KU Giving Magazine
Conference Schedule —
Monday Sessions
Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
7:00 AM | Breakfast Available for Conference Hotel Guests | The Oread Hotel / Hampton Inn |
8:15 AM | Welcome Dr. Dan Martin, KU Endowment President Molly Dodson, KU Endowment Assistant Vice President of Human Resources | Bruckmiller Room |
8:30 AM | Group Introductions | Bruckmiller Room |
9:00 AM | Not Just Another 401(k) Movie, er, Presentation… This session provides fiduciary training for plan sponsors, including HR professionals, who are responsible for overseeing their organization’s retirement plan. The training emphasizes the legal and ethical responsibilities associated with fiduciary duty, particularly in the selection and ongoing monitoring of the plan’s investment options. Participants gain practical guidance to help ensure compliance and protect plan participants’ interests. Mike Smoots, Prime Capital Financial | Bruckmiller Room |
10:00 AM | Break | |
10:15 AM | Modernizing and Advancing Compensation Benchmarking in University Foundations In this session, QTI Consulting will provide an in-depth overview of the newly transitioned University Foundation/Development Office Compensation Survey. Designed specifically for foundations supporting higher education institutions, the survey captures pay and benefits data for approximately 60 key roles and includes segmented results by endowment size, region, and affiliation. As the new survey administrator, QTI will walk through how the survey is being updated, how we intend to support data integrity through thoughtful design, and how we can support the process to ensure participants receive meaningful, actionable compensation insights. Attendees will also gain practical knowledge on how sound survey practices—from job matching to participant outreach—improve the reliability of compensation data and drive smarter HR decisions. Rebekah Temple, QTI Group | Bruckmiller Room |
11:45 AM | Lunch (45 minutes) | The Pub |
12:30 PM | From Interview to Impact: Aligning Hires with What Drives Success Great hiring starts with knowing what success looks like. This session will explore how organizations can intentionally use the same competencies employees are measured on in performance management with candidates during the interview process. By aligning hiring practices with the behaviors and values that drive performance, teams can better assess culture and value alignment. Attendees will walk away with practical strategies for bringing company values and performance competencies into the hiring conversation—ensuring that future hires are not only qualified, but aligned with core values and what success truly looks like in their organization. Brooke Nicholson, Kansas State University Foundation | |
1:30 PM | Case Study for Improving Performance Management This session will follow the work of the Wisconsin Foundation & Alumni Association to create and adopt an online tool for performance management with the goal of enhancing efficiency and tracking, while also adjusting the annual performance year calendar to coincide with the fiscal year. Marti Wambach Fechner, Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association | Bruckmiller Room |
2:30 PM | Break | |
2:45 PM | Navigating the New Challenges in Pharmacy Benefits Pharmacy benefits are rapidly evolving, presenting new challenges and opportunities for HR professionals managing employer-sponsored health plans. This session will address key trends such as the surge in demand for weight loss drugs (e.g., GLP-1s), the rising cost of specialty medications, and the growing interest in offshoring and alternative drug sourcing. Attendees will explore strategies to control costs while ensuring access, compliance, and employee satisfaction. Michael Zucarelli, CBIZ Employee Benefits | Bruckmiller Room |
4:00 PM | Shuttle to Allen Fieldhouse | |
6:00 PM | Dinner and Cocktail Hour | The Pub |