ATD Kansas City upcoming events

ATD Multi-Chapter Certification Study Group (Spring Cohort) (Wednesday, May 20, 2026)

Wed, 20 May 2026 23:30:00 GMT

ATD Kansas City

is proud to welcome our partner chapters

ATD Florida Suncoast

ATD Hawaii

ATD Hawkeye

ATD Houston

ATD Puget Sound

As we present

ATD Certification Study Series

Dates: February 4 - May 20, 2026

Orientation: January 28, 2026

Time: Weekly meetings on Wednesday nights, 6:30 - 7:30 PM CST

Cost: $65 for members, partner chapter members, and non-members

Register here

Details

Are you preparing for the ATD Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) or Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) exam? Join our ATD Multi-Chapter Certification Study Group for structured, collaborative study sessions designed to help you stay accountable, gain insights from certified facilitators, and connect with fellow candidates..

For complete series information, including dates, topics, and partner chapters, VISIT HERE.

What to Expect:

Expert-Led Discussions – Learn from certified facilitators and advisors who provide guidance on key exam topics.
Multi-Chapter Collaboration – Expand your network with professionals across multiple ATD chapters.
Accountability & Support – Stay on track with a structured study plan and a community of learners.
Engaging Sessions – Participate in weekly virtual meetings covering critical concepts, study strategies, and Q&A.

Who Should Attend?

Talent development professionals actively preparing for the CPTD or APTD exam.
Those seeking a structured study plan and expert insights to boost exam confidence.
Individuals looking to connect with peers and learn from experienced ATD-certified practitioners.

Registration & Commitment

$65 for ATDKC members, Partner Chapter members, and non-members
Participants should be ready to engage in discussions, lead teach backs, and dedicate time for self-study.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY & TAKE THE NEXT STEP TOWARDS ATD CERTIFICATION.

Learn more about the study group, including dates and topics, VISIT HERE.

If you are pursuing certification, we recommend purchasing optional resources from ATD, such as

Talent Development Body of Knowledge (ATD Members have access to virtual copy.)
Additional preparation materials available on the ATD Certification Site

If you purchase from ATD, we ask that you use the ATDKC ChIP code, CH6027.

Leadership Special Interest Group - June (Wednesday, June 03, 2026)

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 23:00:00 GMT

Program Description

Join fellow talent development professionals for a 90-minute Leadership Special Interest Group (SIG) focused on the real challenges and priorities shaping leadership development today. This interactive session is designed for practitioners who design, deliver, or support leadership programs—and those looking to sharpen their approach with practical, market-tested insights.

Our features leadership spotlight speaker for Wed. May June 3rd, 6 pm – 7:30 pm is Dorene Henley, Director Learning Development and Operations, Dairy Farmer's of America.

Agenda

6:00 - 6:30: Participant round table. After brief into to to ATDKC, scope of the Leadership Special Interest Group, and introduction of our guest leadership development leader, everyone will be engaged in conversation and polling on their top priority for leadership development and challenges.

6:30 - 7:00: Guest leadership speaker, Dorene Henley, will spotlight a priority leadership topic she is focused on, learnings and challenges. The goal is to gain insight into multiple industries and takeaway tips. The leadership topic is not prescribed, so our featured leadership speaker can choose what they want to highlight. This should include a presentation and time for Q&A.

7:00 - 7:30 pm: Crowdsourcing, networking and connection. This is optional if guests want to stay on to chat further, share, and collect insight from others.

Participants will gain the following:

Insight into current leadership development trends across industries.
Practical ideas and best practices for designing or facilitating leadership programs.
Peer-driven solutions to common leadership training challenges.
New perspectives from a community of leadership development practitioners

Featured Speaker Bio

As Director of Learning Development & Operations, Dorene Henley has transformed Dairy Farmers of America into a learning organization. Her leadership drives employee growth, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. Dorene's expertise in adult learning, instructional design, and leadership development has shaped innovative training programs and fostered collaboration across business units.

Facilitator Bio

Amy Swaminathan, CPTD® loves helping others reach their full potential. She’s a champion for driving your own career through ongoing development, learning from others, and using the benefits an ATD membership provides. She is a Sr. Talent Development Consultant at Saint Luke’s/BJC Health, supporting leadership development and new employee orientation.

Aligned ATD Capability Model Areas

This session aligns with the following ATD Talent Development Capability Model domains:

Personal Capability – Lifelong Learning, Communication, Collaboration and Leadership
Professional Capability – Career and Leadership Development
Organizational Capability – Organization Development and Culture, Consulting and Business Partnering, and Future Readiness

This session has been approved for recertification credits by the Association for Talent Development.

ATDKC Informal Networking Happy Hour (Friday, June 05, 2026)

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 22:30:00 GMT

ATD Kansas City, Membership Happy Hour

Join us for an informal Networking Coffee!

We love meeting new people in the Talent Development space here in Kansas City! This event is an informal meet-up, hosted by ATDKC Membership Team. Come join us, buy yourself a drink, network, and learn from other Talent Development professionals in the Kansas City area!

Cost: This is a free event for both members and non-members in the Kansas City area.

Even though this is a free event, please register for the event so that we can get an approximate headcount.

We look forward to meeting you there!

PS: If you bring a non-member, yours and their first drink is on the house!!

Chapter Mtg: Designing Learning Experiences that Matter - VIRTUAL (Tuesday, June 09, 2026)

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 16:30:00 GMT

June Chapter Meeting

Designing Learning Experiences that Matter

Using Learning Experience Design (LXD) to

Increase Engagement and Impact

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Traditional training often focuses heavily on content, but great learning experiences go beyond information delivery. In this interactive session, participants will explore how Learning Experience Design (LXD) combines instructional design, empathy, user experience, and creativity to create meaningful and engaging learning journeys.

Through discussion, examples, and practical strategies, attendees will learn how to better understand their learners, design with intention, and create experiences that support real-world application and behavior change.

Whether you are new to instructional design or an experienced talent development professional, this session will provide practical ideas you can immediately apply to your own programs and learning initiatives.

SESSION OBJECTIVES

In this session, you'll learn how to:

Explain the difference between instructional design (ID), user experience design (UXD), and learning experience design (LXD)
Apply empathy and learner personas to better understand learner needs
Incorporate engagement and experience-focused design principles into learning solutions
Identify opportunities to create more learner-centered and impactful learning experiences
Use practical strategies to improve learner motivation, participation, and application

SPEAKER BIO

Sally Koppy, M.S.Ed., CPTD, is a talent development leader with more than 20 years of experience in instructional design, facilitation, leadership development, and learning strategy. She currently serves as Co-Director of Certification & Credentialing for the ATD Kansas City Chapter and has held multiple board leadership roles.

Sally is passionate about creating learner-centered experiences that help people grow, connect, and apply learning in meaningful ways. Her work blends instructional design, empathy, engagement, and practical business outcomes to create impactful learning solutions.

She holds the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) credential and regularly facilitates certification study groups, workshops, and conference sessions for talent development professionals.

ALIGNED ATD CAPABILITY MODEL AREAS

Personal Capability – Communication, Emotional Intelligence & Decision-Making, Collaboration and Leadership
Professional Capability – Instructional Design, Training Delivery & Facilitation, Technology Application

Special Interest Group: TD Consultants & Entrepreneurs (Thursday, June 11, 2026)

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 13:30:00 GMT

TOPIC: What does the transformation of L&D

mean for coaches & consultants?

Program Description

The purpose of the Consultants &Entrepreneurs Special Interest Group (SIG) is to provide an environment within ATD Kansas City where independent consultants, contractors, and business owners can thrive! This unique community of talent developers, instructional designers, learning consultants, and business owners will meet to:

Learn from each other through facilitated “mastermind” groups
Develop referral networks to support business development
Provide peer support and mentoring for each other

On the second Thursday of each month, the C&E SIG will hold meet-ups - some will be virtual and others in-person - for facilitated networking, knowledge sharing, and socializing. Bring your tough questions and challenges from your business for the group to solve with their wealth of knowledge and experience.

Put it on your calendar today so you can join us in growing together as a group!

New Member Onboarding (Friday, June 26, 2026)

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 14:30:00 GMT

GET THE MOST FROM YOUR ATD KANSAS CITY MEMBERSHIP

Program Description

Whether you are brand new to ATD Kansas City, or you've been a member for a while but don't feel like you're getting the most out of your membership, JOIN US!

Let us walk you through the experience of ATDKC Membership. We want you to benefit from your time with us and also realize the vital part you play in our community.

During this session, our goal is for you to:

Understand the advantages of being a member.
Participate in programs and events that directly impact you.
Discover the benefits from navigating our member site.
Meet our leadership team.

The Talent Development community in Kansas City is very unique. We cover many different industries and have diverse skillsets, which often has us pursuing varied goals. But the one thing that we have in common and brings us together is that we want the best for the entire community. We want ATKC to be TD Strong.

We build each other up. We encourage one another. And we walk alongside our peers as we reach for greatness.

And you are integral to our success. Won't you join us on June 26?

Special Interest Group: TD Consultants & Entrepreneurs (Thursday, July 09, 2026)

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:30:00 GMT

Program Description

Learn from each other through facilitated “mastermind” groups
Develop referral networks to support business development
Provide peer support and mentoring for each other

Put it on your calendar today so you can join us in growing together as a group!

ATDKC Informal Networking Happy Hour (Friday, August 07, 2026)

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 22:30:00 GMT

ATD Kansas City, Membership Happy Hour

Join us for an informal Networking Coffee!

Cost: This is a free event for both members and non-members in the Kansas City area.

Even though this is a free event, please register for the event so that we can get an approximate headcount.

We look forward to meeting you there!

PS: If you bring a non-member, yours and their first drink is on the house!!

ATDKC Informal Networking Coffee (Friday, October 02, 2026)

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 13:30:00 GMT

ATD Kansas City, Membership Coffee

Join us for an informal Networking Coffee!

Cost: This is a free event for both members and non-members in the Kansas City area.

Even though this is a free event, please register for the event so that we can get an approximate headcount.

We look forward to meeting you there!

PS: If you bring a non-member, yours and their first drink is on the house!!

ATDKC Informal Networking Coffee (Friday, December 04, 2026)

Fri, 04 Dec 2026 14:30:00 GMT

ATD Kansas City, Membership Coffee

Join us for an informal Networking Coffee!

Cost: This is a free event for both members and non-members in the Kansas City area.

Even though this is a free event, please register for the event so that we can get an approximate headcount.

We look forward to meeting you there!

PS: If you bring a non-member, yours and their first drink is on the house!!

ATD Kansas City upcoming events

ATD Multi-Chapter Certification Study Group (Spring Cohort) (Wednesday, May 20, 2026)

Details

If you are pursuing certification, we recommend purchasing optional resources from ATD, such as

If you purchase from ATD, we ask that you use the ATDKC ChIP code, CH6027.

Leadership Special Interest Group - June (Wednesday, June 03, 2026)

Leadership Special Interest Group (SIG)

ATDKC Informal Networking Happy Hour (Friday, June 05, 2026)

Chapter Mtg: Designing Learning Experiences that Matter - VIRTUAL (Tuesday, June 09, 2026)

Special Interest Group: TD Consultants & Entrepreneurs (Thursday, June 11, 2026)

Special Interest Group (SIG)

Talent Development Consultants & Entrepreneurs

New Member Onboarding (Friday, June 26, 2026)

Special Interest Group: TD Consultants & Entrepreneurs (Thursday, July 09, 2026)

Special Interest Group (SIG)

Talent Development Consultants & Entrepreneurs

ATDKC Informal Networking Happy Hour (Friday, August 07, 2026)

ATDKC Informal Networking Coffee (Friday, October 02, 2026)

ATDKC Informal Networking Coffee (Friday, December 04, 2026)