Meeting/Event Information

GAASHRM's 3rd Annual HR Conference
Humor Resources: Punchlines & People Strategy

Conference Agenda
7:30 - 8:30a: Registration, Breakfast, Networking, Exhibitor Visiting
8:30 - 9:00a: Opening Remarks and Conference Kickoff
9:00 - 10:15a: Opening Keynote
10:15 - 10:30a:  Refreshment Break 
10:30 - 11:45a: Speaker 2
11:45 - 12:45p: Lunch, Networking, Exhibitor visiting 
12:45 - 2:00p: Speaker 3
2:00 - 2:15p: Refreshment Break
2:15 - 3:30p: Speaker 4
3:30 - 4:00p: Closing Remarks
4:00 - 5:30p: Cocktail Reception & Networking

Your ticket includes breakfast, lunch, and two drink tickets at the Cocktail Reception!
One lucky winner will be selected to win a FREE Registration to the upcoming MISHRM conference, as well as a FREE 2 night stay in Grand Rapids. 

NEW This Year - Bring a Friend and Corporate Discounts!

+Speaker Line Up OFFICIALLY Announced +

Speaker #1 - John Bernatovicz (Opening Keynote)
HR Like a Boss

In this engaging presentation, John inspires the audience to embrace a CEO's viewpoint on HR by emphasizing two vital qualities: ownership and passion. Acquire valuable insights and strategies to transform how people feel at work through the power of human resources. Discover the life-changing impact that amazingly awesome HR can have on your employees, organization, and community. Attendees will walk away with a personalized, strategic plan along with personal and professional tips on how to HR Like a Boss.

John Bernatovicz is a family first, business leader, balancing roles as a husband, father, brother, coach, and competitive amateur golfer. In addition to being an entrepreneur, podcast host, keynote speaker, author, and HR and payroll expert, John is on a mission to empower leaders to transform how people feel at work while making a positive impact. With a rich entrepreneurial history spanning 25 years, John has been at the helm of six business ventures. Currently serving as the president of Willory, a boutique professional services firm empowering the HR tech, payroll, and HR communities, John's passion lies in elevating purpose-driven organizations to their full potential. At Willory, he is dedicated to attracting, developing, and empowering top talent. John's leadership has propelled Willory to remarkable achievements, including recognition in prestigious lists such as NorthCoast 99, Weatherhead 100, Crain’s 52, and Inc. 5000. In addition, John’s book, HR Like a Boss, is the first SHRM-published book to reach #1 New Release on Amazon. In addition, his newest book, Payroll Like a Boss, launces on April 28, 2026

Learning Objectives/Takeaways:

o   Adopt a CEO Perspective: Gain the ability to view HR through the lens of a CEO, understanding the strategic importance of ownership and passion in driving organizational success. 

o   Strategic Insights: Acquire valuable insights and strategies to implement the HR Like a Boss business plan centered on purpose, people, process, productivity, and profit. 

o   Keys to Exceptional HR: Embrace the essential elements that contribute to amazingly awesome HR through personal skill development and savvy business strategy.

Speaker #2 - James Reid
How to Audit Your Process to Implement Change Based on Legal Updates and Case Studies

In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, staying compliant with legislative changes and adapting to new trends is critical for HR professionals. This session will provide actionable strategies to audit your HR processes and implement changes based on recent legal updates and real-world case studies. Attendees will leave with practical tools to future-proof their organizations and ensure compliance.

James Reid is a labor and employment attorney who counsels business owners, entrepreneurs, C-suite executives, in-house counsel, and human resources directors to make strategic business decisions, from hiring to firing, while complying with the ever changing and overlapping laws, including the ADEA, FLSA, FMLA, NLRA, and Title VII. He brings a business focused and proactive approach to legal matters to help employers make strategic business decisions to minimize the potential for litigation and business disruption. His deep understanding of his clients' businesses enables him to deliver clear and concise counsel to meet each client's specific needs. If litigation is involved, he enforces restrictive covenants and defends employers against charges filed with the EEOC, state, and federal agencies. James regularly conducts audits and investigations into employers' wage and hour practices and claims of discrimination and harassment. He provides training and prepares employment documents, including employee handbooks, employment agreements, and separation agreements, to cover all aspects during the life cycle of an employee. James is also a sought after keynote and national speaker at conferences and events, including the PayrollOrg, SHRM, Tedx, Community Bankers of Michigan, iSIGMA, HRUnite!, HR Conference Cruise and HR Day.

Learning Objectives/Takeaways: By the end of this session, participants will be able to...

o   Understand the latest legislative and NLRB updates and their impact on HR policies and practices.

o   Identify key trends shaping the future of work and anticipate compliance challenges.

o   Apply a structured audit process to evaluate current HR practices for legal compliance.

o   Implement changes effectively using insights from case studies and best practices.

Speaker #3 - Lorrena Black
The R.A.L.L.Y.™ Effect: Rise, Adapt, and Lead Through Challenges

In HR, resilience isn’t theoretical — it’s daily reality. From difficult conversations to organizational change, leaders are constantly navigating pressure, personalities, and the unexpected. In this engaging keynote, Army veteran and leadership expert Lorrena Black introduces the R.A.L.L.Y.™ Method, a practical framework for turning adversity into leadership momentum. Through powerful stories (and a few laugh-out-loud moments), participants discover how to recenter in their identity, adapt with emotional intelligence, and lead with clarity even when the pressure is on.

Lorrena Black is a retired U.S. Army Major, TEDx speaker, and Founder and CEO of She Served LLC. She served honorably for 25 years on active duty and in the Army Reserve, leading soldiers and teams across the United States and overseas before retiring in 2022. As a keynote speaker and workshop presenter, she interrupts the idea of Imposter Syndrome so women and veterans have the awareness and audacity to go after the roles, raises, and recognition they’ve been avoiding. Drawing from her military career and expertise in emotional intelligence, resilience, and identity, Lorrena equips audiences to recognize their value, silence self-doubt, and lead with confidence—especially in spaces where they once felt invisible. Known for her warmth, humor, and authenticity, Lorrena creates powerful moments of reflection and action that resonate deeply with audiences. Her message is clear: your story, your service, and your lived experience are not liabilities—they are leadership.

Learning Objectives/Takeaways: Participants Will...

o   Strengthen their ability to navigate pressure and uncertainty by applying a practical framework for responding to adversity in real time.

o   Apply the R.A.L.L.Y.™ Method to lead with greater emotional intelligence, clarity, and confidence in high-stakes situations.

o   Recenter their leadership identity to reduce the impact of self-doubt and show up more decisively in challenging moments.

o   Improve how they handle difficult conversations and workplace dynamics by leading from the inside out rather than reacting to pressure.

o   Transform everyday challenges into leadership opportunities that build trust, resilience, and momentum within their teams.

Speaker #4 - David Horning (Closing Keynote) 
Stand Up & Lead: How Thinking Like A Comedian Builds Standout Cultures

Leaders across industries are struggling to engage teams, embrace AI uncertainty, recruit and retain talent, and drive productivity in a fast-moving marketplace that demands innovation and agility. Many organizations turn toward the shiniest tools and trends to stand out while unintentionally allowing their leaders to stifle innovation, creating preventable stress and turnover. Meanwhile, studies show that embracing one leadership superpower can differentiate your organization from the competition by building trust, strengthening resilience in the face of AI uncertainty, improving engagement, and so much more: a sense of humor — no joke! In this high-energy, hands-on session, you won’t be transformed into a comedian (phew!), but you will experience an introduction to a dynamic leadership style based on techniques that comedians use to challenge the status quo, communicate vulnerability confidently, and connect with their audiences... except YOUR audience is your talent.

Unlike other leadership speakers and trainers, David Horning's 14 years of comedy, speaking, and corporate training experience brings an outside-of-the-box, hands-on approach unafraid of challenging leaders to disrupt the status quo by “Thinking Like Comedians.” His successes include Fortune 2000 companies like KPMG, DisruptHR, 140+ SHRM chapters, and his work has been featured on HR.com and LinkedIn’s Daily Wrap. Together with strategic communications firm Peppercomm, David has developed training programs featuring a mix of comedy exercises, and he was chosen to be part of the firm's Laughing Matters Council, a group of experts across the humor spectrum. David is the founder of Water Cooler Comedy, which produces corporate and private comedy shows and creates customized creativity, collaboration, and resilience workshops for clients. He is also the co-founder of Henceforth Comedy, a pop-up comedy club that has produced over 700 comedy shows since 2022, including a summer residency at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.

Learning Objectives/Takeaways:

o   Redefine “thinking like a comedian” as a leadership mindset for emotional intelligence and trust.

o   Speed the path to open collaboration and innovation by utilizing the basics of improvisational comedy.

o   Embrace disruption and strengthen resilience by reframing challenges with scalable creative thinking exercises.