Agenda

9:30 am – 4:00 pm

Employer Site Visits (pre-registration required)

Join us for an employer site visit! Select from either our Unique to Denver track, where you’ll visit the National Western Stock Show and CSU Spur, or our Industry track, where you’ll visit EF Tours and Ball Corporation.

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Pre-Conference Social, Capitol Foyer

Arrived early? Come mix and mingle with other conference attendees!

7:30 am – 5:00 pm

Registration Open, Capitol Foyer

9:00 am – 11:00 am

Pre-Conference Workshops, Capitol 2 (pre-registration required)

Join us for networking and a light breakfast from 9:00 am – 9:30 am and then select from two pre-conference workshops from 9:30 am – 11:00 am.

1. "The Framework of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion", facilitated by China Jude, Ed.D.

Businesses are more successful when they embrace DEI initiatives and are more attractive to top talent and more likely to retain them. The majority of employed U.S. adults (56%), focusing on increasing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at work is a good thing, according to a new Pew Research Center survey (Minkin, 2023). Because people receive, embrace, and respond differently, conveying DEI strategies to sustain longevity effectively can be challenging. 

This session features six areas: awareness, education, process, policies, and finance, which organizations must strategically incorporate into formal plans to reflect a holistic approach. Considering the strategies to determine DEI maturity, presented by Organizational Psychologist Ella Washington, the audience will engage in meaningful conversations and brainstorm DEI action strategies for future consideration. Contrary to the political and social ploys to delay and dissolve DEI in higher education, creating a robust plan where everyone invests in its success can create equitable ownership and sustain itself by changing a culture. 

2. “Asset-Based Approaches to Career Services”, facilitated by Fabiola Mora and Jill Putman.
   Historically, career services have focused on preparing students to fit within dominant norms of professionalism, work environments, and a narrow definition of career success. Institutions and employers have asked students to conform to existing cultures rather than interrogate their own structures and approaches to career support. This “one-size, fits all” approach does not meet diverse students’ needs nor recognize their unique experiences, identities, values, and strengths in navigating the world of work. In this session, we will explore asset-based and identity-conscious approaches to career services that challenge deficit narratives about historically marginalized populations. Attendees will be able to differentiate between asset and deficit-based approaches, review frameworks to inform practice, and discuss strategies to apply in their roles. This session will prepare career services practitioners and employers to evaluate and improve current practices to support organizational change and a diverse workforce.   

10:30 am – 11:15 am

Newcomers Reception, location coming soon!

First time at MPACE? Get to know MPACE Board members and other first timers!

11:15 am – 12:00 pm

Volunteer Meeting, location coming soon!

10:30 am – 4:45 pm

Exhibit Area Open

Conference Schedule

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Opening Lunch + Welcome, Capitol Ballroom

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Opening Keynote Speaker: Jamie Belinne, Capitol Ballroom

“Leveraging Multiple Generations in the Workplace”

With as many as five generational groups in many workplaces, professional interactions have never been more confusing or had more potential than right now. The “Matures” complained about the Baby Boomers, who complained about Gen X, who complained about Millennials, and now Gen Z is on the scene. This newest generation in the workforce could use technology before they could speak, and their attitudes toward information, privacy, communication, work and diversity are unlike those of any previous generation. In this lively and entertaining session, Jamie Belinne pulls together her more than ten years of research and 30 years of managing and teaching young people to delve into how and why each generation is different, with a special emphasis on managing, retaining, and developing the youngest employees entering the workforce.

2:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Networking Break, Capitol Foyer

2:30 pm – 3:45 pm

Breakout Sessions

3:45 pm – 4:15 pm

Networking Break, Capitol Foyer

DEI Roundtable Discussion, Capitol Ballroom

Engage with the DEI Committee and discover how we strive to provide programming and resources that foster an atmosphere where people with a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences feel welcomed, respected, and celebrated. We’d also love to hear from you about what you’d like to see offered by way of DEI initiatives and if you’d like to become a committee member. We’re here to listen, share, and honor one another in solidarity.

4:15 pm – 5:30 pm

Breakout Sessions 

5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Opening Reception, Capitol Foyer

7:30 am – 8:30 am

Morning Yoga, Mineral 1

8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Registration Open, Capitol Foyer

7:30 am – 4:00 pm

Exhibit Area Open, Capitol Foyer

8:00 am – 9:00 am

Breakfast, Capitol Ballroom

8:30 am – 9:15 am

Welcome & Regional Director Updates, Capitol Ballroom

9:15 am – 10:30 am

Knowledge Groups

10:30 am – 11:00 am

Networking Break, Capitol Ballroom

11:00 am – 12:15 pm

Breakout Sessions 

12:15 pm – 1:45 pm

Business Luncheon and Awards, Capitol Ballroom

1:45 pm – 3:00 pm

Breakout Sessions 

3:00 pm – 3:45 pm

Networking Break and Raffle Prizes, Capitol Ballroom

3:45 pm – 5:00 pm

Breakout Sessions 

6:00 – 10:00 pm

MPACE on the Rox!

Attendees can expect a night of socializing, dancing, eating, and drinking at one of Denver's most iconic locations. We will have a DJ, behind-the-scenes tours of Coors Field, guest appearances, and unique photo opportunities. Transportation will be provided to/from our hotel if guests want to venture around Denver. Coors Field is within walking distance from plenty of local bars, restaurants, and activities. 

8:30 am - 9:30 am

Breakfast, Capitol Ballroom

9:30 am - 10:30 am

Closing Plenary Session: State of Higher Education & Employment, Capitol Ballroom

Panelists include:

Dr. Marielena DeSanctis, President, Community College of Denver

Dr. Tricia Johnson, Deputy Executive Director, CDHE

Michelle Magnetti, Vice President of Talent Acquisition, Modivcare

Shawn VanDerziel, President and CEO, NACE

After the COVID pandemic, the US racial reckoning, and the great resignation, what is the state of higher education and hiring? Global and national forces have impacted both higher education and employers in new ways. Technology has changed how people learn and how they job search. Student debt is a constant topic in the news. How can institutions of higher education and employers prepare for whatever the future may bring next? Do we know what that future might look like? A panel of leaders in higher education, human resources, and state government will discuss these questions and more!

10:30 am – 11:00 am

Closing Remarks, Capitol Ballroom