Agenda 2021

Example agenda from our last conference

Transforming the Electric Utility Supply Chain

The Road Ahead

Agenda for USMA 2020 Educational Conference

Much of the 2020 Agenda is now in place. However, to make sure the content is up-to-date, we will continue to add new information.

The conference fee includes:

Welcome Celebration on Sunday (5:30-6:30 PM)
Dinner Event on Monday Evening
Continental Breakfasts on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday
General Sessions on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday (8:00 AM start)
Concurrent Sessions on Monday & Tuesday
Supplier Networking Reception on Tuesday at 4:15 pm PM
Attendee Luncheons on Monday & Tuesday

Click on the boxes below to display session details

Sunday, May 17, 2020

6:30 am - Depart for Frank Bennett Memorial Golf Tournament

Sunday, May 17, 2020 – Golf Tournament Pre Registration is Required. Separate fee applies “The Frank Bennett Challenge” – USMA’s annual charity golf tournament to benefit the ALS Foundation in memory of past board member, Frank Bennett. 6:30 am – bus departs from the J.W. Marriott, Nashville 7:30 am – Shotgun Start Noon or following play – Lunch and awards presentation Need to rent clubs? Contact Phil@meetingtrack.com before May 13, 2018 (special right or left handed). 7:00 am Light Breakfast at the course 8:00 am Shotgun Start Lunch to follow play at the Golf Course Proper golf club attire and shoes required.

6:45 AM - The Two Bridges 5K

“The Two Bridges 5K” – the 4th edition of USMA’s run/walk to benefit the Susan Komen Foundation. Starts and ends at the J.W. Marriott, Nashville 6:45 am – check-in 7:00 am - start Prior registration is required. No fee. Contact Phil@meetingtrack.com for more information or to register. USMA will donate to the Susan Komen Foundation charity for each registered person finishing the 5K that morning. This is an informal run and will not be supported by rest stops or medical personnel.

8:30 am – Yoga (Spouse/Guest Program)

1:00 pm - USMA Registration Desk Opens

5:00 pm - First Timers Happy Hour

5:30 pm – 6:30 pm - Happy Hour Welcome Celebration

Monday, May 20, 2020

7:30 am - Breakfast

A light breakfast buffet will be served at 7:30 am for all registered USMA conference delegates. Spouses/guests are not included in this part of the program. Name badge Required. The breakfast buffet will include the traditional breakfast foods. If you have food allergies and did not include them in your registration record, please contact us with the information we need to give to the hotel. Email Phil@MeetingForceLLC.com

8:00 - 9:30 am - Welcome to the 25th USMA – Opening Session

9:30 - 10:00 am - Break

10:00 - 11:45 am - General Session Resumes

Geopolitical Strategies for Global Supply Chain Security

Washington D.C.-based geopolitical strategist John Sitilides will deliver a dynamic presentation focused on U.S. management of real-time global disruption and geopolitical risk concerns, challenging the traditional analyst and media consensus on the world’s most powerful political leaders in Mexico, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, the basis for their decision-making, and the long-term political and economic ambitions that ultimately shape the international security agenda. His presentation - using a visually-compelling slide deck of maps, graphs and world leader portraits - will detail the most disruptive flashpoints on the world stage that generate the most significant business risk issues facing the supply chain industry, including the centrality of ensuring navigational freedom to global trade and the safe passage of natural resources, finished goods and energy resources worldwide. These include:

China’s ambitious strategy to manage Asia’s commerce and dominate Pacific and Indian Ocean shipping lanes, potentially destabilizing the Japanese, South Korean and Taiwanese economies;
Proxy wars in the Middle East between Saudi Arabia and Iran that directly threaten global energy supplies at three of world’s most critical strategic chokepoints;
European long-term political disarray that threatens the cohesion of the European Union and its status as a global economic power and major trading partner of the United States.

Mexico-U.S. trade status and the prospects for expansion or contraction against the uncertainty of the proposed three-way tra

12:00 pm - Networking Lunch

1:00 - 2:15 pm Breakout Sessions – Round 1 - Click to show schedule

1:00 – 2:15 pm
Title Best in Class Commercial Contract Language Cyber Security for Utilities Tariffs, Commodity MMarkets and M&A Trends Hydro Pump Back Electric Vehicle Takeover – Are you ready?
Speaker Markley Ward Joel Austin, SVP & Chief Digital officer, Oncor Amrit Naresh and Kelsey Coffman, PowerAdvocate Julie Elliott, SRP Tim Hartmann, Electrify America
Session ID MBOA1 MBOA2 MBOA3 MBOA4 MB0A5
Location Symphony A Symphony B Symphony C Symphony D Symphony E
WP Data Tables

1:00 – 2:15 pm
Title	Best in Class Commercial Contract Language	Cyber Security for Utilities	Tariffs, Commodity MMarkets and M&A Trends	Hydro Pump Back	Electric Vehicle Takeover – Are you ready?
Speaker	Markley Ward	Joel Austin, SVP & Chief Digital officer, Oncor	Amrit Naresh and Kelsey Coffman, PowerAdvocate	Julie Elliott, SRP	Tim Hartmann, Electrify America
Session ID	MBOA1	MBOA2	MBOA3	MBOA4	MB0A5
Location	Symphony A	Symphony B	Symphony C	Symphony D	Symphony E

2:30 - 3:45 pm Breakout Sessions – Round 2 - Click to show schedule

2:30 – 3:45 pm
Title AI/RPA/Tech Supply Innovation- Going beyond standard supply methods EPC Contracting Third Party Risk Management: What does success look like? Energy Storage Procurement Methods & Contract Structure
Speaker Kelli Heinzerling, Oncor Panel: John Riley, VP Marketplace Automation, HPS;Scott Rowles, Regional Sales Manager, Marmon Utility; R.J. Darling, National Sales Manager, GE Lighting Panel: Greg Gibbs, Managing Director, Transmission Projects, AEP; Paul Conry, VP, Kiewit; Igor Lubisco, TAPP Inc.; Alan Morris, Kiewit, Moderator Linda Tuck Chapman, Risk Management Panel: Reid Strain, P.E., Kiewit Power
Session ID MBOB1 MBOB2 MBOB3 MBOB4 MB0B5
Location Symphony A Symphony B Symphony C Symphony D Symphony E
WP Data Tables

2:30 – 3:45 pm
Title	AI/RPA/Tech	Supply Innovation- Going beyond standard supply methods	EPC Contracting	Third Party Risk Management: What does success look like?	Energy Storage Procurement Methods & Contract Structure
Speaker	Kelli Heinzerling, Oncor	Panel: John Riley, VP Marketplace Automation, HPS;Scott Rowles, Regional Sales Manager, Marmon Utility; R.J. Darling, National Sales Manager, GE Lighting	Panel: Greg Gibbs, Managing Director, Transmission Projects, AEP; Paul Conry, VP, Kiewit; Igor Lubisco, TAPP Inc.; Alan Morris, Kiewit, Moderator	Linda Tuck Chapman, Risk Management	Panel: Reid Strain, P.E., Kiewit Power
Session ID	MBOB1	MBOB2	MBOB3	MBOB4	MB0B5
Location	Symphony A	Symphony B	Symphony C	Symphony D	Symphony E

4:00 - 5:15 pm Breakout Sessions – Round 3 - Click to show schedule

4:00 – 5:15 pm
Title O&M Reduction Strategies Vendor Scorecard Unique Approach to Challenges in Line Construction Third Party Risk Management: Driving Enterprise Value Peer to Peer (Utility Executives Only)
Speaker Conrad Snover, ProcureAbility Jim Colligan TBA Linda Tuck Chapman Bryan Fox, Evergy; Steve Williams, Southern Company; Joel Lynch,National Grid
Session ID MBOC1 MBOC2 MBOC3 MBOC4 MBOC5
Location Symphony A Symphony B Symphony C Symphony D Symphony E
WP Data Tables

4:00 – 5:15 pm
Title	O&M Reduction Strategies	Vendor Scorecard	Unique Approach to Challenges in Line Construction	Third Party Risk Management: Driving Enterprise Value	Peer to Peer (Utility Executives Only)
Speaker	Conrad Snover, ProcureAbility	Jim Colligan	TBA	Linda Tuck Chapman	Bryan Fox, Evergy; Steve Williams, Southern Company; Joel Lynch,National Grid
Session ID	MBOC1	MBOC2	MBOC3	MBOC4	MBOC5
Location	Symphony A	Symphony B	Symphony C	Symphony D	Symphony E

6:00 pm Monday Night event (formerly known as the Tuesday Night Event)

Tuesday, May 21, 2020

7:30 am - Breakfast

8:00 am - General Session

10:30 - 11:45 am - Breakout Sessions - Click to show schedule

10:30 – 11:45 am
Title Supplier Diversity 5G – Panel Category Mgmt Craft Labor – Supply vs. Demand Vegetation Management
Speaker Vernice K. Lewis, Senior Manager, Diverse Business Empowerment, Exelon Stephen Szymanski, SVP Prysmian Steve Sebastopoli, Consolidated Edison Jay Shawver, Director of Sourcing, Duke Energy TBA
Session ID TBOA1 TBOA2 TBOA3 TBOA4 TB0A5
Location Symphony A Symphony B Symphony D Symphony D Symphony E
WP Data Tables

10:30 – 11:45 am
Title	Supplier Diversity	5G – Panel	Category Mgmt	Craft Labor – Supply vs. Demand	Vegetation Management
Speaker	Vernice K. Lewis, Senior Manager, Diverse Business Empowerment, Exelon	Stephen Szymanski, SVP Prysmian	Steve Sebastopoli, Consolidated Edison	Jay Shawver, Director of Sourcing, Duke Energy	TBA
Session ID	TBOA1	TBOA2	TBOA3	TBOA4	TB0A5
Location	Symphony A	Symphony B	Symphony D	Symphony D	Symphony E

12:00 pm - Lunch with entertainment

1:15 – 2:30 pm – Town Hall Session: Creating Highly Collaborative Relationships

Share your experiences and bring your questions about developing business relationships to this special session hosted by Kate Vitasek.

Creating Highly Collaborative Relationships

Kate Vitasek, Author, educator and architect of the Vested business Kate Vitasek is an international authority for her award-winning research and Vested® business model for highly collaborative relationships. She is a Faculty member at the University of Tennessee and has been lauded by World Trade Magazine as one of the “Fabulous 50+1” most influential people impacting global commerce. Kate’s practical and research-based advice ignited a movement on how companies work together and five books, including Vested Outsourcing: Five Rules That Will Transform Outsourcing; Vested: How P&G, McDonald’s and Microsoft Are Redefining Winning in Business Relationships; Getting to We: Negotiating Agreements for Highly Collaborative Relationships and The Vested Way: How a “What’s in it for We” Mindset Revolutionizes Business Relationships Passionate in her quest to help companies transform their business relationships, Kate inspires and motivates companies around the world through teaching, speaking and workshops on Vested’s five proven “rules” for achieving transformational results.

2:45 – 4:00 pm – Town Hall Session: Inspired Leadership and Practical Management

Town Hall Session – A Leadership Q&A session where you may submit questions anonymously.

Inspired Leadership and Practical Management

Margaret Morford, Author, Speaker and CEO of the HR Edge Inc. Margaret Morford has proven her expertise as a workplace expert through her best-selling books, national seminars and television interviews. Her insight offers an edge over other workers and managers in the areas of workplace communication and the critical role human factors will play in the future. She has practical and real world experience as a manager, as the VP of Human Resources at several companies, and as a lawyer with a JD Degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Law. She has a perspective few people have and an ability to help people not just prepare for, but thrive, in the future.

4:15 pm - Joint Supplier Speed Networking Reception

6:15 pm - End of Conference Day 2

Wednesday, May 22, 2020

7:30 am - Breakfast

8:00 am - Negotiation Workshop

Negotiation – the Swiss-Army Knife of Relationship Management

Alison Fragale, Professor, Speaker and Consultant Negotiation – the process through which two or more people “give and take” in a relationship – is an unavoidable part of work and life, and thus negotiation skills are an essential part of any professional’s toolkit. This is particularly true for supply chain professionals who need to manage – and thus negotiate with – many stakeholders: from customers and vendors, to bosses and peers. In this session, Alison discusses what the best (and worst) negotiators do, and the top strategies that enable successful leaders to solve everyday challenges, both big and small, through negotiation. Drawing on her expertise in psychology and organizational behavior research, Alison presents negotiation science from multiple domains, including real estate, professional athletics, law, and corporate boardrooms. Combining this research with stories from current events and politics, and interjecting humor, Alison delivers practical, actionable advice that will help supply chain leaders achieve their goals. Alison Fragale is the Mary Farley Ames Lee Fellow and Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School. An award-winning teacher, Alison has served more than fifteen years as a speaker, instructor, and consultant on leadership, psychology and negotiation for executives in numerous organizations. Her clients include ExxonMobil, Eastman Chemical, AvalonBay, Water & Wastewater Industry Leadership Academy, Navy Federal Credit Union, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Her instruction on the psychology of power and leadership is part of the required general officer curriculum in both the U.S. Army and Air Force. Alison received her B.A. in Mathematics and Economics, magna cum laude, from Dartmouth College, where she recently concluded a nine-year term on the Board of Visitors of the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences. She also holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Alison worked as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company, Inc.

10:15 am - End of Conference

Notice of Right to Cancel – The USMA has the right to cancel this event in the unforeseen situation that the USMA Conference could not be held due to the occurrence of any circumstance beyond its control – such as acts of God, war, government regulations, disaster, strikes, civil disorder, curtailment of transportation facilities or a widespread health or safety emergency. If the event were to be cancelled notice would be sent to all registered participants and noted on the USMA website. USMA would not be responsible for any penalties for canceling travel or conference related arrangements.

Example agenda from our last conference

Transforming the Electric Utility Supply Chain

The Road Ahead

Agenda for USMA 2020 Educational Conference

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Monday, May 20, 2020

Special Surprise Keynote Speaker

Featured speakers:

Geopolitical Strategies for Global Supply Chain Security

Tuesday, May 21, 2020

We have something special in store for you.

Share your experiences and bring your questions about developing business relationships to this special session hosted by Kate Vitasek.

Creating Highly Collaborative Relationships

Town Hall Session – A Leadership Q&A session where you may submit questions anonymously.

Inspired Leadership and Practical Management

Wednesday, May 22, 2020

Negotiation – the Swiss-Army Knife of Relationship Management