This year’s Minnesota Career Conference was a unique event that fit right in with our themed title ‘Human Connection: Thriving Through Change.’
The half-day morning format was in consideration of our national organization, NCDA, hosting their global conference at the Minneapolis Hilton this summer. Due to campus construction projects, our event was held in a different location within Normandale Community College (NCC) but we rolled with the changes and hosted a well-attended and engaging conference.
We were welcomed to NCC’s campus by Telly Mamayek, VP of Advancement, Marketing & Communication, who spoke of our shared history and future visions of career development collaborations leading to economic prosperity for our region.
Next, Dr. Tammison Smith, President of MCDA, kicked off our event with a rousing welcome to new attendees and NCC’s GCDF students, expressed gratitude to our current MCDA members, and gave appreciation to our conference volunteers and planning committee members. She also thanked our event sponsors, Majorly, MyCareerCloset, and Stepping Stone, for their support.
Dr. Smith then presided over our annual meeting by giving an overview of our new member-approved bylaws, financial outlook, and plans for future organizational sustainability. She also spoke about our strong member engagement and the need for volunteers and meet-up hosts for the summer NCDA conference, as well as leadership opportunities through chairing a committee or becoming a board member.
Our first speaker was Anna Anderson, PMI-PMP, founder of Women in Project Management and creator of a ProjectPilot client model. Her presentation Helping Career Changers Translate Experience into New Careers – An Ethical, AI-Supported Framework for Career Practitioners was an interactive session showcasing a 4-step framework (uncover, translate, position, and prepare) to assist clients and students move through their identity lock, translation gaps, and language barriers to ensure a successful job search. Anna also expertly shared ethical AI practices and resources to enhance our learning and understanding.
The MCDA awards were presented by Dr. Tammison Smith. Congratulations to Brandon Beaulieu, winner of the Marty Dockman award, Denise Pranke, recipient of the Irene Rossman award, and Shelley Jensen Decker, winner of the Jules Kerlan award.
Our MCDA Board Treasurer and career architect, Tom Colosimo, presented a ‘Networking for Success’ session where he reminded us of the importance of this necessary, life-long practice and suggested ways to deepen and broaden our relationships for mutual benefits. We even practiced our networking on the spot!
Our closing speaker, Dr. Aja King, Ed.D., LPCC, an organizational wellbeing strategist, counseling psychologist and founder of Brave Defiance Consulting, presented a dynamic session, When the Job Search Hurts: Addressing Emotional Barriers to Career Progress and Performance. Dr. King captivated us with a grounding session, breath work techniques, and strategies to help keep ourselves centered and healthy in order to help others.
We received wonderful feedback and helpful suggestions from our attendees to consider for future events. Thank you for bringing your energy, being engaged, and supporting our member-driven organization!
Gina Ganno Schmidt, Board Secretary & 2026 Minnesota Careers Conference Planning Co-Chair
