorna Kibbey, ASTD SW FL Chapter President

I personally thank all members of our chapter who joined me in attending the ASTD International Conference and Exposition (ICE) in Orlando. Their personal investment of time, money, and effort is appreciated! 

A big thank you to Bobbi Jo Cusimano, Ava Fluty, Joanne Hartke, and Lee Knapp for serving as volunteers and to Christine Davlin for her participation.  It was great to see our chapter so well represented!

Improving Human Performance 

WHERE:   

The FGCU Florida Institute of Government which is at The Atrium - 8695 College Parkway, Suite 1181, Fort Myers, 33919.

RSVP:    CLICK HERE 

Training Courses Survey

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Thank You for Participating 

Every dollar donated allows the Food Bank to distribute $6 worth of food!  

The Top Ten Questions Trainers Are Asked

(Information compiled through ASTD Surveys)

10. Are we going to finish on time?

9. When is the coffee break?

8. Will there be a vegetarian lunch entrée available?

7. Where are the rest rooms?

6. Can I get extra copies of the handouts?

5. Is it OK if I make a few phone calls?

4. Is dinner included in the registration?

3. Shouldn't my boss be attending?

2. How are you qualified to train us?

1. Are you going to cover anything important in the next hour?

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