GMA SHRM Professional Development Summit

August 18, 2026

Alliant Energy Center

1919 Alliant Energy Way
Madison, WI
        
     

Session 1    8:00-10:00
Beyond the Paycheck: The Intangible Value of Total Rewards

  

Session 2     10:15-12:15  
Mental Health: The Culture of Gratitude: Practical Strategies to Boost Engagement and Mental Well-Being
Presented by: Summer Rector, HCSC   Presented By:  Traci Austin, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, PCC,  Elevated Talent Consulting
 

Partner Sponsors: 
 		  
Partner Sponsor:  
 
 

Session 1

Traditional total rewards conversations focus on salary, health insurance, and 401(k) match, but employees increasingly make decisions based on how valued, supported, and trusted they feel at work. This session examines how innovative benefits, such as caregiver support, emergency savings tools, lifestyle spending accounts, fraud protection, and more, serve as powerful signals of organizational care, empowerment, and trust.

Using principles from behavioral psychology and Dan Ariely's research on motivation and decision-making, we'll unpack why these benefits create disproportionate emotional and engagement returns compared to their cost. You'll discover how to select, design, and position benefits that address the whole employee, not just their medical needs, and build a total rewards strategy that strengthens the psychological contract between employer and employee.

Participants will learn how to:

  • Articulate the intangible value of non-traditional benefits and explain to leadership why these offerings often generate disproportionate employee engagement, retention, and loyalty returns relative to their cost.
  • Strengthen the psychological contract between employer and employee by selecting, positioning, and communicating benefits that demonstrate organizational care, flexibility, and investment in the whole person.
  • Build a practical evaluation framework to prioritize total rewards investments based on both financial feasibility and behavioral impact, and bring actionable ideas back to implement within their own total rewards strategies.
  

Session 2

Low morale, burnout, and high turnover are costing organizations both people and performance. Traditional recognition programs often fall flat because they treat appreciation as an occasional gesture rather than a daily practice. Gratitude, when embedded into workplace culture, has been proven to improve engagement, strengthen mental health, and keep teams motivated.

This interactive session will show you how to transform gratitude from “something nice” into a strategic tool that drives results. Participants will learn the stages of gratitude, understand its impact on motivation and well-being, and leave with practical tools they can apply immediately. Whether you lead a small team or a large organization, this session will give you concrete ways to build a culture of trust, belonging, and resilience.


Participants will learn:

  • Culture of Gratitude- What is it?
  • Stages of Gratitude and How They Impact
  • Does Gratitude Impact Mental Health?
  • Creating a Culture of Gratitude
SPEAKER BIO     SPEAKER BIO  
Summer Rector is the Executive Director, Executive Compensation & Benefits at HCSC, where she leads total rewards for a large, multi-state health insurance organization. She brings more than 16 years of experience spanning HR consulting and in-house leadership roles, including work at Mercer, Accenture-DayNine, QTI Consulting, and Discover Financial. Summer has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management and Human Resources from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and holds a SHRM-SCP certification. She has also served as a SHRM Learning System instructor, helping HR practitioners deepen their expertise in preparation for SHRM certification.   Traci Austin, MPA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, PCC, is the Chief Talent Officer of Elevated Talent Consulting, where she helps organizations transform the way they develop leaders and engage their workforce. With more than 20 years of experience in human resources and organizational strategy, Traci has partnered with leaders across construction, manufacturing, and other industries to build stronger teams, retain top talent, and achieve measurable business results.

As a certified executive coach and senior HR professional, Traci specializes in bridging the gap between organizational strategy and people strategy. She is passionate about helping leaders navigate conflict, strengthen culture, and create workplaces where employees thrive. Known for her practical, no-nonsense approach, Traci combines real-world case studies with actionable tools that participants can implement immediately.

In addition to her consulting work, Traci is the host of The People Strategy Podcast, where she shares insights on leadership, talent optimization, and the future of work. She has been featured as a speaker at professional associations, industry summits, and organizational leadership programs nationwide.

Traci’s mission is simple: to challenge outdated models of leadership and equip HR and business leaders with strategies that drive long-term organizational success.
SCHEDULE
   
  • Session 1
 8:00am to 10:00am
  • Session 2 
 10:15am to 12:15pm










FEES    
  • GMA SHRM Member
Free - Advance registration positively required.
 

 
  • Student Member
 Free - Advance registration positively required.

 
  • Guest / Nonmember
$50 Either or Both Sessions
 

 
  • Guest Grant Registration

Not a member yet?

GMA SHRM has a limited number of Professional Grants available for potential members to attend one Professional Development Summit at no cost. 

If you are considering joining GMA SHRM, have a bona fide connection to Human Resources and would like to apply for one of these Professional Grants, please contact us at chapteradmin@gmashrm.org.
 

 


 

 











LOCATION  
 

 

Alliant Energy Center,
1919 Alliant Way,
Madison, WI 

 














For more information contact:

GMA SHRM Management Team
4075 Vilas Road
Cottage Grove, WI  53527
(608) 204-9814
fax (608) 204-9818
chapteradmin@gmashrm.org

Program Schedule subject to change.

 
 
https://greatermadisonareashrm.wildapricot.org/event-4893781