2024 CONFERENCE SPEAKERS

Heather Yerrid is a business owner and coaching consultant that believes success is multidimensional. Certified in applied positive psychology, Heather champions clients to blend corporate wellness and motivational strategies with current revenue goals to accelerate personal performance and enhance team dynamics.  Focusing on self-awareness, she helps clients identify barriers to effective communication in their subconscious and equips them with techniques to create change that sticks. Heather earned a Bachelors of Science in Journalism from West Virginia University.

Brian Buford is the Executive Director for University Culture and Employee Success at the University of Louisville, Kentucky. With 34 years of service to the university, Brian has dedicated his career to building a campus community where all students, faculty, and staff feel welcome, safe, and included. Key achievements under his leadership include opening a staffed LGBT Center in 2007, the first of its kind in Kentucky; earning a five-star rating on the Campus Pride index six years in a row; and leading the effort to being named the most LGBT-welcoming campus in the United States by LGBT Outfitters. In 2020, he launched the Employee Success Center, dedicated to making the university a great place to work by offering opportunities for personal and professional growth to faculty and staff.

 

Kristen Klimchak is Health & Wellness Advisor with Foundation Risk Partners where she serves as a member of FRP’s national wellness practice as well as a subject matter expert and dedicated resource for FRP of Kentucky out of the Louisville office. In addition to holding a Master of Public Health from the University of Louisville, Kristen is Certified in Public Health by the National Board of Public Health Examiners, and by the National Wellness Institute as a Worksite Wellness Program Manager. She is a Consultant for Workvibe, a virtual hub for workplace happiness resources, and is a licensed American Lung Association Freedom From Smoking facilitator. Locally, Kristen serves on the board of the Worksite Wellness Council of Louisville as the Sponsorship Co-Chair and on the LSHRM board as the Wellness Committee Chair. She is passionate about helping employers offer meaningful wellbeing solutions and is excited to be a part of this year’s Worksite Wellness Conference and Awards.

KEYNOTE

Conscious Leadership: Using Self-Exploration to Get More

Heather Yerrid

Coaching Consultant, Impact Sales Systems

  • Identifying if your own thoughts and beliefs are leading you to survive or thrive

  • Understand the impact of mindset on overall well-being

  • Learn how to adjust and shift mindset to get more in 2024

  • Harness the power of choice to have more effective communication and enhance team dynamics

Digging Deep in the Pursuit of Growth

Planting the Seeds of Worksite Wellness," where participants engage in a hands-on activity that mirrors cultivating a thriving work environment. Each participant receives a pot, soil, and seeds, symbolizing the foundational elements of a robust workplace. As they plant their seeds, facilitators guide a discussion on nurturing emotional intelligence, akin to caring for a growing seedling, requiring attention and a supportive environment. Awards and recognition are paralleled with the nutrients and sunlight a plant needs to flourish. Leadership support is discussed as the stake that helps a young plant stand tall. Team building is likened to the interdependent ecosystem where various plants grow stronger together. Retention is compared to the perennials that return each year, resilient and enduring. Skills and training are the pruning and grooming necessary for a plant to reach its full potential, while flexibility is the ability of a plant to bend with the wind. Compensation and promotions are the fruits of labor, the visible results of a well-tended garden. This activity not only provides a relaxing break from the conference but also leaves participants with a living metaphor for the growth they can cultivate within their organizations.

Cultivating a Thriving Workplace

This hands-on workshop will help you evaluate the current state of your employee wellbeing and culture initiatives and provide best practices for creating a healthier and happier work environment. In this 45 minute session, we will:

  • Survey the landscape: Assess your current workplace culture and wellbeing.

  • Weed and Prune: Cut back methods and practices that are inefficient.

  • Companion Planting: Combine tasks and share responsibilities where appropriate.

  • Customize Plant Care: Adjust plans to meet individual employee needs.

  • Blossom and Grow: Watch your workplace culture and wellbeing thrive. 

Just as gardeners trim away dead leaves and branches to encourage healthy growth, we must cut out inefficiencies and outdated practices to make room for the wellbeing of our employees and allow our workplace culture to thrive.