Human Resources

GEAPS Exchange 2025: Your People Are Awesome—From Potential to Powerhouse: The Talent Transformation

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Speakers: Christie Mohlke, Beth Neal, Kristen Ireland, Jeff Schrock

Session Description

Join us for this panel discussion, where we’ll dive into proven strategies to take control of your team’s performance. Discover how to turn raw potential into real technical results, fostering a culture that drives effective outcomes. Get ready to transform capable individuals into a high-performing team that delivers (and how to manage the ones who don’t respond)!

Meet The Speakers

Christie Mohlke

Vice President of People

Todd & Sargent

Christie Mohlke is the vice president of people at Todd & Sargent, where she spearheads human resources functions that include culture, recruitment, training and organizational development. With a focus on building strong, trusting relationships, Mohlke collaborates across teams to enhance teamwork and drive organizational excellence. Drawing from more than a decade of experience, she champions the power of honest, direct coaching, empowering leaders to take ownership of their relationships and influence team performance through effective motivation, communication and accountability. She is dedicated to designing training experiences that address real business issues, ensuring that learning translates into tangible results. Mohlke earned a B.B.A. in marketing from Austin Peay State University and an MBA from Cumberland University.

Beth Neal

Human Resources Director

AGI

Beth Neal is a human resources director with a practical and comprehensive understanding of the relationship between corporations and their personnel needs. Highly skilled in driving strategic initiatives, which achieving company-wide implementation. Neal has built high-performing teams that delivered optimal results and aligned with organization objectives. She can communicate effectively with employees at all levels of the corporate structure by relying on excellent interpersonal skills, outstanding customer service and solid expertise in human resources management.
When not making the business world a better place to work, Neal makes time enjoying all her favorite things, which includes spending time with her husband, her tree girls and her many friends. Neal finds joy by sprinkling kindness everywhere she goes and living intently in the present.

Kristen Ireland

Co-Founder

People Spark Consulting

Kristen Ireland co-founded People Spark Consulting with business partner, Erin Mies, in 2018. People Spark is a business and human resources consulting company that works with small to mid-size businesses in the ag industry to achieve their goals through their HR strategies.
Ireland has more than 20 years of experience consulting and coaching executives, leaders and managers in human resources and leadership development. She is certified as a Change Practitioner through PROSCI. In addition to her work experience, she earned both a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. Kristen lives in Minnesota.

Jeff Schrock

CEO/Partner

VAA LLC

As the CEO of VAA since 2014 with civil engineering licenses in multiple states, Jeff leads the company’s strategic direction and has been instrumental in the firm’s growth. He brings energy, motivation, and an analytical approach to his technical responsibilities as well as a personable nature to fostering business and mentoring employees. Jeff is intentional about building trust within VAA teams to provide thoughtful, comprehensive service to VAA clients. He has been a driving force behind many employee-based initiatives including the mentorship program and personal career development with an emphasis on technical growth as a long-term growth strategy for VAA.