About the Series
This monthly series alternates between in-person and virtual offerings to accommodate maximum participation from UVM People Leaders across campus and beyond. In-person sessions also include lunch and time for networking.
Who Should Attend
This series is open to all UVM Faculty and Staff who supervise employees. Each session features expert speakers selected by the Talent Development Center of Excellence for their ability to deliver high-impact training. Many of these trainers will also be available to provide department- or team-specific sessions, supporting UVM’s broader goal of offering comprehensive, coordinated, and cost-effective leadership development solutions.
2025 Schedule at a Glance
Date | Session Title | Speaker | Location | Leadership Competency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
September | Foundations | Chris Lehman | In-Person | HR Updates, Vision |
October 14th 12-1pm | Neuroinclusive Employment | Dr. Houser | Virtual | Inclusivity & Cultural Competence Emotional Intelligence |
Nov 13th 12-1pm | Better Workplace Communication | Kelly Becker | In Person- Silver Pavilion | Communication Conflict Resolution |
Dec 12th 12-1pm | Performance Development Best Practices | Susan Loynd | Virtual | Performance development Coaching and Developing Others |
January 20th 12-1pm | Productivity & Goal Setting | Porter Knight | In Person- Grand Maple Ballroom | Results Orientation Accountability |
| February | Presidential Speaker Series | Britt Williams | Virtual | Strategic Thinking Innovation & Creativity
|
| March 17th, 2026 12pm | Lead the Change: Coaching That Builds Trust and Moves Mountains | Kelly Blackmom | In Person | Innovation & Creativity Digital Fluency |
| April 13th, 12-1pm | Human- Centered Leadership | Luis Moreno | Virtual | Leadership, Teamwork, Accountability |
| May 11th, 12-1pm | How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers | Simon Stolzoff | In Person- Grand Maple Ballroom | Vision & Purpose Resilience and Adaptability |
Additional information on each session and presenter can be found below.
January 20th 2026 - From Goals to Results: The Science and Systems of Goal Attainment (In Person)
Speaker: Porter Knight
12 - 1 PM
This workshop equips leaders with practical strategies and neuroscience-based insights to set meaningful goals, design effective systems, and ensure follow-through.
Session Details
People leaders are expected to set their own goals but also to help their teams turn ambitions into measurable results. This workshop equips participants with practical strategies and neuroscience-based insights to set meaningful goals, design effective systems, and ensure follow-through. Participants will learn how to distinguish between different types of goals, design goals using a systems approach, apply neuroscience strategies to boost goal attainment, and create accountability structures for individuals and teams. By the end, leaders will be ready to guide themselves and others toward goals that actually get done.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Differentiate between outcome goals and process goals and understand role of each
- Use neuroscience-based strategies to improve goal attainment
- Apply strategies to strengthen individual and team accountability
Speaker Bio
Porter Knight is a nationally recognized productivity expert and author of Organized to Last: 5 Simple Steps to Staying Organized. One of the first in the U.S. to earn the Certified Professional Organizer® credential, she has spent nearly three decades helping students, professionals, and organizations reduce stress, improve focus, and achieve balance.
An engaging presenter and community leader, Porter is known for making productivity simple, practical, and life-changing. She lives in Vermont, where she founded the Bristol Trail Network and co-founded 100+ Women Who Care – Addison County. Outside of work, she’s a dedicated hiker, equestrian, and dog lover.
February - Presidential Lecture Series | Office of the President | The University of Vermont
Speaker: Brit Williams
12 - 1 PM
Session Details
The University of Vermont’s own Brit Williams, scholar inequality, social class, and educational impacts on health will offer insights from their research on challenges facing universities.
Speaker Bios
Brit Williams is an associate professor for the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration (HESA) graduate program at the University of Vermont, Dr. Brittany M. Williams (she/her) primarily teaches courses on student development theory, college student development, and organizational theory. Her research and teaching expertise broadly examine issues of (in)equity. Specifically, she focuses on education as a social determinant of health, career development and supervision issues with particular attention to their health implications, identity development (theory and experiences), and social class (in)equality.
March 17, 2026- Lead the Change: Coaching That Builds Trust and Moves Mountains (In-Person)
Speakers: Laurie Koehler and John Chilkotowsky
12 - 1 PM
This dynamic lunchtime session introduces the foundational principles of a coaching approach that fosters trust, engagement, and growth.
Session Details
In today’s fast-moving and often resource-constrained higher education environment, coaching isn’t just a trendy buzzword — it’s a leadership superpower. This dynamic lunchtime session introduces the foundational principles of a coaching approach that fosters trust, engagement, and growth.
In just an hour, we’ll explore how coaching can help you build stronger relationships, develop your team’s potential, and navigate change more effectively. You’ll leave with practical ideas to apply immediately — and a deeper understanding of how shifting from “telling” to “asking” can change everything.
Whether you supervise student workers or lead a division, this session is a great starting point for anyone curious about how coaching can strengthen leadership at every level.
Speaker Bio
Laurie Koehler is a nationally recognized strategist and transformative leader with over 25 years of experience in enrollment management, student success, and institutional strategy. She has held senior leadership roles at institutions including Ithaca College, George Washington University, Bryn Mawr College, and Cornell University, and now serves as principal of Koehler Consulting, LLC. A Certified Executive Coach, Laurie partners with colleges, universities, and their leaders to drive organizational change, improve retention, and align strategy with student success. A first-generation college graduate, she is known for her equity-focused, data-informed, and human-centered approach.
John Chilkotowsky is an Executive Leadership Coach with over 25 years of experience helping senior leaders unlock confidence, navigate transitions, and lead with integrity. A former nonprofit CEO and Accenture consultant, John has worked with Fortune 100 companies including Verizon, AT&T, Cargill, Genentech, and AstraZeneca. A Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation, he blends curiosity, humor, and practical strategies to help leaders thrive without burnout and create lasting impact in their organizations and communities.
April 13, 2026- Leveraging Emotional Intelligence to Increase your Relational Skills (Virtual)
Speaker: Luis Moreno
12 - 1 PM
This interactive workshop supports leaders learn how they can leverage emotional intelligence to enhance their interpersonal social skills.
Session Details
Interactive workshop to help leaders to learn more about how they can leverage Emotional Intelligence to enhance their interpersonal social skills. This is a reflective session for Leaders, managers and supervisors to leverage self-awareness, Self-regulation, Focus, and Empathy can create effective relationships. Includes multiple interactive discussions.
Learning Objectives
Discussion of the Key Components to Build Rapport with others. Review of everyday situations in the workplace with perspectives on how to leverage Emotional Intelligence to have better outcomes in Relationship Building
Speaker Bios
Luis Moreno is an energetic business and community leader, executive coach, and international speaker on Human-Centered Leadership and Emotional Intelligence. With experience at seven Fortune 500 companies and leadership roles in diversity networks at Ecolab, General Mills, Land O’Lakes, and GE, Luis has trained thousands of professionals worldwide to lead with empathy, integrity, and impact. Named among Diversity MBA’s Top 100 Under 50 Executives and the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, he is also the founder of the Twin Cities Business Peer Network, connecting over 2,000 professionals. A public policy fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and adjunct faculty at the University of Minnesota, Luis continues to champion equity, inclusion, and leadership that prioritizes people and community.
May 11th, 2026 - How to Not Know: The Value of Uncertainty in a World that Demands Answers (In-Person)
Speaker: Simon Stolzoff
12 - 1 PM
How to Not Know will help you prepare for―and even appreciate―the uncertainty that surrounds us. Blending engrossing storytelling, research, and practical insights, How to Not Know is an essential guide to navigating uncertainty with courage and clarity.
Session Details
A guide to dealing with uncertainty at a time when our lives have never felt less certain.
From our careers to our politics to our personal lives, the future is unknown. And yet, our capacity to tolerate this uncertainty is in decline. How to Not Know will help you prepare for―and even appreciate―the uncertainty that surrounds us.
Through gripping stories of people grappling with big problems without easy answers―from an economist trying to predict the next market crash to an island nation reckoning with the existential impact of climate change―acclaimed journalist Simone Stolzoff shows how to develop comfort with ambiguity and build tolerance for the unknown.
Blending engrossing storytelling, research, and practical insights, How to Not Know is an essential guide to navigating uncertainty with courage and clarity.
This session includes a 30 minute book talk and Q&A with Simo
Speaker Bios
Simo Stolzoff is an author, designer, and workplace expert from San Francisco. A former design lead at the global innovation firm IDEO, his work has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, and many other publications. His debut book, The Good Enough Job, was published by Penguin Random House and has been translated into more than a dozen languages.