Shrm Skagit-Island's Fall Workshop
Activate HR: Resolve, Empower, Transform
Practical strategies for crisis de-escalation, building self-reliant managers, and transforming organizational culture in an AI world
Thursday, October 8th, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Pacific Time
Northwest Educational District, Admiralty Room, 1601 R. Ave, Anacortes, WA 98221
HR is not just about managing compliance or stepping in as an operational safety net—it’s about stepping up to navigate high-stakes human challenges and drive business strategy. Activate HR is designed for HR professionals at every career stage who are ready to expand their impact, build critical competencies, and gain actionable tools for today’s evolving workplace.
Welcome (9 am – 9:15 am) Opening remarks by Chapter President Erin Kuusela
Session One (9:15 am – 10:30 am): How Every HR Professional Should Handle a Workplace Mental Health Crisis by Jessi Beyer, MHP, C-RFA
Approximately 4% of Americans consider suicide annually, and when those crises show up in the workplace, HR is often expected to resolve them. In this session, Jessi will introduce her L.I.F.E. model of de-escalation and suicide prevention and provide a roadmap for building a crisis-ready organization. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of their role in a workplace crisis, increased confidence navigating crisis conversations, and a framework for improving suicide prevention without becoming clinicians.
Jessi Beyer, MHP, is an international TEDx speaker; the #1 best-selling author of How To Heal; a crisis mental health professional embedded with law enforcement; and a negotiator with region 1 SWAT. Named the 2025 Best International Mental Health Speaker by Global Health and Pharma, she has been featured in over 200 media outlets and has spoken to thousands of people around the world on peer support, suicide prevention, and verbal de-escalation. Jessi holds master’s degrees in critical psychology and human services (focusing in trauma and crisis intervention) from Prescott College and in military psychology (focusing in terrorism) from Adler University. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys exploring the trails of the Pacific Northwest and baking (and eating) copious amounts of chocolate chip cookies.
Break (10:30 am – 10:45 am)
Session Two (11:00 am – 12:15 pm): Stop Rescuing, Start Coaching: Building Self-Reliant Managers by Kendra Fuller, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, Managing Director at Swift HR Solutions
You can tell managers what to do, or you can coach them to lead. As HR professionals, we often have the quick fix and are eager to help. But every time we step in to handle a tough employee conversation or hand over the exact answer, we train leaders to rely on us instead of their own instincts. Over time, HR becomes an operational safety net rather than a strategic partner, and manager capability stalls.
This session equips HR professionals with the coaching tools needed to shift accountability back to people leaders. Instead of taking the mic when employee issues arise, you'll learn how to guide managers through difficult performance dynamics, build their confidence, and scale leadership competencies across your organization. Key takeaways include:
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Understand 4 ways HR blocks manager development without even realizing it
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Discover the value of positioning HR as a coaching partner
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Learn a practical coaching tool that elevates individual and organizational accountability
Kendra Fuller is the Managing Director- SwiftLeadership at Swift HR Solutions, a national consulting and leadership development firm. From training new managers to helping CEOs be more effective leaders, she develops and implements development solutions that fuel company strategy and enhance organizational effectiveness. Kendra draws from her background in business management and over 20 years in top HR roles at technology, professional services and nonprofit organizations to optimize human resources in regional, national and global environments.
With a collaborative and energized style, Kendra brings trusted business partnership and a fresh perspective that aligns talent, business and culture. She is a DiSC® facilitator, credentialed workplace investigator, instructional designer, and seasoned onsite and virtual facilitator.
Lunch & Networking (12:15 pm – 1:00 pm)
Session Three (1:00 pm – 2:15 pm): High-Value HR in an AI World by Mike Amato, Founder, The Better Way to Win
Most AI implementations fail for one simple reason: organizations treat them as IT upgrades rather than cultural shifts. The reality is that AI doesn't fix organizational flaws—it faithfully replicates and scales existing dysfunction. To drive true return on AI investments, companies must first audit and optimize their Management Operating System (MOS). In this session, learn how HR professionals can step up as crucial business partners to diagnose and transform organizational culture from the frontline up.
Key Takeaways:
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The Root Cause of AI Failure: Why treating AI as a tech initiative guarantees poor ROI, supported by current industry data.
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The 7 Dimensions of MOS: How to evaluate your organization’s culture to identify which strengths to amplify and which weaknesses to fix before scaling AI.
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Frontline-Led Transformation: Practical strategies for HR to lead culture diagnostics from the bottom up rather than relying on top-down C-suite mandates.
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Real-World Insights: Firsthand lessons from a business leader on what non-HR executives actually need from their HR partners during major cultural shifts.
Mike Amato Mike is one of the country’s most sought-after executive coaches and author of The Better Way to Win: Leading in a Time of Crisis. He helps individuals and organizations exceed their own expectations by embracing the art of transformation and using it to drive vision, values, alignment, innovation, and profit. Prior to working as a coach and consultant Mike served as an Executive Director at Barclays Bank. While at Barclays Mike was responsible for one of the largest and most successful transformations in banking history, including:
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Increasing overall employee engagement from 64% to 92%
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Increasing output among customer facing teams by 244%
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Increasing compliance scores, audit scores, and union relations
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Improving net profitability and outperforming targets by 125%
Closing (2:15 pm – 2:45 pm)
