2025 AFPM Training Forum

• Track: Training Techniques "The Practicals" - The Phoenix Framework: Reigniting In-Person Training for a New Era
-- Carolina Denkler and Magali Verrengia, Third Term Learning
What constitutes a successful training session? It is built upon three foundational pillars: a skilled trainer, robust content, and dynamic methodology. Together, these elements fuel meaningful knowledge acquisition and engagement. In our session, we will explore how these three key elements interconnect to revitalize instructor-led training, helping you to harness the strength of the phoenix and create transformative learning experiences. Join us as we ignite the flames of effective training and inspire a new generation of instructors to rise and flourish in their roles.

• Track: AI Track - Boosting Training Efficiency with AI: Simple Tools, Real Results
-- Brian Troquille, San Jacinto College - Central: Center for Petrochemical Energy & Technology
As the process industries evolve, so must our approach to workforce training. This session introduces AI as a practical tool—not a futuristic concept—for helping training professionals create content faster, simplify complex concepts, and build engaging materials like quizzes, job aids, and safety briefings. Attendees will see live AI prompt demos using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Microsoft Copilot and leave with ready-to-use examples they can implement immediately—no tech background required.

• Track: Leaders/Leadership - Authentic Leadership: The Art of Building Unshakable Trust
-- Tommy Nipp, HASC
Everyone knows trust is important. However, many fail at building that trust. They may feel that it comes with the authority of the position. Some will even say they have trust, and yet struggle to speak or capture attention of all levels of their organization. True authentic trust is built brick by brick and when finished is an unshakable foundation. So it ties in with "Telling Ain't Trainin" as it's more than just words.

• Track: Training Techniques "The Practicals" - The Art of Asking: A Trainer’s Guide to Powerful Questions in the Classroom
-- Regina Cooper, Marathon Petroleum Corporation
Unlock the potential of your training sessions with "The Art of Asking: A Trainer’s Guide to Powerful Questions in the Classroom." This engaging and interactive session is designed for those who are looking to elevate their training techniques through the strategic and effective use of questions. Join us to discover effective facilitation techniques to garner and manage responses, handle diverse viewpoints, and maintain a dynamic classroom atmosphere. We will conclude with a Q&A session to address specific challenges and share insights on implementing these techniques in your own training sessions.

• Track: AI Track - Productivity, Accelerated: How AI is Revolutionizing Personal and Work Management
-- Timothy Chappell, ExxonMobil
AI assistants are no longer just tech novelties; they are fundamental tools for personal and professional growth. By learning to leverage them effectively and ethically, you can accelerate your learning, boost your productivity, and strategically advance your career in a rapidly changing world.

• Track: Leaders/Leadership - Utilizing HOP Principles During The Incident Investigation Process
-- Rick Pitman, Total Safety
This interactive presentation will demonstrate how HOP principles can be applied in real world situations. Using case studies with video evidence this session will show how using HOP principles will lead to sustainable solutions. After leaving this session, attendees will have an easy to follow five step process for maximizing fact gathering during incident investigations.

• Track: Training Techniques "The Practicals" - From Overload to Engagement: Reaffirming Adult Learning Practices
-- Jordee Reimer, Flint Hills Resources
How do I incorporate adult learning best practices to close knowledge gaps and design relevant learning opportunities
How do I use better questioning to evaluate training needs and identify essential and supplemental Learning objectives
How do I create effective methods of assessment and reassessment to build learning capability

• Track: AI Track - Is AI an A+ for Training?
-- Maureen Brody, Becht
The presentation discusses areas in which the human eye, human engagement, and human interaction with instructors will always be necessary and will allow for training to be more effective and relevant to trainees. While this presentation discusses a certain level of skepticism of AI in training, it will also point to areas in which AI can help advance training efforts and how it can be used as an effective tool to enable trainers to track and adapt to data in real time. Finally, the presentation discusses how to build an AI model to support trainers that follows instructional best practices and provides support that is practical, easily implemented, and correct.

• Track: Leaders/Leadership - Human Performance: The importance of getting to know the work
-- Antonio Amador, Chevron Phillips Chemical
By adopting a HP perspective, organizations can create a more supportive and safer work environment that acknowledges human limitations and leverages them to build stronger, more resilient systems.

• Track: Training Techniques "The Practicals" - Training Maintenance Skills Through Hands-On Experiences
-- Evan Inobden and Steven Kidwell, Marathon Petroleum Corporation
1.How to build a business case for a hands-on training program
2. How to build a strategy to better engage learners and drive retention
3. Practical tips on application of hands-on training at your company

• Track: AI Track - Responsible use of AI
-- Caroline Denkler & Magali Verrengia, Third Term Learning
Is AI fit for training creation and curation? Learn how to bring content to life, how to identify key AI tools to enhance development, how to mitigate risks related to the use of AI-powered tools, and how these tools have been used responsibly in real-world projects.

• Track: Leaders/Leadership - Authentic Leadership: The Art of Building Unshakable Trust (REPEAT)
-- Tommy Nipp, HASC
Everyone knows trust is important. However, many fail at building that trust. They may feel that it comes with the authority of the position. Some will even say they have trust, and yet struggle to speak or capture attention of all levels of their organization. True authentic trust is built brick by brick and when finished is an unshakable foundation. So it ties in with "Telling Ain't Trainin" as it's more than just words.

• Track: Training Techniques "The Practicals" – Basic Training: ‘How To’s’
-- Cheryl Gonzalez, Cheniere
10-hut! Get ready for Basic Training - an interactive session getting back to the basics of learning and knowledge enhancement. Experience a refreshing approach to objective creation, instructor techniques and other 'How To's' to help maximize effective training!

• Track: AI Track - No Session

• Track: Leaders/Leadership- Blending Excellence: Combining Foundations and Nominations to Keep Your Leadership Development On Spec
-- Meredith E. Lewis
At Phillips 66 we have completely shifted our leadership development strategy since 2022 and this presentation walks the audience through our lessons learned, what we would do differently, and what is working for us while translating those lessons for their own companies.

-Each moderator will make Day 2 morning announcements

• Track: Training Techniques "The Practicals" - Engagement by Design: The Three Keys to Lasting Learning
-- Tommy Nip, HASC
This topic is a critical stepping stone for any trainer developing courses that want lasting outcomes. Engagement starts in the Design phase. It's not build it and then make it interesting. As facilitators we must lead the audience to understand the concepts in a memorable way.

• Track: AI Track - (REPEAT) Productivity, Accelerated: How AI is Revolutionizing Personal and Work Management
-- Timothy Chappell, ExxonMobil
AI assistants are no longer just tech novelties; they are fundamental tools for personal and professional growth. By learning to leverage them effectively and ethically, you can accelerate your learning, boost your productivity, and strategically advance your career in a rapidly changing world.

• Track: Leaders/Leadership - Enhancing Leadership Through HOP: Coaching & Feedback on Error Precursors
-- Alaryn Callihoo, BrandSafway
Strong safety performance starts with strong leadership, and that means knowing how to identify and respond to the conditions that make errors more likely. This session explores how leaders can use the principles of Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) to recognize and coach around error precursors in craft work environments. Participants will learn to define HOP and the most common error-precursors seen in the field. We’ll break down real-world examples to uncover the underlying contributing factors and explore how small, proactive coaching conversations can prevent those conditions from escalating into incidents.

• Track: Training Techniques "The Practicals" - Facilitation: How to Ensure Your Training Impacts Performance
-- Robert Cocheu, CVR
Facilitation is the key to making training truly be performance orientated and it is what really separates true training from just teaching. The ability to hold well designed facilitations is what truly can increase the performance level of our employees. In this session learners will discover techniques they can use to engage participants and how to move from a "death by PowerPoint" lecture method to a true facilitation that engages the learners and can increase their performance on the job.

• Track: AI Track - Is AI an A+ for Training? (REPEAT)
-- Maureen Brody, Becht
The presentation discusses areas in which the human eye, human engagement, and human interaction with instructors will always be necessary and will allow for training to be more effective and relevant to trainees. While this presentation discusses a certain level of skepticism of AI in training, it will also point to areas in which AI can help advance training efforts and how it can be used as an effective tool to enable trainers to track and adapt to data in real time. Finally, the presentation discusses how to build an AI model to support trainers that follows instructional best practices and provides support that is practical, easily implemented, and correct.

• Track: Leaders/Leadership – Let It Go: The Art of Delegation
-- Amy Abdallah
Join this interactive session to learn and experience ways to thoughtfully and intentionally develop those you lead through delegation.

- Each moderator will make TF25 event wrap up announcements (pad 5-10 min)

• Track: Training Techniques "The Practicals" - Bye Bye Boring
-- Rick Maranto, Phillips 66
Tired of training sessions that feel more like nap time than learning time? Say goodbye to boring and hello to bold! In this energizing session, Rico Maranto, a learning and development professional with over 30 years’ experience, will show you how to break free from the traditional teach-activity-evaluate rut and transform your learning environments into dynamic, brain-friendly experiences that make learning stick!
Grounded in the science of how adults learn best, this session will explore how to design engaging, activity-based learning that sparks curiosity, energizes the learners, deepens understanding, and boosts retention. You’ll walk away with practical, ready-to-use methods that you can implement immediately—no overhaul required.
Whether you're a new trainer learning the craft or a seasoned facilitator hoping to breathe new life into your sessions, this is your invitation to reimagine learning so you can say, “Bye bye boring!”
Upon completion of this session, you will be able to:
Reorder the traditional learning model to optimize learning.
Shift thinking from “What do I say?” to “What can they do?”
Resolve to never teach a list!
Apply brain science to make learning stick!

• Track: AI Track - AI for Training (WIP title)
-- Brent Railey, CPChem
As is obvious to everyone, AI is all the buzz and the hype these days. This brings both excitement at the possibilities and frustration with the hype and overselling of current capabilities. In this session, Brent Railey will distill what’s hype and what’s reality, discuss present capability (and limitations) from future vision, and outline how to evaluate possible vendors for AI capability in the domains of training, learning, and development.

• Track: Leaders/Leadership – Human Performance: The importance of getting to know the work. (REPEAT)
-- Antonio Amador, Chevron Phillips Chemical
By adopting a HP perspective, organizations can create a more supportive and safer work environment that acknowledges human limitations and leverages them to build stronger, more resilient systems.