WASPA 2026 Fall HR Support Conference
Register Here
November 3rd & 4th, 2026
The Osthoff in Elkhart Lake, WI
We kick off WASPA Fall Conference Week with a two-day conference for HR Support Professionals. This conference concentrates on practical HR knowledge that applies to day to day HR work. The conference begins with a full day of learning on Tuesday, November 3rd, followed by a collaborative half day on November 4th! Get the chance to participate in the vendor fair, a combined keynote with the Admin Conference, and collaborate with your team/director! 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
Tuesday, November 3rd
7:15 am - 8:00 am | Breakfast & Registration
8:00 am - 8:15 am | Welcome & Introductions, WASPA Resources
8:15 am - 9:30 am | ETF - Overview of WRS Benefits
Speaker: ETF Representative
Session Description: Learn about the benefits and overview of Wisconsin Retirement System directly from an Employee Trust Funds (ETF) representative.
8:45 am - 10:00 am | Optional Benefits: the Wisconsin Deferred Compensation Program (457)
Session Speaker: Colleen Thornton
Session Description: This session is specifically tailored to HR Support Staff, focusing on what the WDC is, how it works, the benefits for employees, and how it complements the WRS/ETF benefits.
The Wisconsin Deferred Compensation Program is an optional, supplemental retirement savings plan for all working state and university employees.
10:00 am - 10:15 am | BREAK
10:15 am - 11:45 am | Legal Hot Topics
Session Speaker: Brian Goodman & Libbie Osaben, Boardman Clark
Session Description: Join Boardman Clark for legal updates, with an emphasis on Act 88 & 89 and other hot topics.
11:45 am - 12:30 pm | LUNCH
12:30 pm - 2:15 pm | World Cafe
Session Facilitators: Candace Blakeslee & Marj Moy
Session Description: The World Cafe is a dynamic session where HR takes center stage as the true workplace superhero. In this fast-paced, interactive format, you’ll rotate through themed tables covering today’s most critical HR topics including Unique Benefit Offerings, AI, Going Paperless, Employee Engagement, Payroll, and Rising Healthcare costs.
2:15 pm - 2:30 pm | BREAK
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm | Navigating Change: Sarah Noll Wilson
Session Speaker: Sarah Noll Wilson
Session Description: Sarah was such a great keynote at the spring admin conference, that we are bringing her back for more! Didn't see Sarah's spring admin keynote? Not to worry! She is joining the Support Staff Conference to present the building blocks for Wednesday's shared keynote!
4:00 pm - 4:10 pm | Conclusion Day 1
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm | Networking Social
Wednesday, November 4th (Overlaps with Administrators!)
7:00 am - 8:00 am | Breakfast & Registration
8:00 am - 8:15 am | Welcome
8:15 am - 10:15 am | Keynote: Sarah Noll Wilson | Emotional Agility: Navigating Emotions with Greater Intention
Session Speaker: Sarah Noll Wilson
Session Description: The work of supporting people is emotional work. School personnel leaders regularly navigate competing needs, difficult decisions, ongoing change, strained relationships, and conversations where emotions can run high—for themselves and for the people they serve.
Emotional agility isn’t about controlling emotions, staying positive, or leaving feelings at the door. It’s about strengthening our ability to notice what we’re experiencing, understand what might be driving our reactions, and choose how we want to respond.
In this interactive session, participants will explore how emotions influence the way we interpret situations, communicate, make decisions, and respond under pressure. Through practical tools, reflection, and real-world application, participants will learn how to recognize emotional patterns, create space between reaction and response, and stay curious when conversations become challenging.
Participants will leave with practical strategies for navigating their own emotions while creating clearer, more productive, and more human conversations with colleagues, employees, and the communities they serve.
10:15 am - 10:45 am | Vendor Time & Break
10:45 am - 11:15 am | DPI
Session Speaker: Julie Hagen, Ariana Baker, & Jennifer Kammerud
Session Description: "Choose Your Own Adventure!" with Julie, Ariana, and Jennifer! Be it Applications, WISEstaff and Audit, or Policy & Licensing, attendees will have the chance to select what they'd like to speak with DPI representatives about! Collaborate as a team or divide and conquer!
11:15 am - 12:00 pm | Tech Tips
Session Speaker: TBA
Session Description: Coming Soon
12:00 pm - 1:15 pm | Lunch, Awards, Vendor Time
1:00 pm - 1:15 pm | Conference Conclusion and Door Prize Drawings
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