ATD-LA News

  • 03/19/2019 9:13 AM | Grant Skakun (Administrator)

    On Friday, March 15, The Los Angeles Chapter of the Association for Talent Development (ATD) was recognized for its submission to the ATD “Sharing Our Success” (SOS) program. The national SOS program identifies best practices among local ATD chapters and uses them as models for other chapters.

    The SOS submission was prepared by Kavita Gupta, Director of Chapter Meetings, and documented the program for the ATD-LA’s January Chapter meeting. The program, titled “Brain Exchange and New Year Networking Mixer,” was a hit among attendees and Kavita’s SOS submission detailed the event and how other ATD chapters can program a similar event for their membership.

    Elizabeth Beckham, Chair of ATD’s Chapter Recognition Committee said, "This recognition honors the Los Angeles Chapter’s best practice that demonstrates its commitment to managing a successful organization as well as advancing the talent development profession at the local level. We are honored to recognize the chapter with ATD's SOS recognition."

    Kavita and ATD-LA will be honored at the 2019 ATD Chapter Leaders Conference, and the SOS submission will also be featured in an upcoming edition of ATD’s Leader Connection Newsletter.

    This latest recognition reflects the first SOS recognition for ATD-LA in over two and a half years and the fifth SOS recognition overall for the chapter. ATD-LA was first recognized by the SOS program in 2003.

    To learn more about other awards and recognition ATD-LA has received, click here. For more information about opportunities to volunteer with the chapter, click here.

  • 03/11/2019 9:19 AM | Grant Skakun (Administrator)

    In March 2019, the Association for Talent Development, parent organization of ATD-LA, informed the chapter that it had reached two important milestones:

    • The chapter was recertified for 2019 as meeting all 18 elements of CARE, ATD’s set of affiliation requirements for local chapters. ATD-LA has proudly maintained this annual certification for many years and has always remained compliant with ATD’s affiliation requirements and programs.
    • In addition, the chapter was recognized as a 2019 Membership Star for maintaining a 45-50% Power Membership percentage, a metric which reflects how many ATD-LA members also maintain an active ATD membership.

    The ATD-LA board was informed of this recertification and recognition by a letter from the President of ATD, Tony Bingham, in which he congratulated and thanked the chapter leadership team. “ATD recognizes that the value you provide to your members through well-run chapter programs, services, and exceptional operations,” wrote Bingham, “is the result of the individual time, resources, innovation, thought, and dedication you and your team contribute.”

    ATD-LA is proud to affiliate with the international ATD organization, and this latest recognition reflects the chapter’s commitment to representing the greater Los Angeles area’s talent development professionals locally, nationally, and globally.

    For more information on Power Membership, click here. For information on opportunities to support the chapter as a volunteer, visit atdla.org/Volunteer.

  • 03/04/2019 8:44 AM | Grant Skakun (Administrator)



    From left to right: Kavita Gupta (current President-Elect and Director of Chapter Meetings), Troy Achong (Past President 2006), Grant Skakun (current Office Administrator), Michael Baroff (Past President 1992), Jo Lynn Feinstein (Past President 1996, Los Padres Chapter), Michael Thompson (former Community of Practice leader), Susan Friedman, Ed.D. (former board member), Ben Sieke (current President), Annette Shaked (Past President 2000), Sean Bloch (Past President 2012), Peter Bechtel, Ph.D. (Past President 2003), Janie Honeycutt (former board member), Anthony Lewis (Past President 2016), Laurie Siedelman (former board member), G. Fred Stevens (former board member), Danielle Jenkins, Ed.D (current Co-Director of Learning), Carol Ring (current Co-Director of Learning) Not pictured but also in attendance: Margeaux Sullivan (current Director of Marketing), Andrea Proctor (current Manager of Social Media), Denise Ross (current Association Manager), Angela Anable (current Westside GIG leader)

    At its monthly chapter meeting on February 21, 2019, ATD-LA recognized and heard from more than 25 years of past chapter leaders, including past presidents, board members, and communities of practice leaders. These leaders were asked to share a few words about their time leading the chapter and the impact that ATD-LA has had on their personal and professional lives.

    “I was moved to hear stories from so many longtime members and former leaders about how ATD-LA has been the genesis of their careers and many lasting relationships,” said Ben Sieke, President of ATD-LA. “Tonight’s event is a testament to our chapter’s 73-year history of peer leadership and service to our members and community and a great reminder of why we join and volunteer with ATD-LA.”

    The chapter meeting, produced by President-Elect and Director of Chapter Meetings Kavita Gupta, was titled “The Habits of Great Leaders” and featured a keynote presentation by Dr. Peter Cardon of the USC Marshall School of Business. The event sold out and was attended by more than 50 members and guests.

    For more information on ATD-LA Chapter Meetings, including upcoming events, click here. For more information on ATD-LA's leadership team, click here.

  • 12/12/2018 3:20 PM | Grant Skakun (Administrator)

    Vince Budrovich, a leader of the South Bay GIG, won a free registration to an ATD Education certificate program, compliments of ATD-Los Angeles! In a gesture of appreciation for the chapter's volunteers, Ben Sieke, ATD-LA President, conducted a random drawing for the free registration that included all of ATD-LA's board members, leaders, and managers.  

    Vince will be attending the live online Articulate Storyline Certificate course from January 10 to February 7, 2019.

    Please join the chapter in congratulating Vince! And if you are interested in learning more about the benefits of volunteering with ATD-LA, be sure to check out the volunteer page.


  • 11/02/2018 2:31 PM | Grant Skakun (Administrator)
    Kavita was appointed director of chapter meetings in October by the president with the approval of a majority of the members of the board of directors.


    Kavita has over 20 years of experience in education and training. She was a former corporate trainer, consultant and adjunct and has expertise in needs assessment and the design, delivery and management of training programs for the private and public sector. Kavita has been involved with ATD for over 8 years, previously served on two ATD boards and is the original author of A Practical Guide to Needs Assessment (Wiley, 2014 co-published by ASTD). She has worked with over 2,000 professionals and volunteers, served on eight boards and chaired over twenty-five committees. She is very actively involved at USC and currently chairs the Rossier School of Education Learning Design and Technology Advisory Board. Kavita holds a Masters in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University (Magna Cum Laude), and Masters in Sociology from Rajasthan University and Bachelors in Economics from Delhi University in India.


    Click here to learn more about the ATD-LA leadership team.

  • 10/14/2018 12:00 AM | Grant Skakun (Administrator)

    Grant Skakun, office administrator of ATD Los Angeles Chapter, attended ATD’s Chapter Leaders Conference (ALC) in Washington D.C. on Oct. 11–13.


    ALC is an annual conference for leaders of ATD chapters across the U.S. to network, share best practices, and learn about resources to support their chapters.

    Grant met with fellow chapter board members, volunteers, and talent development professionals to discuss strategies, tactics, and solutions for running an ATD chapter. He attended sessions on leveraging chapter partnerships, marketing and communication, building a culture of recruiting, and developing a sustainable chapter. 

    Tony Bingham, president of ATD, announced that ATD-LA was one of the top 10 chapters in the country to participate in the Chapter Incentive Program, a revenue sharing program with ATD.

    Grant intends to utilize the strategies he learned and the connections he made at ALC to better serve members and support ATD-LA volunteers.

    We invite you to become an ATD-LA member or volunteer to build your professional network and achieve your career goals.

  • 02/23/2018 2:38 PM | Grant Skakun (Administrator)

    We mourn the passing of ATD Los Angeles 1982 Chapter President Jim Warren at the age of 89.  Jim was an esteemed colleague and a pioneer in the field of Organization Development with over 50 years experience as a management consultant and executive coach.  With an academic background in Physics from MIT and a Harvard MBA, Jim developed rigorous applied methodologies in the areas of leadership, teamwork, collaboration, conflict resolution, work processes, change management, strategic decisions and technology implementation. He shared his knowledge through active involvement in numerous professional associations, as an instructor at UCLA Extension for 35 years, and through his Center for Collaborative Management.

  • 02/23/2018 2:30 PM | Grant Skakun (Administrator)

    Join, register for events, update your profile, learn about ATD-LA, access resources, and contact us with ease from any device!

  • 01/22/2018 4:29 PM | Grant Skakun (Administrator)

    Employee Learning Week is an awareness campaign highlighting the important connection between learning and achieving organizational results. It's an opportunity to demonstrate your organization's commitment to workforce development.

    Employee Learning Week typically takes place the first week of December. But, employee learning is a year round event. Employee Learning Week events can happen anywhere! Hold events in your office or plan a special off-site program.

    Training is more important now than ever before. The growing skills gap and increased need to compete in today's economy require organizations to develop a knowledgeable and highly skilled workforce.

    Click here for additional details about Employee Learning Week.



  • 10/17/2017 2:32 PM | Grant Skakun (Administrator)





     

    ATD-LA Attends ALC 2017

    Ben Sieke and Grant Skakun of ATD-LA attended ATD's ALC 2017 Chapter Leaders Conference in Washington D.C. from October 12-14.

    This conference was exclusively for chapter leaders. It featured keynote speakers who focused on aspects of leadership and peer-led sessions that focused on sharing best practices for chapter administration, communication, and member engagement. The conference was attended by more than 300 current and incoming chapter board members from across the country.

    ALC was all about connecting with peers and gathering tools and resources to effectively lead an ATD chapter.

    Pictured: Grant Skakun (ATD Los Angeles), Daniel Hage (ATD Golden Gate), Ben Sieke (ATD Los Angeles), Wendy Corbett (National Advisors for Chapters), Stephen Smith (National Advisors for Chapters), Jeffery Hansler (ATD Orange County), Don McGray (ATD Orange County)


ATD-Los Angeles Chapter
9852 W. Katella Ave. #187
Anaheim, CA 92804
office@atdla.org
562-908-3020
Chapter Code: CH8028

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