HR Members Conference

To learn more about each speaker, please click here.

Top Legal Trends in Employment Law | Ruth Horvatich

• Employment laws continue to evolve at a rapid pace, creating new challenges and opportunities for employers and HR teams. This session will highlight key legal trends impacting the workplace and provide practical insights to help HR professionals stay informed, manage risk, and navigate today’s changing employment law landscape.

Paying Public Power Employees Competitively | Ashley Thomalla & Tammie Krumm

• Public power utilities must compete for skilled talent while balancing public accountability and fiscal responsibility. Explore practical approaches to keeping public power compensation competitive through market data, compensation studies, and strategic pay practices. Gain insights on how utilities can strengthen recruitment, improve retention, and align compensation strategies to support a sustainable and resilient workforce.
  

Benefits Best Practices for MRES Members | Dan LaRock

• In this session, Dan will present topics all HR teams should be considering within their benefits plans. He will focus on population management, education, alternative funding options, pharmacy optimization and more.

Powering the Pipeline: Connecting to Tomorrow's Workforce | Sara Vander Zanden

• The occupations under the most pressure, the retirement wave closing in, and the gaps still unaddressed — the data shows where energy needs people most, and where to find them. We'll walk through the tools built for that work: CEWD's new Career Explorer and 50+ career pathway one-pagers; outreach materials tuned for veterans, women, and Gen Z; and the EIF 2.0 curriculum, used by employers nationwide for onboarding and by training partners to build work-ready candidates. Leave with the resources to start closing your biggest workforce gaps.

Health and Welfare Benefits Under Pressure: Legal Developments, Litigation Risks and Practical Strategies | Ben Conley

• Health and welfare benefits continue to face rapid legal change, increased regulatory scrutiny, and evolving litigation risk. This session will examine key developments affecting municipal benefit programs, including litigation involving wellness programs and tobacco surcharges, evolving federal and state requirements, and emerging risks associated with plan administration and vendor oversight. Attendees will receive practical guidance for identifying compliance concerns, strengthening benefits governance, and reducing litigation and enforcement exposure.

8:00 a.m.
Welcome

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Top Legal Trends in Employment Law – Ruth Horvatich (McGrath)

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
Paying Public Power Employees Competitively – Ashley Thomalla (HUB) & Tammie Krumm (MRES)

10:30 - 10:45 a.m. – Break

10:45 - 11:45 a.m.
Benefits Best Practices for MRES Members – Dan LaRock (HUB)

11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. – Lunch

12:45 - 1:45 p.m.
Powering the Pipeline: Connecting to Tomorrow’s Workforce – Sara Vander Zanden (CEWD)

1:45 - 2:45 p.m.
Health and Welfare Benefits Under Pressure: Legal Developments, Litigation Risks and Practical Strategies – Ben Conley (Seyfarth)

2:45 - 3:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks – Tammie Krumm (MRES)

Lodging is not included in the fee. MRES has arranged group rate lodging at the Holiday Inn Express, right next to the MRES office:

Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Book Now!
3821 W Avera Dr
Sioux Falls, SD 57108
Phone: 605-338-8585

Rates are $110 for a standard queen or king room. Taxes and fees are additional.

Please contact us at info@mrenergy.com or call 605-338-4042 with questions.