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VACE 2026 Conference Schedule
(PDF of Schedule)
**Events Subject to Updates**
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
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Time
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Location
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Event
|
| 11:00 am |
Pre-Conference Area |
Registration Opens |
| 11:00 am - 12:30 pm |
Blue Ridge |
VACE Board Meeting |
| 11:30- am - 1:00 pm |
Salon C |
Newcomer's Lunch |
| 1:30 pm - 2:45 pm |
Blackfriars Playhouse
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Shakespeare & Leadership: Tools for Communication and Collaboration
Welcome
American Shakespeare Center – Just Next Door!
|
| 2:45 pm - 3:00 pm |
|
Travel time to Hotel 24 South |
| 3:00 pm - 3:50 pm |
Salons A, B, C
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Breakout #1
- Salon A: Building Bridges: Mentorship in Action. Presenter: Carolyn Sutphin (SCHEV)
- Salon B: Strategic Management of Employer Relations Using an Algorithmic Informed Tiered Structure. Presenter: Natalie Slone (VMI)
- Salon C: Career Across the Curriculum: Building Faculty Capacity and Community. Presenters: Jeanne Mekolichick, Paige Tan and Rajas Patil, Radford University.
|
| 4:00 pm |
Hotel Lobby |
Hotel Check-In
Check into your room and relax for a while before the President's Employer Networking Reception and Awards Banquet |
| 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm |
Colonnade Room |
President's Employer Networking Reception
Enjoy networking with your colleagues and take the opportunity to tell local employers how great VACE is! Dress: Business/Business Casual |
| 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm |
Ballroom |
VACE Awards Banquet
Enjoy a delicious dinner followed by our VACE Awards Ceremony
Dress: Business/Business Casual |
| 8:45 pm - 11:00 pm |
Second Floor Parlor |
Hospitality Suite
Relax and join us on the balcony for social time!
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Thursday, April 23
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Time
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Location
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Event
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| 6:30 am - 9:00 am |
Breakfast Gallery |
Breakfast
Enjoy Hotel 24 South's famous breakfast buffet at your leisure. A great time to share a table with your VACE friends. |
| 7:00 am |
Gypsy Hill Park Fun Run |
Enjoy the beautiful outdoors with your fellow VACE walkers and runners. (Optional) |
| 9:00 am - 4:00 pm |
Pre-Conference Area |
Registration Open |
| 9:00 am - 9:50 am |
Ballroom |
Business Meeting
Committee Sign-Ups |
| 9:50 am - 9:55 am |
Ballroom |
Door Prize Drawing |
| 10:00 am - 11:15 am |
Ballroom |
Fireside Chat with Keynote Speakers
Nicole Hall, NACE Chair-Elect and Christian Garcia, NACE Mackes Leadership Award and NACE Mentor of the Year |
| 11:15 am - 12 noon |
Ballroom |
Employer Panel
Discussion with VACE and Local Employer Members |
| 12 noon - 12:50 pm |
Ballroom |
Lunch
Enjoy a delicious buffet while networking with friends and colleagues |
| 12:50 pm - 1:00 pm |
Ballroom |
Door Prize Drawing
|
| 1:00 pm - 1:50 pm |
Salons A, B, C
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Breakout #2 (3 concurrent sessions)
- Salon A: Expanding Pathways, Expanding Possibilities: Transforming Work-Based Learning Experiences in Higher Education. Carolyn Sutphin and Lauren Jackson (V-TOP)
- Salon B: The Supervisor's Toolkit for Creating Career Ready Students. Sam Squyars (JMU)
- Salon C: Lost in Translation: Making Liberal Arts Learning Employer-Ready. Meghan Jester (VT)
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| 2:00 pm - 2:50 pm |
Salons A, B, C
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Breakout #3 (3 concurrent sessions)
- Salon A: Building a Career Ecosystem: The Future of Career Development in Higher Education, Julia Lapan and Heather Palmer (UVA)
- Salon B: Beyond the Degree: Work-Based Learning for Liberal Arts Success. Claire Denny (JMU)
- Salon C: Coaching Students in the Age of AI. Brendan Harris (VMI)
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| 3:00 pm |
|
Afternoon Off and Dinner on Your Own
A great time to network while enjoying Staunton, the Queen City! |
| 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm |
Second Floor Parlor |
Hospitality Suite |
Friday, April 24
|
Time
|
Location
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Event
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| 6:30 am - 9:00 am |
Breakfast Gallery |
Breakfast
Enjoy Hotel 24 South's famous breakfast buffet at your leisure. A great time to share a table with your VACE friends |
| 9:00 am - 9:50 am |
Salons A, B, C
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Breakout #4 (3 concurrent sessions)
- Salon A: Mandatory Career Prep Classes - The Why and How-To. Kristin Stephens, (Christendom College)
- Salon B: Career Services as a Catalyst for the Campus: How to Leverage Career Services to be a Driver for Enrollment, Retention, Student Engagement and Alumni Relations. Matthew Frederick and Christine Arias (Emory & Henry)
- Salon C: Advancing Internships at Scale: A Statewide Partnership Approach in Virginia. Presenters: Alisha Bazemore (V-TOP) and Debbie Melvin (VEDP)
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| 9:55 am |
Ballroom |
Door Prize Drawing |
| 10:00 am - 10:50 am |
Ballroom |
Roundtable Discussions |
| 11:00 am - 11:45 am |
Ballroom |
Ask Me Anything: The Next Generation of You
A down to earth conversation with our Gen Z Panel
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| 11:45 am - 12:00 noon |
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Final Door Prize Drawing
Grand Prize Drawing
Closing
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