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Smoky Mountain American Society for Training and Development

Professional Development

Using the resources of ASTD National and ASTD chapters in our region, our Smoky Mountain ASTD chapter provides many opportunities for your professional development as a workforce learning and performance professional. These include:

  • ASTD Certificate Programs
    Certificate Programs provide you with the level of knowledge and recognition that you need to perform on the job and succeed professionally. Click here for a comprehensive listing of our certificate and workshop programs to focus your professional development


  • Training Media Review: An Excellent Professional Development Resource
    Have you ever wondered whether there was a web site that gave you reviews of the plethora of workforce learning and performance books, videos, software development applications, and seminars (reviews done by your peers in the industry rather than those who "think they know")? Well look no further, check out the site for Training Media Review. My friend, Bill Ellet, has come up with a terrific concept and trust me, it's well worth having hands-on reviews of all of these items at your fingertips!

  • Get on Board with the Smoky Mountain ASTD (and you may win a scholarship to ALC 2008)
    The Smoky Mountain Chapter, Knoxville is now offering scholarships for those who want to become part of our chapter’s succession planning for 2009. No, we’re not sending you to college. But we will be offering four scholarships to the 2008 ASTD Leadership Conference in Arlington, VA on October 31 – November 1. The ASTD Leaders Conference (ALC) gathers leaders from ASTD’s 136 chapters to network and learn best practices for running their chapters. It is an opportunity to network with chapter leaders and ASTD staff, to grow the profession, and to learn what it takes to be a more successful chapter leader. Click here to learn more.

  • The North Alabama ASTD Chapter Presents: Showcase 2008
    Adele Lynn, nationally recognized speaker and trainer on emotional intelligence, will be the featured speaker. Other consultants (training vendors) will showcase their programs by providing excerpts from training programs so that attendees can see what the programs are like and how the consultants conducts training. These consultant presentations will not be "sales pitchs" for training programs, but rather samples of training programs so that buyers of training services have (a) an opportunity to evaluate the quality and content of the training program and (b) receive some good, but abbreviated training. In addition to Adele Lynn, attendees will be able to choose to attend four sessions from among the following topics or presenters:
    Management Responsibility in Training, Jeff Berk of KnowledgeAdvisors, Chicago, IL
    Behavior Change: Getting from Adjectives and Attitudes to Action, Cathy Urquhart of Perform Health, Birmingham, AL
    Training the Green Way, Ina Stone of Ina Stone & Associates
    Disney Leadership Styles, Pete Blank of ATLAS (Alabama Training, Leadership, and Strategy), Birmingham, AL

    ...and many more! Click here to learn more about the not-to-miss event!

  • September Membership Luncheon: No Fear! Ask an Expert, Presented by The Smoky Mountain ASTD Leadership Team
    With this membership luncheon, every non-traditional and traditional student in HRD or Instructional Technology has the opportunity to reach out and touch an expert in the field. Yes, we are inviting faculty and students to attend a once-in-a-lifetime (well, it could become an annual) event in which grizzled veterans in the workforce learning and performance field will explain what they look for in a new hire, how they broke into the industry, how to avoid common pitfalls your first year on the job, AND MUCH MORE! And if this doesn't meet your every need as a student with high aspirations, we will also have an open Q & A session where you can approach and ask these experts any question you would like.