Conference
2025 Keynote & Breakout Sessions
Monday, September 29
Robert Green
Morning Keynote Speaker
Corrections: Where We Are and Insights for the Future
This keynote session offers a broad perspective on the current state of corrections, highlighting both the challenges and opportunities facing the field today.
It will explore essential strategies and considerations for navigating a rapidly changing landscape.
Attendees will gain insights to help guide thoughtful, effective responses to evolving demands of the profession.
Robert L. Green is the 8th Secretary and Executive Director of the American Correctional Association. He served six months as the ACA Executive Director Designee before being named Executive Director. He began his correctional career with the Frederick Sheriff's Office in 1985, ultimately achieving the rank of Major, Corrections Director. In 2000, he was selected for a senior position with the Montgomery County Department of Correction and Rehabilitation, one of the 50 largest jail systems in the country, where he also served as the Director of that department. In 2019, Governor Larry J. Hogan selected him to become the 12th Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services for the State of Maryland. He is a graduate of Shepherd University, West Virginia.
Breakout Session #1
10:00am - 11:30am
Please click on the TITLE for a description of the session
Room: Crown/Bond
Jared Hoy, Secretary, WI Dept of Corrections
This session will serve as a town hall forum for attendees with the DOC Secretary Jared Hoy.
Room: Linden/Rosewood
Lynn Cook, Children’s Justice Act Program and Policy Analyst, WI Department of Justice, Office of Crime Victim Services
Gerise LaSpisa, District Attorney, Green Lake County
From the moment a child sexual abuse case is reported, virtually every behavior of the child related to the abuse, becomes questioned and used as a barometer of the truthfulness of the child’s account of events. What if we could better understand the behavior of each child by looking more closely at the behaviors of the perpetrator? What if we could come to understand how each and every choice the child made was a REACTION caused by the perpetrator. Information about the process commonly called “grooming” can reframe the way our communities view children and teens who report sexual abuse. With a strong understanding of each phase of perpetrator manipulation, the behaviors of children experiencing sexual abuse make sense.
Room: Ebony/Briarwood
Robert Green, Executive Director, American Correctional Association
Leadership presence is crucial in fostering trust,credibility, and influence within a team. It goes beyond mere visibility; it encompasses the ability to communicateeffectively, engage authentically, and connect emotionally with others. Leaders who possess a strong presence inspireconfidence and encourage open dialogue, which enhances team morale and collaboration. In high-stakes environments,such as corrections, a leader's presence can significantly impact decision-making, conflict resolution, and overallorganizational culture. By cultivating a commanding yet approachable presence, leaders can create a supportiveatmosphere that motivates their teams, fosters unity, and drives performance towards shared goals.
Room: Lawrence
Craig Hoffer, Investigator, Neenah PD
Samantha Hoffer
Investigator Craig Hoffer was an Assistant Team Leader on the SWAT team, in 2015, when a hostage situation took place at Eagle Nation Cycles (the clubhouse for the Fox Valley Chapter of the Hell's Lovers Motorcycle Gang). During a hostage rescue attempt, Investigator Hoffer was shotin the helmet. A short time later, a subject emerged from the building with a gun in his hand and was shot and killed by Investigator Hoffer and another officer. This session will cover an overview of the incident, the aftermath, how Investigator Hoffer and his wife, Samantha Hoffer, have dealt with their trauma, and how they overcame a multitude of other issues as a couple and a family.
Breakout Session #2
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Please click on the TITLE for a description of the session
Room: Crown/Bond
Mariana Rodriguez, Director of UMOS Latina Resource Center
Morelia Blanco Rincon, Lead Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate
This session will provide an in-depth overview of human trafficking of unaccompanied minors. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of vulnerabilities faced by foreign minors who become victims of trafficking, including the factors that make them more susceptible to exploitation. Attendees will also learn about the legal frameworks, local response efforts and support services available to assist victims. Through case studies and real life examples, participants will leave the session better equipped to recognize and respond to the trafficking of foreign and unaccompanied minors in their communities.
Room: Ebony/Briarwood
Thomas Bajek, Trust Funds Specialist
This session provides an overview of Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) benefits, focusing on what members can expect while actively working and as they approach retirement. Attendees will learn about contributions, benefit calculations, and options available at retirement to help plan for a secure financial future.
Room: Lawrence
Craig Hoffer, Investigator, Neenah PD
Samantha Hoffer
Investigator Craig Hoffer was an Assistant Team Leader on the SWAT team, in 2015, when a hostage situation took place at Eagle Nation Cycles (the clubhouse for the Fox Valley Chapter of the Hell's Lovers Motorcycle Gang). During a hostage rescue attempt, Investigator Hoffer was shotin the helmet. A short time later, a subject emerged from the building with a gun in his hand and was shot and killed by Investigator Hoffer and another officer. This session will cover an overview of the incident, the aftermath, how Investigator Hoffer and his wife, Samantha Hoffer, have dealt with their trauma, and how they overcame a multitude of other issues as a couple and a family.
Room: Oaktag/Parchment
Dan Maki, Senior Probation & Parole Agent, WI DOC
This session will cover Outlaw Motorcycle Gangsthat we see not only in Wisconsin, but also the Midwest and Nationwide. We will cover their signs, symbolism, criminalistic behavior, etc.
Room: Linden/Rosewood
Lynn Cook, Children’s Justice Act Program and Policy Analyst, WI Department of Justice, Office of Crime Victim Services
Gerise LaSpisa, District Attorney, Green Lake County
From the moment a child sexual abuse case is reported, virtually every behavior of the child related to the abuse, becomes questioned and used as a barometer of the truthfulness of the child’s account of events. What if we could better understand the behavior of each child by looking more closely at the behaviors of the perpetrator? What if we could come to understand how each and every choice the child made was a REACTION caused by the perpetrator. Information about the process commonly called “grooming” can reframe the way our communities view children and teens who report sexual abuse. With a strong understanding of each phase of perpetrator manipulation, the behaviors of children experiencing sexual abuse make sense.
Breakout Session #3
1:30pm - 5:00pm
Please click on the TITLE for a description of the session
Room: Crown/Bond
Mariana Rodriguez, Director of UMOS Latina Resource Center
Morelia Blanco Rincon, Lead Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate
This session will provide an in-depth overview of human trafficking of unaccompanied minors. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of vulnerabilities faced by foreign minors who become victims of trafficking, including the factors that make them more susceptible to exploitation. Attendees will also learn about the legal frameworks, local response efforts and support services available to assist victims. Through case studies and real life examples, participants will leave the session better equipped to recognize and respond to the trafficking of foreign and unaccompanied minors in their communities.
Room: Ebony/Briarwood
Thomas Bajek, Trust Funds Specialist
This session provides an overview of Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) benefits, focusing on what members can expect while actively working and as they approach retirement. Attendees will learn about contributions, benefit calculations, and options available at retirement to help plan for a secure financial future.
Room: Lawrence
TBD
Room: Oaktag/Parchment
Dan Maki, Senior Probation & Parole Agent, WI DOC
This session will cover Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs that we see not only in Wisconsin, but also the Midwest and Nationwide. We will cover their signs, symbolism, criminalistic behavior, etc.
Room: Linden/RosewoodLynn Cook, Children’s Justice Act Program and Policy Analyst, WI Department of Justice, Office of Crime Victim ServicesGerise LaSpisa, District Attorney, Green Lake CountyFrom the moment a child sexual abuse case is reported, virtually every behavior of the child related to the abuse, becomes questioned and used as a barometer of the truthfulness of the child’s account of events. What if we could better understand the behavior of each child by looking more closely at the behaviors of the perpetrator? What if we could come to understand how each and every choice the child made was a REACTION caused by the perpetrator. Information about the process commonly called “grooming” can reframe the way our communities view children and teens who report sexual abuse. With a strong understanding of each phase of perpetrator manipulation, the behaviors of children experiencing sexual abuse make sense.
Tuesday, September 30
Steve Bench
Tuesday Keynote Speaker
Attracting Tomorrow's Talent with Today's Leaders
This keynote session focuses on talent attraction and workforce retention by building understanding of who we are, how we were raised, and how each generation views “work” as a part of their identity.
Learn talent attraction and retention strategies to overcome generational differences and attract Millennial and Gen Z employees and keep them from leaving!
Steve Bench is a nationally recognized keynote speaker who delivers presentations and training sessions that offer engagement strategies for attracting and retaining Millennial and Gen Z employees, empowering Gen X management, capturing Boomer wisdom and cultivating future leadership by leveraging the strengths of each generation.
Steve founded Generational Consulting in 2017 to help companies and organizations better understand generational differences and has since shared his message with audiences across the country, earning the nickname “The Millennial Guy." Steve has developed a reputation for delivering high energy, engaging presentations that provide actionable strategies and meaningful results.
Steve is also the Creator of "The Pitch!," a visionary 501c3 educational non-profit that is best described as a Shark Tank-style business contest for teens. By nurturing young minds and cultivating their entrepreneurial spirit, "The Pitch!" empowers the leaders of tomorrow to thrive in an ever-evolving business landscape.
Breakout Session #4
10:30am - 12:00pm
Please click on the TITLE for a description of the session
Room: Crown/Bond
Steve Bench, Generational Consulting, Founder
This session will inspire your audience with a refreshing perspective on how to mentor the next generation of workforce talent by showing Gen Z through authentic experiences how they can get a piece of their adult identity through their career. Learn specific techniques to be an genuine leader, find common ground, build trust and loyalty, and improve accountability and commitment.
Room: Ebony/Briarwood
Glenda Loomans, WIDOC- IMT Leader
Tom Campbell, WIDOC- IMT CO-Lead
Nikki Schwebke, IMT CO-Coordinator
Renee Henke, IMT CO-Trainer
In 2003 and 2004 directives were signed by the US President and WI Governor establishing NIMS as the system to manage domestic incidents and incidents in WI. WI DOC Executive Directive #73 established NIMS as the standard for incidentmanagement for the Department of Corrections. DOC executive Directive #81 followed which established a DOC Incident Management Team.
Since then, the Department of Corrections has created and trained an Incident Management Team. This team is a comprehensive resource maybe utilized throughout the DOC to assist and augment ongoing operations during an incident. Our 40+ multi-disciplinary, multi-divisional team can be deployed in full or part, to respond to an incident orplanned event. DOC IMT will provide consistency in the application of ICS/NIMS. This team has been deployed to assist at Joint ERU events, multiple activations to assist during the COVID 19 pandemic, planned events and annual disturbanceplans evaluations a crossed several divisions within DOC.
Learn more about what the WI DOC Incident Management Team provides during an incident, our training and experience, and most importantly how the team can support you andyour site.
Room: Lawrence
TBD
Room: Oaktag/Parchment
TBD
Room: Linden/Rosewood
Rebecca Green Blanks
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