Welcome to the 2023 UVA HR Dream Summit!

Dream Summit 2023 - the Next Generation HR


The inaugural HR Dream Summit took place on November 15, 2023, and offered a full day of professional development programming, connection, community, and inspiration for the UVA HR team. It brought together keynote speakers who shared their industry expertise. It offered breakout sessions on a wide variety of topics of interest to HR. And it offered additional activities, from a "Zen Corner" for relaxation, a Spin the Wheel game table, coloring, poetry, music, and more!

Dream Summit Themes

Mental Health for HR - mindfulness, growing fulfillment in our career, living into our values, taking care of ourselves

HR and AI - storytelling with data, using big data to analyze HR market trends, continuous change and technology adoption

Recorded Speaker Presentations


John Kosky, VP and CHRO

Listen to John's talk

J.J. Davis, Chief Operating Officer

Listen to J.J.'s talk

Gill Sotu, Poet, Playwright, DJ, Host

Listen to Gill's Opening & Closing Poems

Alex Velez, Storytelling With Data

Listen to Alex's talk

Michelle Leady, HR Trends Report

Listen to Michelle Leady's talk

Michelle Bright, Flipping the Script on Engagement

Listen to Michelle Bright's talk

Tucker Bryant, The Poet's Keys

Listen to Tucker's poetry

DEIB Panel - Kevin McDonald, Shernita Rochelle, Nikki Lamba, Maria Terry

Listen to the DEIB panelists

Keynote Speaker Handouts

Enjoy these keynote speaker PowerPoint decks and additional resources.

Alex Velez, Storytelling With Data

Gill Sotu, Performance Poet, Playwright, DJ, Host

Michelle Bright, Flipping the Script on Engagement: We Are Because You Are

Michelle Leady, McLean & Company


Living in purpose ... hearing the higher frequency of when love speaks. There is purpose in our story, what we absolutely believe in. Gill Sotu, Poet, Playwright, DJ, Host

Breakout Session Presentations and Handouts

Alex Jeter - Continuous Change & Technology Adoption

Anna DeLong, Real Life Mindfulness

Claire Ziegler, Beyond the Now

Jacob Henderson, Reimagining Performance Management

Kate Belliveau, An Introduction to Situational Leadership

Liz Menter, The HR Elevator Pitch: Be an Effective UVA HR Advocate

Liz Menter and Kim Wood, Grow Fulfillment and Well-Being Through Career Development

Mark Tomaszewicz, Leader Role Modeling

Matt Fritts, Hoos Well Mindfulness Resources to Help You Thrive

Nic Miceli and Thomas Freeman, Why Mindfulness Matters

Rose Markey, Living Into Your Values


Music Playlist

If you enjoyed the recorded music throughout the Dream Summit, you can now play the curated playlist of 78 songs totaling 4 1/2 hours on Spotify! 

Enjoy the Dream Summit Music Playlist

HR Pillar Award Q2 and Q3 Winners Honored @ the Dream Summit

HR Pillar Award winners Q2-3 2023

(Pictured left to right: Christopher Birkl, Sarah Patterson, Tonia Duncan-Rivers, Lucy Cummings, Alex Jeter, Brandon Kenty, Maria Terry, Kim Wood, Liz Menter, Abby Hall, John Kosky. Not pictured: Mary Carter, Kate Belliveau, George Minor, Elizabeth Feola)

Other Memorable Quotes

J.J. DavisWe [HR] are the bedrock of the UVA community. The willingness to learn is a choice.

Michelle Bright: We are because you are. Belonging is an essential human need to personally thrive. Fitting in creates individual compromise that cascades into suffering.

DEIB PanelistsBelonging is the key ingredient; inviting people in, really listening to what people need and want. Higher education is the training ground for cultivating a DEIB consciousness in the American workforce.

Anna DeLongOur body is always in the present moment, it is our mind that takes us away. -- A.C. Gaharty. Give the mind a job to bring it into the present with you. 

Abby FeinbergStorytelling is honest, unique, compelling. Find the motivators and demotivators of your audience, then personalize the message to them.

Liz MenterElevator pitches should be 30-60 seconds leaving a memorable first impression that articulates value and worth, generates interest, and set you apart from the competition.

Tucker BryantWhat can we do in our work that we didn't do yesterday? Curiosity - dreams pave the road for new innovations that evolve the needs of the world around us. Expression - what role do you want to play as we move into the future?

Dream Summit Photos

Enjoy this slideshow of photos from the Dream Summit! To download any of them, go to the HR Flickr account.

2023 HR Dream Summit