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2026 Alliance Annual Meeting
Schedule-at-a-Glance

 

Wednesday, April 15

1:00 – 5:30 p.m. Registration Open
2:00 – 4:30 p.m. Executive Committee Meeting (executive committee members only)
5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Reception, Dinner, Opening Plenary

  • Resilient by Design: The Future of America’s Community Colleges
    • Louisa Hunderstorm, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS)

Thursday, April 16

7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration Open
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Breakfast
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Welcome and Meeting Overview
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Keynote Address

Resilience in Action: Strategic Leadership for Today’s Community Colleges

  • Joe Schaffer, WICHE Commissioner and President, Laramie County Community College
10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Break
10:15 – 11:05 a.m. Concurrent Session

  • Your Roadmap to CTE Programs as a Working Professional
    • Abigail Loya, Great Basin College
    • Sarah Negrete, Great Basin College
    • Dave Stoddard, Great Basin College
  • Growing Open: Cultivating a Campus Where OER Thrives
    • Maggie Swanger, Laramie County Community College
11:05 – 11:20 a.m. Break
11:20 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Campus Mental Health & Substance Use Issues in the West

  • Amanda Gentz, WICHE
  • Tonya Horn, WICHE
12:15 -1:30 p.m. Award Luncheon – Bernice Joseph Innovation Award
1:30 – 2:20 p.m. Case Studies
2:20 – 2:35 p.m. Break
2:35 – 3:25 p.m. Concurrent Session

  • Reimagining Strategies for Success: Unlocking the Student Experience
    • Meghan Kelly, Laramie County Community College
    • Trent Morrell, Laramie County Community College
  • Transfer Technology Panel
    • Olivia Tufo, WICHE
3:25 – 3:40 p.m. Break
3:40 – 4:30 p.m. State of Workforce Pell

  • Patrick Lane, WICHE
4:30 – 4:45 p.m. Wrap Up and Adjournment

Friday, April 17

8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 – 9:30 a.m. Membership Meeting
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Building Resiliency in Wyoming Community Colleges Through a Statewide Alignment of Education and Workforce Development

  • Kari Brown-Herbst, Laramie County Community College
  • Colleen Falkenstern, WICHE
  • Beth Gard, Western Wyoming Community College (invited)
  • John Hansen, Eastern Wyoming College
  • Lauren Schoenfeld, Wyoming Business Alliance
10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Wrap Up and Adjournment
11:00 a.m. – noon Optional Campus Tour