Learn from the best at February

Learn from the best at February meeting!

Would you like to know how your organization can become a best place to learn?

The learning professionals from Jacobs, Carter and Burgess, recipient of the 2007 Dallas ASTD Best Place to Learn award, will share their story and the best practices that got them where they are today.

In May of 2006, this firm committed to learning as a priority by hiring a Director of Training and Development and staffing a team to focus on training efforts. In the span of just 18 months, with a team of only four people, they have created a training strategy, installed key infrastructure, and established multiple lines of training curriculum.

In addition to their classroom offerings they have included e-learning, blended learning, webinars, lunch-and-learns, self-paced programs, and executive coaching. One of their key learning innovations is a self-paced leadership development kit that is sent to geographically dispersed managers and consists of books, executive summaries, and discussion guides that they work through with their immediate managers.

Their marketing campaign, "Come Grow with Us", has yielded more than 29,000 website hits; 8600 instructor-led hours; 14,944 hours of e-learning; and 2042 participants in training classes. Employee referrals are up by 40%, and exit interviews indicate that training and development are key success factors.

Come join us for an evening of real world best practices that could help you catapult your learning organization into the best place to learn!

More on the winning team…

	DeDe Watkins Senior Manager, Training & Development DeDe Watkins joined Carter & Burgess in September 2006 as Senior Manager of Training & Development. In that role she is responsible for the design, development and implementation of business, management, and leadership programs. She is also involved in training and organizational development initiatives such as human resources initiatives training, performance management processes, competency modeling, selection processes, talent management, and executive coaching. DeDe has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Business Administration, as well as an MBA with emphasis on Human Resource Management and Marketing. She has 12 years of progressive experience in Human Resources,
Organizational Development and Training. Prior positions include Organization and Human Performance Consultant at Accenture, Senior Learning Specialist at Calence, Inc. and multiple positions at a Fortune 100 National Retail Chain, including Manager of Learning and Development, Manager of Organizational Development, and Senior Manager of Retail Human Resources. DeDe holds many certifications, including the Clark Training Instructional Design Certification, Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument Certification (Whole Brain), Development Dimensions International (DDI) Trainer/ Facilitator Certification, Development Dimensions International (DDI) Targeted Selection Certification, Lominger Choices Architect Certification, and the ASSESS Systems Competency Modeling Certification.
	Lori Partain Manager, Training & Development Lori Partain joined Carter & Burgess as the Manager of Training & Development in October 2006. In her role Lori is responsible for continuing education, professional development, and compliance programs. She also manages online training resources including the Learning Management System and has an active role in performance management and new employee onboarding. Lori has 10 years of progressive experience in Human Resources. Her previous experience includes training and development roles in retail and hospitality where she was responsible for the design, development, and implementation of a corporate university, online learning resources, employee and manager onboarding, and management and leadership development programs.
Lori has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Texas at Arlington.
	Lisa Holland Senior Administrator, Training & Development Lisa Holland joined Carter & Burgess in October 2005 as the Human Resources Liaison in the Oklahoma City office. In January 2007 she transferred into the Corporate Training & Development department as a Senior Training Administrator. In that role, she is responsible for organizing and coordinating the training programs, working with internal C&B support functions on training content, managing the training calendar, managing special projects, coordinating training vendors, managing purchase orders and invoices for the Training & Development budget, and ensuring that the training records are accurately maintained.
Lisa has more than ten years of Human Resources experience. She began her career in employee relations and has held increasingly responsible positions in compensation, payroll, benefits and company event planning. Prior to joining Carter & Burgess her positions included Human Resources Manager for KP Supply, Human Resources Administrator for a large auto franchise and Member Benefits Director for a Chamber of Commerce.
	Allison Drake Intern, Training & Development Allison Drake is an intern in Training & Development. She assists in various training projects, event planning and general support for the Training & Development team. Allison is a recent MBA graduate in International Management and Marketing from the University of New Hampshire. She has a bachelor’s degree in Geography, also from the University of New Hampshire, with specialties in Geographic Information Systems and Physical Geography.