ATD Buffalo Niagara upcoming events

MID ATLANTIC SERIES: Inclusion Happens Before Day One Creating a Better Employee Experience for LGBTQIA+ People (Wednesday, October 28, 2026)

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 22:00:00 GMT

(LGBTQIA+ candidates and employees begin forming impressions about a workplace long before their first day. Recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and everyday workplace interactions all communicate whether an organization’s commitment to inclusion is likely to be experienced in practice.

This interactive session examines the employee experience through an LGBTQIA+ inclusion lens, with a focus on practical ways HR, Learning & Development, and organizational leaders can reduce unnecessary barriers, strengthen trust, and create more inclusive workplaces.

Participants will be able to:

• Identify common points of friction for LGBTQIA+ candidates and employees.

• Examine recruiting, interviewing, and onboarding practices through an inclusion lens.

• Recognize gaps between organizational values and employee experience.

• Identify one practical action they can take to strengthen LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

SPEAKER: Rocco Vallerand

BIO: Rocco Vallerand is the founder of Vallerand Inclusion Consulting and S.A.F.E.T.Y. (Support Alliance for Fairness and Equity for Transgender Youth). His work is centered on helping people and organizations create spaces where everyone feels respected, included, and able to participate fully. With a background in writing, counseling, advocacy, education, and public speaking, Rocco brings both lived experience and practical workplace insight to conversations about LGBTQIA+ inclusion, belonging, leadership, and culture. His approach is conversational, grounded, and focused on realistic changes people can actually use.

WEBSITES:

http://vallerandinclusion.com/

http://transkidsroc.com/

**The Zoom link will be emailed to all registered participants one day prior to the event.**

We are proud to participate in the ATD Mid-Atlantic Regional Webinar Series. This monthly webinar series is offered by the ATD Mid-Atlantic Chapters – Regional Programs Consortium which is comprised of the following twelve ATD chapters:

1. Appalachia

2. Buffalo Niagara

3. Central PA

4. Greater Philadelphia

5. Long Island

6. Maryland

7. Metro DC

8. Mid NJ

9. New York City

10. Northern NJ

11. Pittsburgh

12. Rochester

Cooperatively, these chapters bring together the very best speakers from around all our networks to provide world-class presenters and content! We look forward to sharing these webinars with you for the rest of 2025!

Online Event Recording Policy:

By activating your webcam while attending this online event, you consent to be recorded. Your entry and webcam activation constitutes your consent to such recording for any purpose in connection with the event. If you do not agree to the foregoing, please do not activate your web camera during the event.

ATD Buffalo Niagara Chapter has been pre-approved by the ATD Certification Institute to offer educational programs that can be used towards initial eligibility and recertification of the Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) and Associate Professional in Talent Development (APTD) credentials. This program qualifies for a maximum of 1 point.

Monthly New Member Orientation (Wednesday, November 04, 2026)

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Join us to learn more about your member benefits and meet new members. We will cover updating your profile, member benefits, national and power membership options, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities and the Mentor Now program.

This meeting will occur the first Wednesday of each month.

November Coffee Connection (Friday, November 06, 2026)

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Enjoy your morning coffee while we talk, share, grow, and recharge at ATD Buffalo Niagara's monthly networking Coffee & Connections event. We will be chatting and sharing the tools we LOVE to support learning.

This casual setting is a place to share best practices, explore ideas, develop and refine your work, and brainstorm solutions for challenges you're facing.

We'll be there to share stories. Coffee Connections - Building our talent development community one cup at a time!

Working with SMEs: Building Strong Partnerships for Project Success (Tuesday, November 17, 2026)

Tue, 17 Nov 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Working with SMEs: Building Strong Partnerships for Project Success

Event Summary

Successful projects are built on strong partnerships with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Yet even the most experienced project professionals can encounter challenges when aligning priorities, establishing trust, managing communication, and driving shared outcomes.

Join Brooke McMillan for an engaging and practical session focused on building productive SME relationships that lead to better project outcomes. Drawing on real-world experience, Brooke will share strategies for strengthening collaboration, overcoming common obstacles, and creating partnerships that support project success from initiation through delivery.

Meet the Speaker

Brooke McMillan

Brooke McMillan is a seasoned project and business professional with extensive experience partnering with cross-functional teams and subject matter experts to deliver successful outcomes. Through practical insights and real-world examples, Brooke helps project professionals develop stronger communication, influence, and relationship-building skills that drive results.

What You'll Learn

✅ Why SME partnerships are critical to project success

✅ How to establish mutual respect and trust

✅ Creating a communication plan that works

✅ Techniques for asking questions that uncover clarity

✅ Strategies for gaining alignment when SMEs don't share the vision

✅ Practical approaches to conflict resolution and common challenges

✅ Tools for fostering long-term collaboration and engagement

Key Takeaways

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Build stronger SME relationships
Improve collaboration and communication
Gain alignment more effectively
Navigate project challenges with confidence
Apply practical tools to increase project success

Don't miss this opportunity to learn from Brooke McMillan and gain actionable techniques for creating stronger SME partnerships.

Register today and elevate your ability to collaborate, influence, and deliver successful project outcomes.

Monthly New Member Orientation (Wednesday, December 02, 2026)

Wed, 02 Dec 2026 17:00:00 GMT

This meeting will occur the first Wednesday of each month.