CUPA-HR Southern California Chapter Spring Event
“HR for HR: The Value of HR”
May 9, 2025 | 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. PT | University of California, San Diego
The CUPA-HR SoCal Chapter board is pleased to announce that our spring event is going to be held in person! The event will be held at the University of California, San Diego, in the Great Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 9. Plans are starting to come together, and registration will open soon.
Registration is FREE. Parking Fee is not included.
Keynote speaker: Kurt Dorschel
Building Bridges: Strengthening HR and Finance Partnerships highlights the importance of collaboration between HR and finance in higher education institutions. The presentation focuses on building trust through logic, empathy, and authenticity (the “trust triangle” framework). Through an interactive discussion, we will review practical strategies to cultivate trust, including developing financial acumen, understanding business drivers, and fostering transparency. We’ll also highlight key institutional activities, such as workforce planning, compensation strategy, and benefits management, as critical opportunities for partnership. The presentation concludes with an implementation framework for building sustainable collaboration and an opportunity to discuss concrete strategies as a group.
Bio: Kurt is a Principal in Huron’s Education and Research Practice. He has worked in the higher education sector for 24 years as both an administrator and consultant. His work has spanned every major function in higher education. As a co-leader of our Organization and Talent Strategy team, he focuses on organizational effectiveness, including operating model design and workforce strategy. Kurt works with a broad range of higher education institutions to advance their core functions through organizational design, management practices, performance measurement, and leadership/culture.
Kurt has presented on the future of work and the employment value proposition at NACUBO, was a featured speaker at Tambellini’s Future of Work summit on the intersection of AI and talent management, and has facilitated panel discussions at CUPA-HR related to technology and the future of HR
Plenary Speaker: Bailey Graves
Bailey will be sharing some of the most relevant topics coming out of Washington, DC from Washington, DC! Bailey and the rest of the CUPA-HR National Government Relations team are located in Washington, DC in order to stay on top of the latest executive orders, bills and proposed actions impacting CUPA-HR members across the nation and in order to be best positioned to advocate on behalf of all members. Bailey will be joining the SoCal Chapter live virtually in order to give us any up to the minute updates.
Bio: Bailey Graves is a member of CUPA-HR's government relations team. She has worked with CUPA-HR on federal policy issues for over five years and provides routine updates for members on relevant policy changes via conference presentations, webinars, and written communications.
Plenary Speaker: Julie Chobdee
Maximizing Impact with Minimal Resources: Employee Health & Well-being Strategies
Employers are increasingly investing in employee health and well-being to create a health-promoting workplace with positive outcomes for both employees and the organization. Investing in wellness programs can be done with limited resources. This session will explore cost-effective strategies for developing impactful wellness programs and provide actionable insights for HR professionals to integrate employee well-being into organizational practices.
Bio: Julie Chobdee, MPH, is the Associate Director of the Health & Well-being Program with the USC WorkWell Center. She leads the development of USC Healthy Campus, collaborating with campus partners to develop strategies to improve health and well-being.
