HR professionals attending the annual conference will learn about an unexpected—and dare we say, fun(!)—approach to:
Our opening workshop will introduce LEGO® Serious Play®—a unique and powerful facilitation method that uses LEGO® bricks as a tool for open communication, problem solving, and strategic thinking. We’ll test out this hands-on process with 3D visualization, metaphors, and stories to foster creativity and meaningful solutions.
LEGO® Serious Play® is a science-based process and draws on extensive research from the fields of business, organizational development, psychology, and learning. In LEGO® Serious Play®, the LEGO® bricks serve as a common language that anyone can use, regardless of their education, position, or culture. With LEGO® Serious Play® everyone participates, everyone’s voice is heard, everyone has ownership and authorship in the outcome.
Dr. Jillian Gilbert is the Director of the Leadership by Design Center and specializes in organizational leadership and development, personal leadership development, innovation, and strategy. Being not only certified in Design Thinking from Hasso Plattner School of Design at Stanford University, but also certified as a LEGO® Serious Play® Facilitator, Gilbert strives to help individuals find the link between theory and practice. She facilitates workshops designed to help individuals and teams better understand their leadership and team identity, the dynamic cross-generational workforce, and Design Thinking. A sample of her clients include the U.S. Navy, In-n-Out Corporation, Kaiser Permanente, and Habitat for Humanity.
To close our anniversary conference, SHRM-Atlanta will welcome the incomparable Monica Kaufman Pearson.
Known for her groundbreaking interviews, this time Monica will be the interviewee as she sits down with SHRM-Atlanta board member Carrisa Jones on stage.
SOAHR attendees will learn from this Atlanta legend, widely known for breaking racial and gender barriers as anchor for the evening news. With over three decades of experience at WSB-TV, Monica is celebrated for her professionalism, charisma, and ability to connect with audiences.
Don’t miss this Main Stage event!
Monica Pearson is the first woman and the first minority to anchor the daily evening news in Atlanta, where she worked for 37 years at the leading station, WSB-TV. She has won 33 Southern Regional and local Emmy Awards for reporting, anchoring and her Closeups celebrity interview shows.
When she retired in 2012, she was honored on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by the bipartisan delegation of the State of Georgia for her years of service on and off the air to improve the lives of the citizens of Georgia.
Monica now writes, produces, and hosts an hour-long personality interview show, Monica Pearson One on One on Peachtree TV. She also is a contributor to The Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper, hosting a personality interview show streaming on AJC.com. The Monica Pearson Show also is a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and Amazon Music.
Monica calls retirement, “re-wirement,” and now is a voiceover artist, public speaker, emcee, and spokesperson.
She is a native of Louisville, KY with a BA from the University of Louisville and a MA from the University of Georgia, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude at the age of 67. She also has honorary doctorate degrees from Atlanta University, now Clark Atlanta University; Oglethorpe University; American Bible University; and Young Harris College.
Monica has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated since 1966. She is a member of the Kappa Omega Chapter and is President of the Ivy Community Foundation, the 501(c)(3) arm of the chapter.
She is married to John E. Pearson Sr. and has a daughter and bonus son.
Carrisa Jones, SHRM-SCP, is an HR professional and nonprofit leader with 15+ years of experience in technology and mobile communications. She has a BS in Computer Information Systems, MS in Telecommunications Management.
Carrisa is passionate about cultivating a work environment where everyone feels welcomed, respected, supported, and has a sense of belonging.
She is the Founder of two nonprofits: Every Girl Shines, which pairs middle and high school girls with professional women mentors, and PHS 1996 Alumni Foundation, which provides scholarships to graduating seniors at her alma mater, Palatka High School.
In addition to serving on the SHRM-Atlanta Board of Directors, she also enjoys volunteering with Women in Technology, High-Tech Ministries, 48in48, and Elizabeth Baptist Church. She is an avid Atlanta sports fan, cyclist, and cruise vacationer.
