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Connect IECC

Fall District Workshop 2026

CONNECT

Our Greatest Resource Is Each Other

📅Event Details

Date: August 12, 2026

Location: Olney Central College

Theme: CONNECT

🎯Workshop Focus

This year's theme celebrates the skills and expertise within our district. Sessions will feature intentional networking activities to help employees build relationships across campuses and departments.

🗣️Keynote Speaker

Cheryl B. Mitchell

"Beyond Departments, Titles, and Campuses"

With over 30 years of experience across education, corporate, nonprofit, agriculture, and technology sectors, Cheryl helps organizations communicate clearly, lead confidently, and bridge generational gaps.

Known for engaging, high-energy sessions, she cuts through complexity to spark meaningful dialogue and drive real results — blending humor, candor, and practical insight.

Daily Schedule Overview

7:45 - 8:15 Registration, Snacks & Coffee
8:15 - 8:20 Welcome & Housekeeping
8:20 - 8:45 Welcome Address — Chancellor Taylor
8:45 - 9:00 Employee Recognition
9:00 - 10:00 Keynote — Cheryl Mitchell
10:00 - 10:05 ADA Compliance — Dr. Mike Conn
10:15 Breakout Session 1
11:10 Breakout Session 2
1:00 Breakout Session 3
1:55 Breakout Session 4
2:50 Breakout Session 5

Questions? Contact Sonja Holtz, Assistant Director of Human Resources — ext. 5522 or holtzs4@iecc.edu

Complete Workshop Schedule — August 12, 2026

Morning general session: OCC Dr. John Stull Theatre

Breakout sessions: Wattleworth Hall (KW) and Health Professions (HP)

Click any time block to expand or collapse it. Many sessions repeat, so check all time slots before building your day.

7:45 - 10:05 AM | Morning General Session ▼
7:45 - 8:15 — Registration, Snacks & Coffee
📍 OCC Dr. John Stull Theatre
8:15 - 8:20 — Welcome & Housekeeping
📍 OCC Dr. John Stull Theatre
8:20 - 8:45 — Welcome Address
📍 OCC Dr. John Stull Theatre
👤 Chancellor Taylor
8:45 - 9:00 — Employee Recognition
📍 OCC Dr. John Stull Theatre
9:00 - 10:00 — Keynote: "Beyond Departments, Titles, and Campuses"
📍 OCC Dr. John Stull Theatre
👤 Cheryl Mitchell
10:00 - 10:05 — ADA Compliance
📍 OCC Dr. John Stull Theatre
👤 Dr. Mike Conn
10:15 AM | Breakout Session 1 ▼
Meet the Faces of IECC: Ambassadors & Recruitment Insights
📍 KW Room 102
👤 IECC Student Ambassadors
How Ambassadors support recruitment and how you can partner with them.
All
Faculty New Hire Orientation
📍 KW Room 103
👤 Amy Tarr
Tools, expectations, and resources for a strong first semester.
New Faculty
IECC HVAC Automation
📍 KW Room 104
👤 Wesley Aitken, IFS
Hands-on look at monitoring and managing campus HVAC systems.
O&M Staff
FYE Launch Party: Designing a First-Year Experience That Connects
📍 KW Room 109
👤 Cassandra Goldman
Hands-on session for faculty teaching FYE 1198.
Faculty
Back to the Future: Analog Strategies for AI-Resilient Teaching
📍 KW Room 110
👤 Mike Conn
Time-tested teaching methods that restore authentic student work.
Faculty
Stress Relief 101
📍 KW Room 111
👤 Angelique Maguire
Practical methods, apps, and mindsets for staying calm and focused.
All
Effective Roster Management: Why Attendance Matters!
📍 KW Room 112
👤 Amber Malone & Steve Patberg
Accurate, timely attendance checks that catch student issues early.
Faculty
Listening Earlier, Supporting Students Together with TimelyCare
📍 KW Room 114
👤 Kathy Davis, TimelyCare
Recognizing student needs and the TimelyCare resources available.
All
Communication During the Holocaust: Summer 2027 Class & Trip
📍 KW Room 115
👤 Jessica McDonald
Preview of a new course and travel opportunity to Germany and Poland.
All
It's Never Too Early to Think About Your Retirement
📍 KW Room 116
👤 Bryan Soady, SUAA
Tier I vs. Tier II plans, health insurance, and retirement planning.
All
Canvas Updates from InstructureCon 2026
📍 KW Room 204
👤 Tosha Baker & Carrie Brown
New Canvas features, tips, and course design strategies.
Faculty
Working Better Together
📍 HP Room 1003
👤 Cheryl Mitchell
Keynote extension: practical collaboration across departments and campuses.
All
The REAL Power Behind the Campus
📍 HP Room 1004
👤 Brian Cowling, Dutch Hollow Janitorial Supply
Celebrating the impact of custodial and maintenance teams.
Custodians
11:10 AM | Breakout Session 2 ▼
Faculty New Hire Orientation
📍 KW Room 103
👤 Amy Tarr
Tools, expectations, and resources for a strong first semester.
New Faculty
IECC HVAC Automation
📍 KW Room 104
👤 Wesley Aitken, IFS
Hands-on look at monitoring and managing campus HVAC systems.
O&M Staff
Level Up Belonging
📍 KW Room 109
👤 Rachel Dollahan
Classroom belonging strategies drawn from tabletop role-playing games.
All
ADA Compliance
📍 KW Room 110
👤 Mike Conn
WCAG accessibility standards, current data, and tools for Canvas.
All
The Power of One Space: Transforming Student Support Through the Learning Commons
📍 KW Room 111
👤 Lori Noe
Testing, tutoring, ADA accommodations, and library services in one place.
All
Support Students Beyond the Classroom
📍 KW Room 112
👤 Krystle Jahn
HOUSE Liaison and Benefit Navigator services for students in need.
All
Executive Functioning: Helping Students Plan to Plan
📍 KW Room 113
👤 Dr. Phil Thorsen
Tools to help students manage college workload and coursework.
All
Faculty Learning Community
📍 KW Room 114
👤 Danielle Trapp
Collaborative problem-solving on current teaching challenges.
Faculty
Custodial Best Practices: Tools, Techniques & Tips
📍 KW Room 115
👤 Art Borres, Lorenz Supplies
Efficient cleaning techniques and practical daily-routine tips.
Custodians
It's Never Too Early to Think About Your Retirement
📍 KW Room 116
👤 Bryan Soady, SUAA
Tier I vs. Tier II plans, health insurance, and retirement planning.
All
It's Time Syllabus Publishing Got Simple
📍 KW Room 205
👤 Cathy Robb & Carrie Hallam
Simple Syllabus: publish accessible syllabi directly in Canvas.
Faculty
Leveling Up: The Journey to Academic Rank
📍 HP Room 1003
👤 Amie Mayhall
Requirements, portfolio tips, and next steps for academic rank.
Faculty
When in Doubt, Dial it Out: Demystifying Rural 911
📍 HP Room 1004
👤 Chad Weaver
How rural 911 dispatch works and what to expect when you call.
All
1:00 PM | Breakout Session 3 ▼
Meet the Faces of IECC: Ambassadors & Recruitment Insights
📍 KW Room 102
👤 IECC Student Ambassadors
How Ambassadors support recruitment and how you can partner with them.
All
Marketing Mixer — The Signature Touch
📍 KW Room 104
👤 Chris Forde
Build a polished, on-brand email signature before you leave.
All
Supervisor Essentials
📍 KW Room 109
👤 Sonja Holtz
Evaluations, PIPs, employee leave, and the hiring process.
Supervisors
Back to the Future: Analog Strategies for AI-Resilient Teaching
📍 KW Room 110
👤 Mike Conn
Time-tested teaching methods that restore authentic student work.
Faculty
Stress Relief 101
📍 KW Room 111
👤 Angelique Maguire
Practical methods, apps, and mindsets for staying calm and focused.
All
Work Smarter, Clean Better
📍 KW Room 112
👤 Dave Lowery
Cleaning products, strategies, and techniques used across IECC.
Custodians
Say it in 60: Connect & Collaborate in Seconds
📍 KW Room 114
👤 Fawna Forrest
Practice a confident 60-second professional introduction.
All
NJCAA Updates
📍 KW Room 116
👤 Ron Riggle
Current NJCAA initiatives and policy updates for athletics.
Coaches
Working Better Together
📍 HP Room 1003
👤 Cheryl Mitchell
Keynote extension: practical collaboration across departments and campuses.
All
When in Doubt, Dial it Out: Demystifying Rural 911
📍 HP Room 1004
👤 Chad Weaver
How rural 911 dispatch works and what to expect when you call.
All
1:55 PM | Breakout Session 4 ▼
Marketing Mixer — The Signature Touch
📍 KW Room 104
👤 Chris Forde
Build a polished, on-brand email signature before you leave.
All
Level Up Belonging
📍 KW Room 109
👤 Rachel Dollahan
Classroom belonging strategies drawn from tabletop role-playing games.
All
ADA Compliance
📍 KW Room 110
👤 Mike Conn
WCAG accessibility standards, current data, and tools for Canvas.
All
AI for Staff: Learning How to Use Copilot
📍 KW Room 112
👤 Cameron Ireland
Practical ways to use Microsoft Copilot in everyday IECC work.
All
Listening Earlier, Supporting Students Together with TimelyCare
📍 KW Room 114
👤 Kathy Davis, TimelyCare
Recognizing student needs and the TimelyCare resources available.
All
NJCAA Updates
📍 KW Room 116
👤 Ron Riggle
Current NJCAA initiatives and policy updates for athletics.
Coaches
Canvas Updates from InstructureCon 2026
📍 KW Room 204
👤 Tosha Baker & Carrie Brown
New Canvas features, tips, and course design strategies.
Faculty
When in Doubt, Dial it Out: Demystifying Rural 911
📍 HP Room 1004
👤 Chad Weaver
How rural 911 dispatch works and what to expect when you call.
All
2:50 PM | Breakout Session 5 ▼
Supervisor Essentials
📍 KW Room 109
👤 Sonja Holtz
Evaluations, PIPs, employee leave, and the hiring process.
Supervisors
The Power of One Space: Transforming Student Support Through the Learning Commons
📍 KW Room 111
👤 Lori Noe
Testing, tutoring, ADA accommodations, and library services in one place.
All
AI for Staff: Learning How to Use Copilot
📍 KW Room 112
👤 Cameron Ireland
Practical ways to use Microsoft Copilot in everyday IECC work.
All
Say it in 60: Connect & Collaborate in Seconds
📍 KW Room 114
👤 Fawna Forrest
Practice a confident 60-second professional introduction.
All
It's Time Syllabus Publishing Got Simple
📍 KW Room 205
👤 Cathy Robb & Carrie Hallam
Simple Syllabus: publish accessible syllabi directly in Canvas.
Faculty
When in Doubt, Dial it Out: Demystifying Rural 911
📍 HP Room 1004
👤 Chad Weaver
How rural 911 dispatch works and what to expect when you call.
All

Session Presentations & Materials

Coming Soon

Presentation materials and handouts will be posted here after the workshop on August 12, 2026, so you can revisit a session or catch one you missed.

Presented a session? Send your slides or handouts to the organizing committee and we'll add them to this page.

Complete Workshop Program

View the full workshop program with detailed session descriptions and presenter information.

Mobile Users: For the best viewing experience, you can download the PDF or open it in a new tab.

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