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• WFHRMA: Employment Law Symposium

  • When
    11 Sep 2026
  •  
    8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Location
    The Forum: 2120 Speedway Ave, Wichita Falls, TX 76308
  • Registered
    27 registrants

  Register

  
  

  WFHRMA: Employment Law Symposium

  Friday September 11th 2026, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

  The Forum: 2120 Speedway Ave, Wichita Falls, TX 76308

  Our Speakers

  

  
  

  Dustin A. Paschal

  Founding Member

  Simon | Paschal PLLC

  Texas SHRM State Director

  “Mastering Conflict Resolution”

  Description:

  If there is one thing that is more certain than death and taxes, it is that there will be conflict in the workplace. Learning how to manage that conflict is a critical skill for any HR professional. Hear from a lawyer about how to minimize and manage conflict.

  Learning Objectives :

  • Attendees will learn the common causes of conflict in the workplace.

  • Attendees will learn steps and tips on how to avoid workplace conflict.

  • Attendees will learn how to manage workplace conflict when it inevitably arises.

  
  

  Michael Deponte

  Principal & Office Litigation Manager
  Jackson Lewis

  Michael J. DePonte is a Principal in, and the Litigation Manager for, the Dallas, Texas, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He is Board Certified in both Labor and Employment Law, as well as Civil Trial Law, by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Of the approximately 90,000 attorneys that are licensed in the State of Texas, only 29 are Board Certified in both of these areas. Mr. DePonte has an extensive litigation and trial background having tried numerous cases in state and federal courts in Texas. Mr. DePonte’s practice focuses on advice and counseling and the litigation of employment claims – including wage and hour issues, class and collective actions, and civil rights claims under state and federal law. Mr. DePonte has defended national and regional employers on a broad range of employment-related issues. He has represented employers before numerous federal and state agencies, and has handled trials and appeals in federal and state courts. Mr. DePonte also provides his clients with general advice and counseling on a broad range of employment and labor issues, prepares and presents training seminars to clients, and has prepared materials for and presented lectures at multiple employment law seminars and human resources workshops. He has presented to organizations across Texas and New Mexico and in 2020 he was inducted to the HR Southwest Conference Speaker Hall of Fame.

   

  

  John Hagan

  Board Certified Labor & Employment Attorney

  “How to Manage the Trickiest Pay & Leave Compliance Issues under the FLSA, OBBBA, and the ADA/PWFA”

  Description:

  This 55-minute program equips HR professionals with a current, Texas-specific compliance framework for wage-and-hour and leave/accommodation obligations. The session opens with the FLSA fundamentals most likely to trigger enforcement exposure — including the unsettled status of the federal salary threshold following the 2024 rule's vacatur — then translates the pay-related provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into concrete payroll and recordkeeping action items. The program then shifts to accommodation practice, walking attendees through a defensible, step-by-step interactive process under the ADA and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), identifying how the Act’s obligations can apply simultaneously to a single employee absence. The session closes with a 90-day compliance action plan attendees can implement immediately.

  Learning Objectives:

  • Distinguish current FLSA salary-threshold and duties-test obligations from the vacated 2024 rule, and identify the wage-hour practices — misclassification, off-the-clock work, rounding, and improper deductions — most likely to generate DOL or Texas Workforce Commission exposure.
  • Apply the Texas Payday Act's pay-frequency, final-pay-timing, and permissible-deduction rules as an independent compliance layer on top of federal FLSA requirements.
  • Run a legally defensible, documented interactive accommodation process under the ADA and the PWFA, correctly distinguishing PWFA's broader accommodation standard — including temporary suspension of essential functions — from traditional ADA practice.
  • Evaluate a single employee leave or accommodation scenario against FMLA, ADA, PWFA, and Texas-law obligations concurrently, and apply a 90-day action plan to close identified compliance gaps.

  
  

  Recertification Credit

  SHRM Certification has approved this event for 3 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. A program code will be provided at the end of the meeting. The program also meets recertification credit standards set by the HR Certification Institute and other HR certifying bodies, but candidates must manually enter their activity into their records.

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• WFHRMA October:The Miracle Making Business

  • When
    13 Oct 2026
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Vernon College: 4105 Maplewood Dr. Room 605 Wichita Falls, TX 76308
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  
  

  Wichita Falls HR Management Association (WFHRMA)

  Tuesday, October 13th, 2026

  Meeting check-in & lunch service begins at 11:45am

  
  

  "Mark McKendrick"

  
  

  
  

  
  

  "The Miracle Making Business"

  
  

  Program Summary: 

  
  

  The US healthcare system is complex and confusing - I hope to provide confidence and clarity to HR professionals and everyday employees. My presentation shares the health journey of my father as a high-cost claimant after contracting COVID in 2021. His story is nothing short of a miracle, and I am able present the importance of knowing how to navigate our healthcare system as a patient and a decision-maker for employees.

  I cover how the US healthcare system was established, how companies finance healthcare, and the importance of effectively navigating our healthcare system for the wellbeing of ourselves and our employees.

  
  

  Learning Objectives:

  
  

  • Professional Employer Organizations (PEO's
  • Fully-Insured
  • Level-Funding
  • Self-Funding
  • Captive Arrangements
  • Reference Based Pricing
  • Pharmaceutical manufacturers
  • Pharmacy Retailers
  • Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM's)

  
  

  Speaker Bio: 

  Mark McKendrick is an Employee Benefits Advisor with Marsh McLennan Agency.  With a collaborative approach and the ability to simplify complex decisions, Mark helps HR teams and executives gain clarity and confidence within their benefits strategy. Through a blend of industry expertise and engaging communication, he empowers organizations to make informed choices that drive both financial performance and a stronger employee experience.

  Mark serves on the Board of Trustees for Baylor University Medical Center, providing governance, fiduciary oversight, and strategic guidance for one of Texas's leading academic medical centers and healthcare institutions. He also serves on the Talent Task Force for the Dallas Regional Chamber that supports initiatives focused on solving employers’ most pressing talent challenges, including how companies attract, retain, and develop talent.  Lastly, Mark is on the Board of Directors for a non-profit documentary film company called Fotolanthropy, that shares true stories of strength and hope.  Mark lives in Dallas with his wife Caroline and their two young daughters who love unicorns.

  
  

  Recertification Credit

  SHRM Certification has approved this event for 1 PDCs toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. A program code will be provided at the end of the meeting. The program also meets recertification credit standards set by the HR Certification Institute and other HR certifying bodies, but candidates must manually enter their activity into their records.

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• WFHRMA November: Let's Bring the L-Word Back into the Workplace (and No, I Don't Mean Layoffs)

  • When
    10 Nov 2026
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Vernon College, Century City, 4105 Maplewood Dr, Wichita Falls, TX
  • Registered
    Be the first

  Register

  Wichita Falls HR Management Association (WFHRMA)

  Tuesday, November 10th, 2026

  Meeting check-in & lunch service begins at 11:45am

  
  

  Lisa Blanton, MBA, SHRM-SCP

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

   "Let’s Bring the L-Word Back into the Workplace

  (and No, I Don’t Mean Layoffs)"

  
  

  Program Description:  In today’s workplaces, stress is high, trust is fragile, and leaders are expected to sustain engagement while navigating difficult conversations and minimizing risk. Yet one of the most powerful leadership capabilities has quietly disappeared from our professional vocabulary: love. In this interactive 60-minute session, HR professionals will explore how bringing the “L-word” back into the workplace—defined not as romance, but as intentional humanity, curiosity, and care—strengthens engagement and retention while also functioning as a proactive risk management strategy.

  
  

  Drawing from executive leadership experience and personal insight into what it means to feel safe at work, the speaker illustrates how authenticity, language, and presence shape psychological safety. Participants will examine how everyday leadership behaviors influence employee engagement, retention, and employee relations outcomes. Through guided reflection and practical application, attendees will learn how to help leaders shift conversations from judgment to curiosity, reducing people-related risks that contribute to disengagement, turnover, and escalated employee relations.

  
  

  Learning Objectives

  • Identify leadership behaviors that increase or reduce people-related risk impacting engagement, retention, and employee relations.
  • Apply practical tools to shift workplace conversations from judgment to curiosity, strengthening psychological safety and trust.
  • Coach leaders to use intentional language and presence to proactively prevent disengagement, turnover, and escalation of employee relations issues. 

  Speaker Bio: 

  
  

  Lisa Blanton, MBA, SHRM-SCP, is a senior executive leader, speaker, and business advisor with more than 30 years of experience as a COO, CFO, and CHRO across entrepreneurial and multi-site organizations. She specializes in helping HR professionals and leaders reduce people-related risk by strengthening leadership behaviors, communication, and psychological safety. As Founder and CEO of Austin Alliance Group, Lisa currently serves as Texas SHRM Co-Director of Certification. She brings both executive leadership experience and lived insight into workplace safety and authenticity, and will be accompanied by her trained service dog, Chloe, during the session. Lisa is also a Certified Virtual Master Presenter, recognized for delivering highly engaging, interactive virtual experiences that foster connection, learning, and meaningful participation. 
  

  
  

  Recertification Credit

  SHRM Certification has approved this webcast for 1 PDC toward SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP recertification. A program code will be provided at the end of the webcast. The program also meets recertification credit standards set by the HR Certification Institute and other HR certifying bodies, but candidates must manually enter their activity into their records.

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• WFHRMA December: Winter Social

  • When
    08 Dec 2026
  •  
    11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Firefly Bar & Grill 2927 Southwest Pkwy, Wichita Falls, TX 76308

  

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