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OVERVIEW OF SCHEDULE:

Thursday, February 22

3:00-5:00pm Vendor Set-Up

5:30pm Welcome Reception @ Sugar River Pizza Company, 1390 Cabela Dr, Sun Prairie, WI (Walking distance from hotel)

Friday, February 23

8:30am-12:30pm Class in Session 

12:30-1:30pm Lunch 

1:30-4:30pm Class in Session

5:30pm Dinner Reception @ Hilton Garden Inn - Madison Sun Prairie

Saturday, February 24

8:00-10:30am Class in Session

10:30-11:00am Vendor Visits, Break, Check Out of Hotel Room

11:00am-12:00pm Lunch 

12:00pm Vendor Tear-Down

12:00-3:00pm Class in Session

3:00pm Conference Concludes

GENERAL LEADERSHIP TRACK

Friday, February 23, 2024 | 8:30-12:30pm

Influence & Persuasion - Jeff Joutras, Step Forward Into Growth Leadership

Every day, people wake up looking to get their basic needs and wants met, organizations are made up of people and organizations have the same desires. This is accomplished by influencing people in a positive direction toward our requests by influencing their behavior and their actions.

There is a science to influence and persuasion that is based on research, it’s ethical and applicable. That is what will be covered in the following leadership sessions. Each of the seven principles of influence will be taught, discussed and action plans put in place that can be used in an ethical, applicable manner.

1. Relationship building

• Reciprocation
• Liking
• Unity

2. Reducing uncertainty

• Social proof
• Authority

3. Motivation to action

• Commitment and Consistency
• Scarcity

As an Executive Director with the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team and a Certified Coach and Professional with the Cialdini Institute, I am certified to facilitate, speak, train and coach individuals and groups in the areas of leadership development, influence and persuasion principles, professional skills and personal growth. Trained and mentored by Dr. John Maxwell and Dr. Robert Cialdini, and their world-class faculty, I am equipped with the tools, resources and experience to help you and your team improve your productivity, performance and get better results. Whether you are looking for a facilitator for group workshops, corporate training in leadership, speaking, sales, or coaching skills for your leaders, or a speaker for your next event, I have access to exclusive content that is only available through the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team or the Cialdini Institute to help you reach your goals and objectives. My background includes over 35 years of business experience in leadership positions involving sales, management and operations. My passions include strategy, problem solving and execution. I enjoy speaking, teaching and coaching and helping others reach their leadership potential.

Friday, February 23, 2024 | 1:30-4:30pm

It's All About Leadership - Dr. Mitchell Waite, Double Diamond Leadership Authority

What is the difference between an effective leader and a manager.  Is it really that important to today’s emergency service administrator?

Saturday, February 24, 2024 | 8:00-10:30am

Wingspread VII Study - Chief Dennis Rubin 

Chief Rubin, now the Interim Chief of Kansas City FD and previously Chief of Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Dothan, will present on the findings and recommendations of Wingspread VII, a convening of fire service professionals from across the nation to create updated statements of national significance to the US fire and emergency services. Chief Rubin co-chaired the 2021 convening and is a dynamic and engaging speaker.

Saturday, February 24, 2024 | 10:30-11:00am

Visit with Vendors, Check Out of Hotel Room, Network

Saturday, February 24, 2024 | 12:00-3:00pm

Artful Leadership - Dr. Mitchell Waite, Double Diamond Leadership Authority

How to create a transformational organizational climate and shift an entrenched culture.

Executive Skills Series: Exercising Leadership to Facilitate Adaptive change - F0521

Friday, February 23, 2024 | 8:30am-4:00pm & Saturday, February 24, 2024 | 8:00am-3:00pm

*MUST ATTEND BOTH DAYS*

LIMITED TO 30 PEOPLE.

Instructor: Thomas Poulin

Executive Skills Series: Exercising Leadership to Facilitate Adaptive Change, National Fire Academy 

The purpose of this course is to provide skills which individuals in positions of authority can use to exercise leadership when confronted with adaptive challenges. The goal of this 2-day course is for the participant to develop an understanding of skills associated with exercising leadership to resolve adaptive problems, those problems where the solution is either unknown or requires significant change, or both. CLICK HERE for more information.

INCIDENT COMMANDER TRACK - F0166

Friday, February 23, 2024 | 8:30am-4:00pm & Saturday, February 24, 2024 | 8:00am-3:00pm

*MUST ATTEND BOTH DAYS*

LIMITED TO 30 PEOPLE.

Instructor: Ché Stedman  

EMS Functions in ICS - National Fire Academy 

In this 2-day course, students will practice use of the Incident Command System (ICS_ in coordination with other public safety responders.

As a follow up to ICS-100 and ICS-200 training, this course will present scenarios requiring responders to structure their EMS resources within the guidance of National Incident Management System ICS, as appropriate to the needs of the different incident types. 

Through simulation and role-playing, students with demonstrate the implementation of EMS components in an ICS at medium or large sized incidents. CLICK HERE for more information.

IMPORTANT: If you are planning to take the Executive Skills Series: Exercising Leadership to Facilitate Adaptive Change (F0521) or EMS Functions in ICS (F0166), you must have a FEMA Student ID Number. If you do not already have a FEMA SID#, you can APPLY HERE. 

Meet the Presenters

Dr. Mitchell Waite - Double Diamond Leadership Authority

Dr. Waite earned his doctorate from Walden University in Applied Management and Decision Sciences with a specialization in Leadership and Organizational Change.

As a fire chief (retired) and commissioned officer (retired Colonel) in the United States Army, Dr. Waite has a proven track record in the field of leadership.

His creative and innovative approaches led to organizational success for the Wisconsin Rapids (WI) Fire Department and several military units he commanded.

Dr. Waite was a member of the fire service for over 26 years and a member of the United States military for 42 years.

Due to his lifetime of service to his country and community, Dr. Waite received a lifetime achievement award from the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Lodge #693 in 2018.  Dr. Waite was also inducted into the Lincoln High School (Wisconsin Rapids) Hall of Fame in 2022 for his lifetime achievements, as well as being inducted into the State of Wisconsin Fire & Police Hall of Fame in 2023.

Dr. Waite has also been a visiting professor for over 36 years and instructs traditional, online, and blended courses for several universities.  Some of his areas of instruction are leadership principles and concepts, corporate management, strategic planning, and organizational effectiveness.

Since his retirement from the fire service and the military, Dr. Waite has continued his lifetime of service by becoming a FEMA Safety Advisor, a member of Saratoga (WI) EMS, an instructor with Team Rubicon, a contract instructor for the National Fire Academy, a member of his county’s Critical Incident Stress Management Team, and an active member of his local VFW.

Dr. Waite is also the founder and President of the Double Diamond Leadership Authority, LLC which specializes in leadership development and training, and executive level recruitment (www.doublediamondleadership.org). 

Jeffrey F. Joutras - Executive Director, Maxwell Leadership Certified Team

As an Executive Director with the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team and a Certified Coach and Professional with the Cialdini Institute, I am certified to facilitate, speak, train and coach individuals and groups in the areas of leadership development, influence and persuasion principles, professional skills and personal growth. Trained and mentored by Dr. John Maxwell and Dr. Robert Cialdini, and their world-class faculty, I am equipped with the tools, resources and experience to help you and your team improve your productivity, performance and get better results. Whether you are looking for a facilitator for group workshops, corporate training in leadership, speaking, sales, or coaching skills for your leaders, or a speaker for your next event, I have access to exclusive content that is only available through the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team or the Cialdini Institute to help you reach your goals and objectives. My background includes over 35 years of business experience in leadership positions involving sales, management and operations. My passions include strategy, problem solving and execution. I enjoy speaking, teaching and coaching and helping others reach their leadership potential.

The commitment to lifelong learning is a passion that drives me to help those I am fortunate enough to influence. We can help each other grow, challenge ourselves, improve, and learn...... all while enjoying the journey, no matter our age. A colleague of mine who worked with me on a non-profit board once said that he appreciated my "business approach with humor sprinkled in" and I think that describes me fairly well. We can achieve our goals and lifelong purpose and smile along the way. One of my favorite quotes is "The most wasted day is one in which we have not laughed." I hope we can work together.......we'll learn from each other, grow personally and professionally and have some laughs as well! As Abraham Maslow said, in any given moment we have two options, to step forward into growth or back into safety. Let's step forward into growth together!

Dennis L. Rubin - Fire Chief

Dennis L. Rubin’s fire & rescue experience spans more than 40 years. Rubin has served as a line firefighter/EMT, company officer, staff officer, command officer, and chief of the department in Atlanta, Georgia, Washington, DC, and Kansas City, Kansas. Rubin has authored several textbooks all published by Fire Engineering Books.

Thomas Poulin, PdD, MS(HRM), MS(I/O Psych), SHRM-CP, IPMA-CP, EFO - National Fire Academy

Since 2004, Thomas has served as a training and development consultant, working with local public sector leaders from large and small agencies across the nation. Focusing on leadership and organizational development, these activities prepared leaders to analyze and approach challenges in their own communities based on local characteristics and resources.

From 2010-2020, he served as core faculty in Capella University’s School of Public Service Leadership, teaching in the master's and doctoral programs of public administration and emergency management. Since 2004, he has served as adjunct faculty at several colleges and universities. He has developed and facilitated courses in human resource management, public administration, ethics, budgeting, public policy, project management, regulatory policy, leadership, research, and emergency management. He has served on numerous dissertation committees at Capella University and Grand Canyon University, having mentored 21 learners through successful completion of their doctoral journey.

Prior to this, he served local government in public and non-profit organizations for over thirty years, retiring as a Fire Battalion Chief from the City of Virginia Beach (VA) Fire Department.

Dr. Poulin served as County Planner for Camden County, NC, where he engaged in zoning activities (interpreting and applying land use ordinances), and floodplain management (helping to make the community more disaster resilient through collaborative, proactive efforts).

He is a member of the International City/County Managers' Association, the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), the American Political Science Association (APSA), the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the Public Sector Human Resources Association (PSHRA), and the Association of State Floodplain Managements (ASFPM).

His research interests include leadership, inter-organizational collaboration, ethics, emergency management, post-truth leadership, and workplace bullying. He has presented research findings in venues such as ASPA, APSA, the Northeast Conference for Public Administration, the Southeast Conference for Public Administration, the Virginia Social Science Association, and the Southern Political Science Association.

He served two terms as President of the Hampton Roads Chapter of ASPA, and has previously served on the governing bodies of the Hampton Roads Chapter of ASPA, the Virginia Social Sciences Association, and the ASPA Section on Emergency and Crisis Management.

Ché Stedman - Assistant Chief, City of Madison Fire Department 

Ché Stedman has been a member of the Madison Fire Department since 1996. He has served as a Firefighter, Paramedic, Lieutenant, Training Captain, and Division Chief, as well as participating as a special teams member of the Heavy Urban Rescue Team and Lake Rescue Team. He is currently the Assistant Chief of Medical Affairs.

Stedman began his fire service career in the Wisconsin Air National Guard in 1992. He served 21 years, retiring as a Chief Master Sergeant. He is a combat veteran with two tours of duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ché holds a master's degree in Rehabilitation Psychology from the UW-Madison, a bachelor's degree in Psychology and an associate's degree in Fire Science. In addition, he is an IFSAC Fire Instructor II and Fire Officer IV.

exhibit table tops are sold out

Vendor Set-Up: Thursday, February 22nd from 3:00-5:00pm

Vendor Tear-Down: Saturday, February 24th at 12:00pm 

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

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