Sessions

Session Descriptions

I am the Boss of me: Ted Schick

We lead ourselves (or don’t) everyday--- from being on time, to our workplace mood to keeping our promises to ourselves and . others. You don’t have to be a leader of others to be a leader. The first person you get to boss around is you. In this fun and engaging presentation, we will list and explain the 10 ways you lead yourself every day--- to your daily routine to, keeping yourself safe. No one is going to take better care of you--- than you.

What the Most Influential do Differently- Creating a Culture where People Thrive: Garrison Wynn

If we want people to perform, work better together, and create a culture of success, we all have to have the personal influence to make it happen.

The healthiest workplaces aren't simply the ones with the best benefits and the coolest vibe. They're the ones where people feel respected, heard, valued, included, and supported.

When people feel valued, they become more resilient, more open to change, more willing to communicate, and more likely to contribute their best ideas. Research continues to show that workplaces built on trust, psychological safety, and genuine human connection experience higher engagement, stronger resilience, lower turnover, better collaboration, and better overall performance. In this highly engaging and humorous (the funny kind) keynote, Garrison Wynn shares practical, research-based communication strategies that help people at every level create an environment where people thrive. Participants leave with immediately applicable tools that strengthen relationships, build trust, increase accountability, improve performance, and elevate well-being without adding another initiative to an already full plate.

Because the greatest well-being initiative an organization can create is a culture where people genuinely look out for one another and where every person feels they matter.

Worker's Compensation: Data, Trends, and Claims Classifications: Ashley Cardinal & Dave Larrabee

RMD is using data to better manage workers' compensation claims and determine how to most effectively use our resources. The presenter will show a six-year retrospective analysis of workers' compensation claim data and discuss the impact on current claims handling.

Workers' Compensation 101: Ray Peters & Katherine Austin

An introduction to the Worker's Compensation claims process, including information about important deadlines, claim filing, and the benefits available to employees. We'll also talk about th edifferent roles of the claims adjuster, work comp coordinator, nuse case manager, and qualified rehab consult.

Workability, Accommodations, and Return to Work: Gabe Johnson, Sandy Gram, Sarah Scumacher, & Amy Kockleman

Getting an iunjured employee back to work can be a critical part of effectively managing a worker's compensation claim. This presentation will provide an overview of the Report of Work Ability form and the relevant legal statutes and rules. The main focus of the session will be a roundtable of experienced workers' compensation coordinators discussing their processes for determining if restrictions can be accommodated, if temporary job offers or assignments are available, and how they document it all. Bring your questions!

Medtronic Safety Journey- From Great to World Class: Reyna Lex

Medtronic leaders share their journey of transforming their safety culture and performance to world-class standards. Discover the challenges faced, lessons learned, successes achieved, and their vision for the future.

Utilizing Safety Management Controls to Address Occupational Hazards: Nancy Bendickson

This session will explore the interaction of safety management to reduce and control occupational exposures to workplace hazards.

State of MN is a diverse organization, and operations expose employees to varying types of hazards. We will cover the core elements of safety management and how to apply them to help with improvements in safety culture, employee behaviors, and injury outcomes within your work areas.

Basic elements include Management Leadership, Worker Participation, Hazard Identification, Hazard Prevention and Control, Education/Training, Program Evaluation, and Communication/Coordination for host employers, contractors, or staffing agency.

From Prevention to Response- a Day in the Life of a State Safety Professional: Joni Hokenson, Keith Juliar, Wayne Niles, & Jolene Ziegler

State safety professionals play a vital role in protecting employees, the public, and state assets by balancing preventive measures with effective incident response. Their responsibilities include conducting workplace inspections, reviewing safety policies, providing training, and investigating hazards.

When incidents occur, they coordinate responses, conduct investigations, and develop corrective actions to prevent recurrence. This session highlights the essential work of state safety professionals and how they promote safer workplaces through preparedness, risk management, and continuous improvement.

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

Join us for an insightful session with Elisha Engelen, MA, LMFT, Human Capital Solutions Client Leader at Aon. With over 18 years of experience in mental health and organizational wellbeing, Elisha will share practical strategies to strengthen emotional fitness in the workplace. Learning how fostering resilience and emotional intelligence can create healthier individuals, more cohesive teams, and thriving organizational cultures.

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

Organizations embracing Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) recognize that understanding work as performed is essential to improving safety outcomes. The challenge is that most organizations lack timely, objective visibility into daily operational realities. Traditional safety programs often depend on lagging indicators that tell us what happened yesterday rather than what may happen tomorrow.

This session demonstrates how wearable technology can operationalize HOP principles by providing real-time leading indicators related to worker movement, environmental exposures, material handling, workplace interactions, and frontline observations. Attendees will learn how organizations are using connected worker technologies to uncover hidden risks, improve worker engagement, strengthen learning cultures, and reduce injuries before they occur.