West Central MN SHRM upcoming events

West Central MN SHRM: Employment Law Update (Thursday, June 11, 2026)

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Keep your organization on track with our upcoming Employment Law Update—a day designed to keep you informed, prepared, and in compliance with today's rapidly changing workplace environment.

A panel of four experienced attorneys will walk through recent legal updates and what’s on the horizon, explaining what’s changed and what steps you may need to consider within your organization.

Join us to stay informed, ask questions, and walk away with knowledge you can within your role and organization.

Topics for the Employment Law Update:

Hot off the Press: Employment Law News You Can Use - Presented by Katelyn Spangrud
Use of AI in the Workplace: Risks and Rewards - Presented by Brian Benkstein
Employee or Independent Contractor? Navigating Misclassification Risks and Best Practices – Presented by Scott Blake
Running Minnesota Paid Leave Concurrently with Other Leaves: A Practical Guide – Presented by Penny Phillips
Legal Q&A Panel Discussion

Attorney’s:

Katelyn Steffel Spangrud: Katelyn Steffel Spangrud - Swenson Lervick Syverson Trosvig Jacobson Cass Donahue Spangrud, P.A.

Penny Phillips: Penelope J. Phillips | Labor & Employment Attorney

Scott Blake: Scott D. Blake | Employment Law & Business Litigation Attorney

Brian Benkstien: Brian T. Benkstein | Labor & Employment Law Counselor

West Central MN SHRM: Employee Engagement (Thursday, July 09, 2026)

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:45:00 GMT

Employee engagement doesn't need to be complicated—but it does need to be intentional. In this session, we'll break down the basics of engagement and explore simple, real-world solutions. We'll look at common challenges HR faces and share practical ways to improve communication, provide clarity, and drive performance—without needing a big budget or fancy perks. Members are invited to submit their biggest engagement challenge in advance. These examples will guide the presentation, along with starting solutions you can put into action right away.

Lisa Bormann helps leaders deliver results by strengthening their connections with employees.

With over 28 years of experience in communications and marketing, Lisa is a consultant who delivers customized solutions for internal communications and HR programs. She works with clients across various industries, with a focus on CPG and retail, to help them maximize employee engagement and performance.

She leverages her expertise in employee engagement and internal communications to provide clients with actionable insights and guidance. She also partners with leaders to identify strategic opportunities and create end-to-end integrated solutions that are tailored to their audience and goals. Her mission is to reduce corporate speak, break through the clutter, and be more human in how we communicate at work.

West Central MN SHRM: The Empowered Workplace: Managing Stress and Overwhelm (Thursday, September 03, 2026)

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:45:00 GMT

Aimee Goodwin is a certified Life Coach and Emotional Resilience Trainer. She is a motivational Public Speaker and author of various articles and blogs. She has published two books: Victory: A Lyme Story and The Mountains We Climb, an Amazon best seller and award-winner in the New York Book Festival. She is the founder of “New Hope Wellness” in Alexandria MN and Entrepreneur.

Throughout her life she has overcome chronic Lyme disease, the loss of losing a child and the emotional stress that can come from being an EMT and First responder. These experiences and many others have taken her on a powerful journey of personal growth and transformation. Her own strength is deeply rooted in a developed emotional resilience that she now shares through her Coaching Practice.

West Central MN SHRM: The Legal Lowdown: Fall Edition (Thursday, October 01, 2026)

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 13:45:00 GMT

Mock Investigation

Josh Heggem, partner at Pemberton Law in Fergus Falls, is a recognized expert in the practice of Labor and Employment Law, which has been a major concentration of his work for more than fourteen years and currently makes up 90 percent of his practice representing and advising public and private employers. Workplace investigations have been a significant niche within his practice, and he has completed well over 150 investigations and presently conducts at least two per month. He also has a great deal of experience handling labor negotiations on behalf of employers, conducting workplace trainings, and advising employers on the myriad of issues they encounter on a daily basis, including contract issues, medical leaves, wage and hour, workplace misconduct, and employee separation issues.

West Central MN SHRM: Midwest Nice & Conflict (Thursday, November 05, 2026)

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:45:00 GMT

Dr. Laura Janusik is the founder of Listening to Change and a lifelong researcher of how the brain processes communication. For more than 20 years, she’s trained thousands of people, from executive leaders to caregivers to lifelong learners, on how to become better listeners, stronger communicators, and more effective collaborators.

She holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Maryland, and she’s devoted her academic and professional life to the study of listening, with a deep focus on how the brain shapes our communication habits. Her work has been featured in NPR, Forbes, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, and U.S. News & World Report, and she’s shared this research with over 4,000 leaders across dozens of industries.

But her work isn’t just about leadership. It’s about relationships: at work, at home, and within ourselves.