2025 Future of Talent Summit

Turning data into action

Join the most influential leaders and decision-makers from across GOVA Region 2 to redefine how employers and education institutions collaborate to develop talent.

This year’s summit theme, Turning Data into Action, will highlight the essential role that data analytics play in shaping collaborative workforce development strategies. By leveraging research, the summit will provide a framework for how data can be used to refine strategies aimed at attracting and retaining top talent.

The most influential leaders and decision-makers from across GOVA Region 2 will converge at Radford University to redefine how employers and education institutions collaborate to develop talent.

Thursday, March 13, 2025

8:30 am - 3:30 pm

Radford University Artis Center

$50 Per Attendee

Equip c-suite executives, marketing executives, human resource professionals, managers, and other organizational leaders with the knowledge, tools, and resources needed to enhance their organizations’ position as an employer of choice within the competitive landscape of talent acquisition and retention.
Highlight the various talent and workforce development resources available to businesses, organizations, and individuals within GOVA Region 2.
Offer a specialized strategic doing session aimed at providing practical solutions and actionable insights to address workforce challenges in GOVA Region 2.
Facilitate discussions and connections among businesses, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to align strategies and efforts for talent recruitment, retention, and development.

8:30am – Registration and Networking
9:30am – Welcome Address by Radford University
9:35am – Keynote Presentation, Rachel O’Brien (Virginia Office of Education Economics)
10:15am – Keynote Presentation, Emily Eller (Virginia Economic Development Partnership)
10:45am – Coffee Break
11:00am – Employer Panel
12:00pm – Lunch and Networking
12:45pm – Strategic Doing Session
3:30pm – Departure

Rachel O’Brien

Interim Executive Director for Virginia Office of Education Economics

Emily Eller

Marketing Director for Virginia Economic Development Partnership

Employer Panel

The Strategic Partnerships for Talent Development panel will feature a distinguished group of employers from GOVA Region 2 who are at the forefront of creating impactful talent development initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between education and industry. Panelists will highlight how their organization is (re)shaping the future of talent acquisition and workforce readiness by forming strategic partnerships with education institutions across the region. The discussion will shed light on the importance of building lasting partnerships with education institutions, addressing skill gaps, and enhancing student engagement to ensure emerging talent is equipped with the skills and experience required to thrive in today’s dynamic workforce.

Ashley Fiore

Chief Business Intelligence Officer of KlariVis

Teresa Penrose

Senior Human Resource Manager of Hollingsworth & Vose

Kyle Kinskie

Biomedical Engineer of CytoRecovery

Jodi Estienne

Human Resources Manager of CBIZ

Kenna Smith

Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development Manager of Branch

Onward NRV is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDC) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

Strategic Doing Session

Strategic doing sessions are collaborative workshops that are designed to help groups generate innovative solutions to complex problems by creating shared value, identifying opportunities for collaboration, developing a plan, and taking action toward achieving a shared goal. Curious to learn more about the practice of strategic doing? Learn more here!

During the 2025 Future of Talent Summit, Tim and Nancy Franklin of Franklin Solutions will facilitate a strategic doing session that aims to encourage stakeholders in GOVA Region 2 to visualize the ideal future state of the region’s workforce and identify the various systems, programs, partnerships, and resources needed to make this vision a reality.