Directions – Lauren Harbert
One of my goals is to get out there and connect with my peers
Hello LTEN community! I am humbled and honored to work alongside each of you as LTEN’s new executive director, and thanks to all of those who’ve reached out with welcome messages. I am excited by the success that our network has seen over its 50+years and I look forward to providing you with more opportunities to connect and grow as we navigate this next era of life sciences training and education.
My predecessor Dawn Brehm shared a fantastic, brief intro to me in our March issue of LTEN Focus on Training magazine, but if you missed it, I’ll give you three quick facts about me:
- I have two beautiful, sweet, too-smart-for-their-own-good kids (Sophie, 11, and Bodie, 9) and am constantly amazed at what they’re learning each day and what they can teach me.
- I am married to my high school sweetheart, Guy, and am proud of what he does to make the world a better place professionally, and what he does to make us a better family unit.
- I love all sports, volleyball the most – I played competitively for more than 15 years.
I hope we’ll get the chance to meet at a mixer, a certificate program or the LTEN 2023 Annual Conference in Phoenix this June. Let me tell you some of what’s in store this year.
Looking Ahead
One of my personal goals is to get out there and connect with my peers –something I’ve missed over the past several years during the pandemic. LTEN is back – full speed ahead – with many live opportunities to network and learn from one another, and I would challenge you to see how many (new) members you can meet this year.
I had the privilege of diving into my role as executive director by connecting with our LTEN Board of Directors at the annual kickoff meeting. Getting to know our directors was the highlight, but I also enjoyed working on the strategy and direction for 2023 and beyond.
Our theme this year is “Focus Forward,” and I believe you’ll see that play out in our webinars, mixers and live events in 2023. We are committed to providing educational opportunities for all members – whether you’re new to training, you’ve been in the role/industry for a few years or you’re a tenured leader.
We have expanded our webinar offerings, with support from our Preferred Industry Partners and other sponsors, to provide brief bursts of learning for all professional levels. Whether on demand or live, these educational webinars offer case studies, practical skills and tools for unique learning needs, and tips and tricks for making your job easier.
Other Opportunities
We also offer learning and development through our custom eLearning Lounge modules, available for purchase in your member portal. They’re perfect for you if you’re looking to advance in or brush up on a particular skill.
Our Total Trainer Certificate Series provides specially designed workshops for upskilling; one of these classes may be the perfect fit for you as you are looking for ways to strengthen facilitation and coaching or even measuring training ROI. Our next PrimeTime! For Trainers – Core Class will be presented virtually on May 15-22.
Did you know that we have expanded the Learning Executive Forum into a year-long series of events, articles and resources? If you are one of our learning executives
(see full criteria here), I hope you’ll join us virtually on April 25 for our next Learning Executive Series mixer event. Greg Adamson, new president of the LTEN Board of Directors, will lead a panel discussion on “building your bench and developing your successors.”
And finally, I hope you’ll join me at the 52nd LTEN Annual Conference this summer in Phoenix, Ariz., June 12 to 15. I have been amazed at the quality and creativity of the workshop submissions and the awards submissions and can’t wait to share these with you in June!
Our Preferred Industry Partners are working tirelessly to bring you the latest and best innovations in the life sciences industry. We’ve selected three keynote speakers that will inspire and entertain you. Your LTEN staff is endeavoring to make this the best event yet – check it out and register at www.LTENconference.com.
Conclusion
There’s so much more to share, but I’ll save something for next time. Enjoy what we have to offer you in 2023!
I’ll wrap by asking a favor of you: Connect with me and say hello (my email is below). Find me on social media and let’s connect.
And, of course, share your three facts with me. I look forward to us getting to know one another.
Lauren Harbert is executive director of LTEN. Email Lauren at lharbert@L-TEN.org.
