DFW Organization Development Network

Annual Networking/Social Meeting
and “Gold Elephant Book Exchange”

Note: For the first time in a year we are meeting in person! 
(Apologies to our loyal remote followers – we will be back on Zoom in January!)

Meeting Goals:
  – Connect: get to know others better – personally & professionally
  – Learn: share knowledge informally during the book exchange
  – Enjoy: fellowship + creative responses (and humor) of the game

Please bring a gift-wrapped book that is meaningful to you — perhaps a book from your own library to ‘pay it forward’ or one from a second hand bookstore. Don’t spend a lot of money – it’s the thought that counts!

The game will be similar to a traditional white elephant gift exchange — each person in turn will unwrap a book or ‘steal’ one that someone else has already opened. Unlike ‘white elephants’ (which are often useless), the books are ‘gold elephants’ that will contain some unique nuggets of wisdom when opened (or stolen) by the right recipient! Discovering those golden nuggets will be part of the game as people talk about the books they give (and the ones they get)!

Handout/Procedure for the ‘Gold Elephant Book Exchange’

Presenter / Facilitator: Jim Jameson

(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening:
–  6:30  Intros / Networking / Food
–  7:00  Announcements / Program
–  8:45  Closing and evaluation

Meeting Location:  

University of Dallas – SB Hall, Serafy Special Events Room *

    SB Hall:   2925 Gorman Dr,  Irving, TX 75062   
    SB Hall is #34 on the UD Campus Map      [Lat/Long Nav]  

Cost:   Suggested donation $10 for food.

Facilitator BIO:   

Jim Jameson is currently “semi-retired” from his various consulting roles and is exploring new avenues.  His professional mission has been to improve the success rate of technology adoption projects, working mainly in the areas of Business Analysis, Change Management, Collaboration, and Knowledge Management.  He believes that focusing on the people side of technology change is the key to improving ROI on transformational ‘IT solutions’.

Jim earned an MS degree in Information Systems and post-grad certificate in Knowledge Management, both from George Washington University in DC.

Creating Our 2026 Program!  

Hello OD Visionaries and Practitioners!

As we set our sights on crafting 12 exceptional ideas for 2026, we recognize the need to explore a variety of perspectives and suggestions. The more diverse our pool of ideas, the more our final selection will be representative of our community’s needs & interests.

To facilitate this, we’ve set up a Google Form for your advance contributions. Then on Thursday November 13 we’ll be holding a dynamic session on Zoom, where discussions will be animated and collaborative. Additionally, we will use a collaboration platform to serve as the space where these ideas will converge and evolve.

Please join us on November 13th for a session designed to be swift, interactive, and fulfilling. We’ve optimized the process to make your participation smooth and efficient.

Please get Involved:

• Submit your ideas now: Link to Form
• Join the November 13 Zoom discussion — Register Here
• Collaborate and shape the ideas:  [Link to be provided later]

Guiding us through this discovery process is our dedicated ‘Cat-Herding Team’:  Tristan Martinez, Terri Adkisson, Audrey Wyatt, Jim Jameson, Jeff Richardson, and Pete Sorenson.

Are you ready?  Let’s collaboratively craft the blueprint for 2026! 
         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening November 13:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to Join Virtual Meeting will be sent to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:

The usual gang (see past meetings)! 

 From Me to We:  Harnessing   
 Team Diversity in Turbulent Times       

Join DFW OD Network this month for an interactive experience designed to leverage the power of a team’s diversity. Through hands-on activities and dynamic dialogue, you’ll learn practical tools to navigate tension, challenge the status quo, and celebrate diverse perspectives as fuel for creativity and problem-solving.

We will walk away with practical strategies for fostering a culture in which diverse perspectives enhance your team’s adaptability and unity, enabling you to lead effectively and confidently in times of uncertainty.

Why Attend?

• Convert dissatisfaction into constructive conflict for growth
• Work with a tool to navigate tension
• Cultivate a culture that celebrates team diversity and fuels resilience

Let’s engage in conversation where our diverse voices don’t just coexist, they ignite solutions and drive bold progress.  Please join us on October 9 for this very timely discussion!

Speakers:  Audrey Wyatt and Dr. Steven Wolff   {see BIOs below} 

        
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening October 9:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:10  Program Begins  
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to join Virtual Meeting will be sent 2 days before meeting to all who register.

       
Speaker BIOs:
           
Audrey Wyatt is the founder of Leaders and Lifters, LLC, where she partners with leaders to create cultures that foster psychological safety and unlock breakthrough performance. Her mission is to empower teams to tackle unprecedented challenges with collective joy. In addition to coaching teams in small businesses, Audrey helps product and scrum teams foster more collaborative cultures at a global tech company named to the FORTUNE® 100 Best Companies to Work For list. Fueled by her passion for culture transformation, Audrey channels her diverse experiences into building workplaces where people and ideas thrive.

Dr. Steven Wolff is the co-founder and Chief Culture Officer of AgileEI. He has over 20 years of experience researching teams and helping them significantly improve productivity. To meet the challenge of the Digital Age, Dr. Wolff has created a fusion of his Team Emotional Intelligence framework, originally published in Harvard Business Review, with principles from Agile. The combined framework, called Inspired Teams™, not only creates a high-performance, collaborative team but also helps Leadership/Project Teams meet the challenge of execution speed and the need to generate innovative ideas that disrupt the status quo. Dr. Wolff has assisted forward-thinking Leadership Teams around the globe who were ready to move out of their comfort zone, make the fundamental shifts needed for success in the Digital Age, and achieve breakthroughs in performance.

  (Re)Introducing OD:    

Who and/or What Are We?  
        

Organizational Development?  Org Design?  Human-Centered Design?  HCAI??

With nearly every facet of “OD” represented across the DFW OD Network, this session invites us to pause, reflect, and reexamine the roots and future of our field. Together, we’ll challenge traditional norms, explore the values that ground us, and surface the tools and methodologies that shape how we work today.

What We’ll Explore:

• A Rebel’s History of OD
  We’ll kick off with a look at the history of Organizational Development; both its traditional practices and its more rebellious, unconventional moments. What’s the story of OD? And what’s the story of you within it?
• Foundational Values
  Next, we’ll dig into the core values that have long guided OD practitioners, including the influence of socio-technical systems thinking and human-centered design. What do we really stand for and how does that show up in our work?
• Tools for Today
  We’ll close by exploring the evolving toolkit of OD, examining how today’s practices can support transformative impact across different organizations and roles.

Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or newly exploring the field, this session is designed to offer fresh insights, shared wisdom, and practical tools. We hope you leave feeling more connected to this community, more grounded in our shared passions, and more inspired by the rich tapestry that is OD.  Please join us on September 11 for this refreshing discussion!

Speakers:  Carly Riehle and Tristan Martinez   {see BIOs below} 

        
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening September 11:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:10  Program Begins  
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to join Virtual Meeting will be sent 2 days before meeting to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:
           
Carly Riehle is a recent graduate of the Pepperdine University, Gradziadio School of Business program, Master of Science in Organizational Development. She has nearly 20 years of experience as a covert OD consultant having worked inside organizations in multiple industries including for-profit education, shipping, residential construction, and banking.  She is a project manager at heart, who thrives on helping others meet their goals and has been PMP certified since 2014.  Carly currently manages the Strategic Program Management Office for a $5B privately held bank in north Texas.    She is also a steward for the Socio Technical System Roundtable; and is serving as Project Manager for a book to be written by the non-profit organization, CCMV.

In her personal life, Carly is an avid researcher and a passionate collector of the stories that leaders in organizations tell that help or hinder their success.  While her primary roles of wife, mother, church youth leader, friend, manager and employee fill her days, she looks forward earning her Ph.D. in the coming years to satisfy a desire to continue to learn and scientifically test her theories about the impact of stories on personal and organizational effectiveness. For more information: carlyriehle@gmail.com

Tristan Martinez is an Organizational Design Consultant who specializes in Human-Centered Design Thinking and Behavioral Analysis. She holds an undergraduate degree in Organizational Development from the University of North Texas and has earned multiple certifications, including Project Management Professional and Prosci Change Practitioner.

Throughout her time in the military, Tristan focused on developing the leadership capabilities of individuals and fostering a culture of transformational leadership that has influenced today’s Naval leaders. As a lifelong learner, Tristan believes the more she learns, the more she realizes how much there is to know. She has a true dedication for helping organizations achieve meaningful change that is beneficial for their most valuable assets – the people.

 DEI Has Left the Building.  
  What’s Next?   

Join us for a dynamic and thought-provoking conversation tracing the trajectory of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) movement—from its roots decades ago to its pivotal reawakening in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd. We’ll explore how corporations responded with bold commitments and where the journey now leads: toward fostering inclusion, belonging, and employee engagement across all levels of the workplace.

This conversation will unpack the perspectives of senior leadership, middle management, and frontline employees. We’ll examine what this shift means for Organizational Development (OD) professionals, who are now challenged to help companies innovate by reimagining talent strategies and systems—while centering collaboration across departments.

True innovation begins with embracing overlooked perspectives and underutilized resources. This is the next chapter in the DEI journey—where empathy meets enterprise strategy and belonging drives business outcomes.

OD Professionals, HR leaders, Executives, and Changemakers — don’t miss this chance to be part of a vital conversation shaping the future of inclusive work.   Please join us on August 14!

Speaker:  Sabrina Townsend   {see BIO below} 

        
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening August 14:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:10  Program Begins  
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to join Virtual Meeting will be sent 2 days before meeting to all who register.

Speaker BIO:
           
Sabrina Townsend is a seasoned leader with extensive expertise in talent management, diversity and inclusion (DEI), innovation, and organizational transformation. With a career spanning over two decades, she has built a reputation for empowering high-performance teams, fostering inclusive work environments, and driving sustainable growth through strategic planning and leadership development. Known for her collaborative leadership style, Sabrina excels at aligning business objectives with workforce planning and organizational development to deliver impactful, measurable results.

Sabrina holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Temple University, an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from the University of San Francisco, and a B.A. in Psychology from Clark Atlanta University. She is certified as a Lean for Healthcare Yellow Belt, a Cultural Competency Trainer, and a Certified Diversity Executive.

 People Need People
Weaving Communities      

“Who can I be when I’m with you? Who can you be when you’re with me?” – Nora Bateson

Join us for People Need People Weaving Communities – a Warm Data gathering online rooted in the creation of Nora Bateson. Through stories, a question, and shared conversations, we wander through the deeper patterns that shape our lives and relationships.

This experience has been called a “kaleidoscope of conversations”—where insight flickers, laughter surprises, and connections spark in unexpected ways. We will explore a question as we move between layered contexts—family, ecology, culture, education, and new possibilities will emerge between us. ​​

There is nothing to prepare, no notes to take, and no “right way” to be. Your presence is enough. We will use English as the shared language in conversation.

People Need People Weaving Communities is a co-created experience that emerges in the beginning, comes alive, and then dissolves at the end. It will not be recorded.

Want to join us? Feel free to invite another or three. We hope to see and hear you on July 10!

Facilitators:  Wendy Moomaw and the Warm Data Host team  {see BIOs below} 

        
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening July 10:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:05  Program Begins Promptly  (earlier than usual)  
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to join Virtual Meeting will be sent 2 days before meeting to all who register.

Facilitator BIOs – The Warm Data Host Team:
           
Wendy Moomaw is a healing-centered catalyst who weaves care, connection, and possibilities into reimagining futures. She is rooted in her knowing that growing leadership with intention requires composting and unlearning – cultural, societal, structural, and ancestral patterns to make room for life to flourish. Unearthing her ancestral work, she brings a deep compassion and care to East Asian women leaders looking to expand their potential. Wendy co-creates reimagining workshops that help organizations create space and move toward the futures they long for. With an open, grounded presence, Wendy invites intergenerational wisdom, diverse perspectives, and lived experiences to shape what’s possible. Her last offering with D/FW OD was the simulation When Cultures Meet.  consciouscollaboratory.com

Yvan Greenberg helps individuals and organizations navigate complexity through storytelling, ecological thinking, and orientation to the sacred. As a diviner, spiritual companion, coach, and artist, his work as a Warm Data host builds on his exploration of consciousness and perception.  yvangreenberg.com

Shay Nichols is a recording artist, therapeutic voice coach, and founder of the Wild and Sacred Voice School where she offers voice workshops and private therapeutic voice sessions. Passionate about collaborative leadership, she creates and participates in collective practices that tap into the power of synergy and the collective imagination. Deeply inspired by the wisdom of nature, she is currently working on nature inspired vocal soundscapes infused by time spent in the fertile ecosystems of Louisiana for the upcoming album Lullabies for the Earth.  shaynichols.com

Mark Skelding   Like all of us, Mark’s first encounters with the world were entirely formed of Warm Data. Ever since, despite his own and societal efforts to corral, constrain, coerce or conform this ever-changing flux of inviting context into a consistent structure of concrete meaning, he has often been surprised: the world seems adept at gently stepping around such endeavours. Individually and collectively, at every level – like that scene in The Matrix – on the flickering screen: “knock-knock”. Every sunset is different. He’s a therapist, social organiser, writer and dog walker. He lives on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada and doesn’t usually write about himself in the third person.  psychosynthesisselfandworld.ca

 Spirituality & Business Integration
for Organization Development 

A key component of spiritual fulfillment for many people is connecting to a sense of purpose or meaning in life.

We spend many hours of our lives at work. Helping workers / clients to promote ways to connect with their sense of purpose in work and in life can be an important role for OD leaders.

We will discuss some of the ways OD consultants can invite people to reflect on their inner values, beliefs, and sense of purpose – – the deep underpinnings that give them a sense of meaning.

We will also explore together some of the incidental and intentional strategies to engage people in understanding more fully their deep spiritual beliefs.

Please join us on June 12 as we explore ways to encourage leaders in organizations to take actions that help employees connect their personal values with the organization’s mission and priorities!                      

Speakers:  Janette Helm and Susan K. Younger    {see BIOs below}
         
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening June 12:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to join Virtual Meeting will be sent 2 days before meeting to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:

Janette Helm, MA, is an OD Consultant, RN, Certified Wellness Practitioner, and Certified Health Education Specialist. She is recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

She is an Adjunct Faculty member in the School of Executive Education at Indiana University, Indianapolis, facilitating leadership development workshops for healthcare executives and non-profit organizations. She draws on her experience in health care Organizational Development, Education, and Mission leadership roles, as well as her volunteer work in multiple organizations.

Janette’s top strength in the Clifton “StrengthFinders” assessment is “Connectedness,” followed closely by “Learner.”

Susan K. Younger, Relationship Architect.    Blending life experience and leadership skills from architecture, retail management, and consulting.

Using B.A.N.K.® methodology since 2015 she has integrated personality science, utilizing Codebreaker Technologies’ AI tools since 2019.

Empowering businesses and individuals to navigate challenges and thrive with her expertise bridging differences, unlocking perspectives, improving communications, and creating lasting relationships.

Susan is currently launching How To Be a Whomanitarian™ as a framework to address who we are, interacting respectfully daily with others. (Website)

Belong First, Bounce Forward:  
The Secret to Productivity Most Leaders Overlook      

KPIs are great—until your team starts performing for the numbers and not for the mission.

If you’ve ever wondered why your most intelligent people shut down during change, here’s the reason: they feel unsafe and do not lack skills.

In this candid and refreshing session, international speaker and leadership challenges strategist Srijata Bhatnagar explains why belonging—not pressure—fuels real productivity, especially when setbacks strike (and let’s be honest, they always do).

Expect to learn:

• Why belonging is your team’s secret productivity hack—and how to build it
• How to spot hidden signs of disengagement before performance dips
• What resilient leaders do differently when everything hits the fan
• Simple shifts to create a speak-up, mess-up, bounce-back culture
• And how to systematically build safety and belonging for high productivity

Don’t miss this if you’re an OD professional, people leader, or culture nerd ready to ditch checkbox leadership and build real human-centered performance.

Come curious; leave equipped with tools and maybe even share a laugh!
                    

Speaker:  Srijata Bhatnagar    {see BIO below} 

        
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening May 8:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to join Virtual Meeting will be sent 2 days before meeting to all who register.

Speaker BIO:

Srijata Bhatnagar is a Leadership Challenges Strategist, international keynote speaker, advisor, and the author of two books—Setback Leadership and SOAR. She collaborates with C-suite leaders and organizations to turn setbacks into leadership superpowers.

Through her signature Setback SOP framework, she helps leaders transition from “Why me?” to “Wow, it’s me!” — with clarity, confidence, and a touch of laughter.

She has inspired over 50,000 leaders in more than 11 countries — and once transformed a career-threatening failure into a standing ovation. Ask her how!

Where OD Meets AI:  
Creating Systems That Enhance Human Potential  

Will AI Actually Solve Your Problems? (Spoiler: Not if your culture and processes are already struggling!)

Somewhere between DIY prompt crafting and billion-dollar AI platforms lies a practical sweet spot for organizations like yours. But the real question is:

How can Human-AI collaboration become truly Effective, not just Efficient?

Join us to discover:

• What human-centered AI implementation actually looks like in practice
• The 6 Grand Challenges of building AI systems that enhance human potential
• The 3 or 4 or 5 irreplaceable human capabilities that AI can’t replicate
• Why you might need to understand Agentic AI and AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) (and what these even mean !?)

By the way, there is much to be revealed about both the positive and negative impacts of AI on our work and our world— and these impacts are unfolding at exponential speed! Buckle up Fellow Travelers!!

Please join our DFW OD Network meeting on April 10th as Terri A G Adkisson and Peter Jay Sorenson guide us through an interactive exploration of Human-Centered AI that actually works for your organization and its people.
                    

Speakers:  Terri Adkisson and Pete Sorenson   {see BIOs below} 

        
(Please join our LinkedIn Group if you haven’t yet done so, and comment on the discussions.)

Schedule for Thursday Evening April 10:  (CT)    
   –  6:45  Virtual setup and Networking
   –  7:00  Announcements / Intros  
   –  7:15  Program Begins Promptly    
   –  8:45  Closing and Wrap Up
   –  9:00  Program Ends

Zoom Link to join Virtual Meeting will be sent 2 days before meeting to all who register.

Speaker BIOs:

As an external Chief Clarity Officer and problem solver for CEOs and boards, Terri Adkisson cuts through confusion in companies. With 30 years of experience, she spots opportunities others miss and turns complex problems into clear plans. Terri helps businesses see what’s holding them back and shows them how to move forward.

Terri’s current expertise in AI focuses on how small and mid-sized organizations can strategically deploy AI for outcomes that are more effective, less risky, and more profitable.

Based in Dallas, Texas, she holds an BBA in MIS, an MBA from UT Austin, and is a co-author of two books on virtual facilitation. Terri has worked with organizations in over 20 industries.

Pete Sorenson is an organization design and organization development consultant. In the last decade he has worked on issues around how knowledge work and the advent of new technology, including artificial intelligence, is making organizations messy.

Of late, he is working on how Human Centered Artificial Intelligence (HCAI) is influencing or will be influencing teams, organizations, ecosystems, societies, and empires. Pete is curious and puzzled about what is going on in the world and strives to keep a learning mindset.

Pete has a Bachelor’s Degree in the Interdisciplinary Behavioral Sciences from the University of Washington and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Behavior from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University.