West Michigan ATD Annual Learning Revolution 2026

️Date: Friday, June 12, 2026 from 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM ET
Location: Virtual via Zoom

Featured Sessions

Opening Session: From Vague to Valuable: Making Adaptability Observable and Measurable

Presenter: Dr. Esther Jackson, Founder of Lynnjac Consulting

Session Overview: Adaptability is now a critical capability, yet many Talent Development professionals struggle to teach and measure it effectively. This interactive session translates adaptability into clear, observable behaviors that can be embedded into learning strategies. Through practical examples and peer collaboration, you’ll explore how to design experiences that build learning agility and resilience. Leave with a simple framework to define, develop, and measure adaptability in ways that drive real impact.

Presenter Biography: Dr. Esther Jackson is an accomplished executive, consultant, and thought leader with a distinguished career across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. As Manager of Strategic Planning & Performance in Oakland County government in Michigan, she drives organizational excellence by overseeing strategic initiatives across budget, IT, planning, design engineering, and marketing functions for the Parks & Recreation Department.

As founder of Lynnjac Consulting, Dr. Jackson has guided organizations in building adaptable, inclusive, and high-performing workforces. She is the author of Adaptability in Talent Development and a recognized contributor to premier industry publications such as ATD, Training Industry, and Training Magazine. A respected voice on the national stage, she presents at premier conferences such as ATD, SHRM, and the Training Magazine Conference & Expo. Her work centers on adaptability, DEI, emotional intelligence, and leadership development.

Keynote Presentation: Beyond Smile Sheets: A Revolution in How We Measure Learning

Presenter: Will Thalheimer, PhD, MBA, Consultant, Speaker, Researcher at Work-Learning Research

Session Overview: Most learning evaluation doesn't tell us what we need to know. Smile sheets reward charisma and charm over learning. Knowledge checks confirm memorization, not performance. And the evaluation data we get rarely helps us make better decisions, create better learning, or demonstrate our competence to the business.

In this keynote, Will Thalheimer makes the case that a quiet revolution is underway in learning evaluation—and that L&D's most underperforming practice is finally poised for improvement. He'll show us how to align with the learning sciences through two practical approaches: Performance-Focused Learner Surveys, drawn from his award-winning book, and LTEM (the Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model).

Avoiding evaluation myths will give you and your organization a competitive advantage. But you’ll also learn how to go beyond knowledge to measure decision making, task performance, and key behavioral indicators.

Will Thalheimer is our industry’s leading innovator in learning evaluation, having produced three new learning evaluation approaches over the last decade—all aligned with the scientific research on learning. If it’s time for you or your organization to rethink your learning evaluation practices, this keynote is an excellent way to get started.

Presenter Biography: Will Thalheimer, PhD, MBA, Consultant, Speaker, Researcher at Work-Learning Research. Will is a world-renowned thought leader focused on research-based practices for learning, work performance, presentations, and evaluation—and an advocate for learning professionals. Through Work-Learning Research (WorkLearning.com), Will empowers organizations to build maximally effective learning-and-performance solutions and strategies.

Will wrote the award-winning book Performance-Focused Learner Surveys (second edition) and The CEO’s Guide to Training, eLearning & Work: Empowering Learning for a Competitive Advantage. Will created LTEM, the Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model, and conducts popular workshops like the LTEM Boot Camp. He co-created The Learning Development Accelerator and the eLearning Manifesto.

Why Attend?

• Leave with strategies you can implement immediately

• Connect with fellow L&D professionals

• Receive valuable tools and resources

Tentative Event Schedule

8:30 am – 8:40 am – Welcome and General Information
8:40 am – 8:55 am - Networking Round 1
8:55 am – 9:00 am – Break
9:00 am – 10:00 am – Session 1 (Dr. Esther Jackson)
10:00 am – 10:15 am – Break
10:15 am – 11:15 am – Keynote Speaker (Will Thalheimer)
11:15 am - 11:20 am - Break
11:20 am - 11:40 am - Networking Round 2
11:40 am - 12:00 pm - Book Giveaway and Wrap Up

Location

Virtual via Zoom (link will be sent after registration)