2026 State of Minnesota Risk Management Conference


Time  

Description  

7:15 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. 

Conference Check-in 

9:15 a.m. –2:00 p.m. 

Partner Booths 

8:00 a.m. – 8:10 a.m. 

Welcome and opening remarks 

8:10 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. 

Opening Keynote - Ted Schick – I am the Boss of me. 

9:00 a.m. – 9:10 a.m. 

Partnering with Minnesota State: A Guide to Workforce Training and Development 

9:10 a.m. – 9:20 a.m. 

State of the Risk Management Program 

9:20 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. 

Networking Break - Partner Booths 

Concurrent Sessions   9:50 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. 

Worker’s Compensation: Data, Trends, and Claims Classifications 

Ashley Cardinal & Dave Larrabee 

Medtronic Safety Journey: From Great to World Class  

Michael Finnamore  

 

Emotional Fitness at Work: Building Stronger People, Teams, and Cultures

Elisha Engelen 

10:50 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. 

Conference Lunch (buffet lunch provided) and Partner Booths 

11:50 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. 

Worker’s Compensation 101  

Katherine Austin & Ray Peters  

The Cross Section of Safety Management and Exposure Management 

Rene Hilgeman  

 

Emotional Fitness at Work: Building Stronger People, Teams, and Cultures

Elisha Engelen 

 

12:50 p.m. – 1:20 p.m. 

Networking Break - Partner Booths 

1:20 p.m. – 2:20 p.m. 

 

Workability, Accommodations, and Return to Work Gabe Johnson (ADM), Sandy Gram (DOT), Sarah Schumacher (DNR), and Amy Kockelman (Minnesota State) 

From Prevention to Response: A Day in the Life of a State Safety Professional 

(Keith Juliar (DOT), Joni Hokenson (DNR), Jolene Ziegler (DOT), & Wayne Nile (DOC) 

Doing Safety Differently: How Wearable Tech Brings HOP to Life and Reduces Injuries in Real Time 

Tom West 

 

  2:20 p.m. – 3:35 p.m. 

Closing Session - Garrison Wynn  

 and Awards Presentations