PMI Madison PDD 2025
About the Speakers
PDD 2025 Keynote Speaker
Vince Mirabelli
Principal Research Director
Info-Tech Research Group
With a background in Strategic Business Analysis and Organizational Development, Vincent is every organization’s “secret agent” for saving time, money, energy and people.
Named a top 10 thought leader on Culture, Change, and Business Management by Thinkers360. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP®), and Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®).
Through keynote speaking & customized workshops, Vincent empowers leaders and organizations to develop cultures of high performance and continuous improvement while working with clients across diverse industries and sectors.
Vincent believes “that’s the way it’s always been done” are the seven deadliest words in business today. As an agent of change, Vincent seeks to help audiences understand the “why” behind the problem and then initiate action to enact change as required.
Guaranteed to be entertaining, humorous and transformational, Vincent teaches us that to succeed in business today, we must take an authentic and empathetic approach, creating organizational processes and cultures where everyone feels seen, heard and valued like a true part of the team.
Vincent believes everyone wants to feel like they are having an impact and making a difference just not at the expense of their happiness. He shows us that the organizations who truly understand this, are the ones that will stand out from the crowd and last for years to come; no matter the challenges and setbacks they encounter; there is a better way!
Hans Eckman
Principal Research Director - Application Delivery and Management
Info-Tech Research Group
Hans Eckman has proven that you can turn mild ADD, OCD, dyslexia, and other personality disorders into a successful career. He shares his life simplification tips at conferences throughout the United States and Canada, as well as on his website.
You may remember Hans from exciting presentations like "Harry Potter and the Presentation of Leadership Secrets", “How the zombie apocalypse can help you survive your IT projects”, and Building Emotional Fitness. He currently serves as a Research Fellow with Info-Tech Research Group, proudly serving over 40,000 IT professionals.
Leslie Halvorson
Director, Corporate Program Management
Exact Sciences
Leslie Halvorson is the Director of Corporate Program Management for Exact Sciences and a seasoned leader with over two decades of project and program management experience across the technology, healthcare, aerospace, and manufacturing industries. In 2000, she began her project career as a project coordinator on MindAlign, a pioneering enterprise group chat platform, where she gained valuable exposure to agile development and startup dynamics. After that experience, Leslie returned to school to pursue a path in mechanical engineering and structured problem-solving.
After working as a design and project engineer, Leslie discovered a strong affinity for delivery and cross-functional collaboration—reigniting her passion for program leadership. Since then, she has worked across private companies, startups, and large public enterprises, continuously learning from and enhancing a variety of PMO models. She focuses on adapting and creating new ways of working that align with each organization’s size, culture, and strategic goals.
Jacy Imilkowski
Resilience & Communication Coach
Jacy Imilkowski, Speaking & Coaching
Jacy Imilkowski is a certified project manager, mental fitness coach, laughter leader, and a certifiable communication nerd with over 20 years’ experience coaching, training, and leading teams.
In their 20s Jacy lost a dream career to a disabling back injury and had to start a new career while going through years of rehab and recovery. Using story and humor Jacy shares the tools and skills they learned to be more resilient, overcome stress, and be a better leader (and human) when times are tough.
You can find Jacy’s TEDx talk, “What’s Your Rhubarb Pie: How Trauma Impacts Choice” on YouTube. When not training Jacy is a nonprofit HR director by day, and is usually reading, cooking, or practicing being a good human being by night. They love their dog, and probably loves your dogs too.
Lori Klinka
Communications Specialist, Speaker, Trainer, Speaking Coach
Lori Klinka has used her skills as a speaker, project manager, trainer, speaking coach, educator, producer and actress to bring an entertaining and informative style to her presentations and workshops.
As a project manager for 15 years Lori produced over 800 presentations for trade shows for major corporations internationally. Lori has presented at the PMI North American Leadership Institute Meeting, as well as PDD’s and chapters in person and virtually in Wisconsin, Utah, Michigan, Illinois, California, Texas, and the AT&T and Promega PM group.
Lori has been a member of the National Speaker’s Association for 22 years. She is a premier speaking coach and interview coach, helping clients in person and virtually. Lori has worked with Fortune 100 companies, corporations, not-for profits, associations, as well as doing individual coaching.
She lives with her husband Ken who is a professional comedian. When they are not traveling, they do laugh a lot!
Trent Leopold
Trent Leopold is an active, professional Sr. Business Analyst with more than 25 years’ experience in the private and public sectors. His experience includes serving in various governance roles in both private and public sectors including serving as an advisor to three U.S. Presidents, a U.S Vice-President and two Texas Governors. Trent is an active member of the "IIBA" and "PMI," serving to establish global Business Analysis standards and presenting internationally. He is an awarded “IEEE” officer, involved with creating international professional standards most recently pertaining to AI governance. Leopold is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from "Who's Who." He is a longitudinal research participant with a major U.S. University in an international study exploring human brain function pertaining to strategic thinking. Trent’s education includes a MSc. in Managerial Science, various certifications and an FAA pilot license.
Robert Snyder
Founder and President
Innovation Elegance, LLC
Robert Snyder is the founder and president of Innovation Elegance, LLC. His thirty-year career spans roles such as developer, project management, change management, sales enablement, and the performing arts. His career path includes corporate roles, consulting roles, startups, PMP, and Agile certifications. He has performed in numerous vocal, dance, and theater ensembles. Robert earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois and his MBA in Strategy from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Lisa Talbot
Founder
True North PM Solutions
Lisa Talbot, PMP, is a seasoned project leader and founder of True North PM Solutions, with nearly two decades of experience in project management, business analysis, and process improvement. She has led initiatives across industries including insurance, agriculture, and fiber optics, with a track record of success at Fortune 500 companies such as Walmart, Bayer, and American Family Insurance. Lisa brings practical insights on collaboration, role clarity, and how aligned execution between project managers, stakeholders, development teams, and business analysts leads to smarter, more sustainable outcomes.
Rachel Yarger
Sr. Director, Program Management Office
Exact Sciences
Rachel Yarger, PMP, MBA, is a project management leader with nearly two decades of experience across defense contracting, diagnostics, and biotech product development. With a background in mechanical engineering, she began her career managing defense projects before transitioning to FDA-regulated diagnostic and biotech programs. Rachel has built and led PMOs, implemented governance structures, and guided cross-functional teams through complex, novel product development. She brings practical insights and strategic solutions to help organizations foster alignment, execution, and resilience. Passionate about mentorship and professional growth, Rachel actively supports the next generation of project managers through mentorship and her work as a PMI Madison/South Central WI Chapter volunteer and as an Authorized Training Partner (ATP) instructor helping professionals prepare for the PMP® certification.