WASPA 2025 Fall HR Administrators Conference
Register Here
November 6th & 7th, 2025
The Osthoff in Elkhart Lake, WI
This conference is targeted for our senior HR practitioners and HR Directors, but all are welcome. Any vendors interested in attending the fall conference must be active WASPA Business Affiliates sponsor the event. For sponsorship inquiries please contact [email protected]
Schedule of Events
Thursday, November 6th
7:15 am - 8:00 am | Breakfast & Registration
8:00 am - 8:15 am | Welcome & Introductions
8:15 am - 10:15 am | Keynote: Paul Wesselmann, The Ripples Guy
 Speaker: Paul Wesselmann is a writer, speaker, and educator with over 25 years of experience in helping individuals and teams deepen their effectiveness and enjoyment of work, school, and life. He holds degrees in psychology and higher education, is the author of two books, and his inspirational emails ripple out to 30,000 subscribers weekly.
Session Description: We’re kicking off our time together with a high-energy, highly interactive session that blends meaningful networking with practical inspiration. We’ll explore the power of REACHING OUT to strengthen connection and collaboration, and REACHING IN to access tools that support wellbeing, resilience, and self-leadership. You’ll leave feeling more grounded, more connected, and better equipped to create ripple effects that elevate the employee experience.
Welcome Video From Paul: WATCH HERE!
Keynote Sponsored By: Teachers on Call
10:15 am - 10:30 am | BREAK
10:30 am - 11:30 am | Designing Effective Employee Recognition Programs
Session Speaker: Assistant Professor Ewelina Forker, UW-Madison
Session Description: Research-based strategies for designing effective employee recognition programs that enhance engagement and retention, in resource-constrained environments, leaving you with practical insights to design or refine recognition systems in their schools.
11:30 am - 12:15 pm | WECAN Update: Applicant Tracking
Session Speaker: John Hanson, UW-Madison; WECAN
Session Description: John will provide a review for the group of the transition of WECAN to an applicant tracking system from an application system. We are excited to watch this change as it unfolds to better serve districts and applicants!
12:15 pm - 1:00 pm | Lunch & HR Director of the Year Recognition
1:00 pm - 2:15 pm | FMLA: A Deep Dive into Complex Situations/Cases
Session Speaker: Shana Lewis, Attorney, Renning, Lewis & Lacy, S.C.
2:15 pm - 2:30 pm | Break
2:30 pm - 3:45 pm | WASPA Website Preview & Content
Session Speakers: Jen Sielaff, Director of Personnel, School District of South Milwaukee
Session Description: Jen Sielaff and the Communication Committee will share with us the updates to the WASPA website and we will have small groups work interactively on providing further feedback and brainstorming what we need most from the website as WASPA members.
3:45 pm - 4:00 pm | Conclusion Day 1
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm | Check-In Session for New HR Administrators
Session Speakers: Pam Casey, School District of Elmbrook, WASPA Mentor Coordinator. Michelle Golden, WASPA Executive Director
Session Description: Join our quick 30-minute touch base session if you are in your first year of your position. How is the start of your new position and theschool year going for you? Connect with other new HR personnel. Let us know what topics you'd like to see at the spring workshop for new HR Administrators. This is a great time to ask questions and learn from your peers.
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm | Networking Social
Friday, November 7th
7:00 am - 8:00 am | Breakfast & Registration
8:00 am - 8:30 am | Membership Meeting
Session Speaker: Sandy Stefczak, CESA 1, WASPA President
8:30 am - 9:00 am | SAA Updates
Session Speaker: Dee Pettack, SAA Executive Director
9:00 am - 10:00 am | Act 10 & Bargaining: Job Actions & Responses
Session Speakers: Mark Kapocius, Attorney & Patrick Leigl, Attorney, von Briesen & Roper, S.C.
Session Description: Attorney Mark Kapocius took us on a walk down memory lane at our Summer Legal Conference. This session will build on that information and talk about job actions, responses to those actions and how WEAC is changing some of what they are doing as they prepare for a possible shift if this legislation is overturned.
10:00 am - 10:30 am | BREAK
10:30 am - 11:45 am | Panel Presentation: HR Office Innovative Practices
Session Speaker: Pam Casey, Elmbrook School District. Barb Buffington, Middleton Cross Plains Area School District. Tabatha Gundrum, Wausau School District
Session Description: As time seems to get shorter and demands seem to expand, it is critical for the HR Office to find innovative practices that help save time and resources in our work. We look forward to hearing from the following districts on some things they do to help in these efforts and hope that you are also able to take at least one of the ideas back to use in your district!
Elmbrook – Animated Communication Videos
Middleton – Open Interview Events
Wausau – Staffing Formula Models
11:45 am - 12:00 pm | Conference Conclusion and Door Prize Drawings
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