Balanced Dukes Conference
The 2026 Balanced Dukes Conference will be held on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at Festival.
Please see below for the schedule of sessions.
8:30–8:50 a.m.
Opening Remarks / Balanced Dukes Info
Presenter: Tara Torkelson
Description: Welcome and opening remarks for the conference. Coffee and a light breakfast will be served.
9:00–10:00 a.m.
Is Your Financial House in Order?
Presenter: Jared Troutman, Kassi Redifer
Description: This session will cover key concepts such as budgeting, debt management, protection of assets, preparing for retirement, and pursuing a financial legacy for your loved ones.
Learning Outcomes: How to assess their current financial situation, ways to set financial priorities and manage debt, and strategies for protecting themselves and their assets.
NuMixOlogy
Presenter: Anna Smith
Melt & Pour Glycerin Soap
Presenter: Cindy Klevickis
Description: Recognizing soap as an important tool for preventing infections, participants will make their own melt-and-pour glycerin soap, choosing their preferred color, scent, and shape.
What is Balanced Dukes? An Introduction to Employee Well-Being at JMU
Presenter: Tara Torkelson
Description: This session offers a quick and engaging introduction to JMU's employee well-being program. We'll highlight the resources, events, and opportunities available to support your overall well-being, share ways to get involved, and help you find programs that fit your interests and goals. Whether you're new to campus or have been here for years, you'll leave with ideas and connections to support your well-being journey.
9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Plant Swap
Description: Stop by to swap or adopt a plant! Bringing something to share is encouraged, but not required - if you'd like to just grab a new plant for your collection or connect with fellow plant lovers, that's fine as well. Accepted items include houseplant cuttings or babies, extra outdoor plants, bulbs, seed packets, pots, fertilizers, gardening supplies, and plant accesories. Please ensure all plants are labeled and disease-free. Plant drop-offs must be made by 9:00 a.m., and any plants you want to take home must be picked up by 3:45 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact Barbara Shifflett (shifflbm@jmu.edu) or join the Teams plant group (code: ty35pnl).
10:15–11:15 a.m.
Exploring Our Watershed with Watercolors
Presenter: Ali Sloop, Kelli Hertzler, Chelsea Thomas
Description: Join us on a virtual journey downstream from JMU's campus to the Chesapeake Bay. Along the way, participants will create a watershed painting inspired by what they encounter from campus to the Bay. No artistic skills are needed, just a willingness to try something new.
The Pause Reimagined: Midlife Conversations That Connect, Educate, and Support
Presenter: Chelsea Duncan
Description: This educational session combines research-based information with facilitated discussion to help participants learn about common changes during midlife, explore practical strategies for well-being, and connect with others through shared experiences.
It Takes a Village: A Matchmaker's Guide to Setting People Up
Presenter: Kaitlin Pomerleau
Description: This session explores why meaningful connection can be difficult to find and how simple acts of introduction can help rebuild community. Drawing on relationship science and the presenter’s professional experience, participants will explore the psychology behind successful introductions and practical, low-pressure ways to intentionally help people connect.
Chair Yoga
Presenter: Joyce Yagerline
Description: Enjoy a gentle yoga practice designed to improve flexibility, mobility, and relaxation using a chair for support. Perfect for all fitness levels, this class features simple stretches, mindful breathing, and movements to help reduce stress and leave you feeling refreshed.
11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Lunch Keynote: Learn with Purpose
Presenter: Jennifer Testa, Gilpatrick Hornsby
Description: Faculty and staff play a vital role in shaping the JMU experience, and that work is most fulfilling when it is grounded in purpose. This interactive keynote explores the connection between two dimensions of JMU's well-being framework: learning and purpose. Participants will reflect on how lifelong learning can turn values, strengths, and goals into personal fulfillment and meaningful impact.
1:00–2:15 p.m.
Navig8 Everyday Decisions with the Eight Key Questions
Presenter: Kacey Damaty
Description: Faculty and staff regularly face decisions involving competing values, unclear expectations, and real-world constraints. This interactive session introduces the Eight Key Questions strategy as a practical approach to ethical reasoning. Using realistic higher-education scenarios, participants will identify stakeholders, surface underlying values, and navigate tensions with greater clarity and integrity.
1:00–2:00 p.m.
Nailing the Basics: Learn Ways to Feel Better Without Making Life Harder
Presenter: Kristina Hall
Description: Healthy living doesn’t have to require perfection. This session takes a practical approach to movement, nutrition, stress, sleep, and more, emphasizing consistency, small steps, and progress rather than an all-or-nothing approach.
JMU Benefits: A Noun & Verb: My Health Journey and the Benefits of Working at JMU
Presenter: Jim Dirks, Amie Loving Harpine
Description: This session walks through a real-life example of a serious health issue and explores how partnering with the benefits team can be an important part of navigating that journey.
Stretch the Hours
Presenter: Kayla Berry
Description: This interactive presentation explores both the benefits and challenges of stretching and moving consistently. Participants will discuss common barriers, consider stretches that may address their needs, practice movement, and receive a handout featuring stretches they can use at home or work.
2:15–3:15 p.m.
Home Economy to Promote Professional Excellence
Presenter: Kristina Oates
Description: This interactive session explores how what happens at home can affect our ability to succeed professionally. Participants will consider the impact of physical and mental clutter and explore approachable ways to strengthen their “home economy” skills as part of supporting personal and professional well-being.
Restorative Circles for Faculty and Staff Well-Being
Presenter: Katie Corbit, Lindsay Stebbins; Austin Emerson; Amber Bennett
Description: Participants will explore personal well-being, values, connections with colleagues across campus, and JMU resources for faculty and staff. The session uses a circle format in which participants are invited to engage in discussion and share their perspectives.
Finding Calm in the Moment: Mindfulness Practices for Stress, Focus, and Emotional Well-Being
Presenter: Mark Gabriele
Description: In the midst of busy schedules, competing demands, and everyday stressors, mindfulness can provide a simple yet powerful way to reconnect with the present moment. This session introduces practical techniques such as mindful breathing, present-moment awareness, and compassionate observation to help participants navigate stress, manage emotional overload, and cultivate greater resilience. Attendees will explore how these evidence-informed practices can support well-being, focus, and balance both at work and in daily life. The session will conclude with an optional guided meditation, offering participants an opportunity to experience these techniques firsthand.
3:30–4:30 p.m.
Navigating Change and Centering Care
Presenter: Daisy Breneman, Karla Kale
Description: During times of significant change, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. This session offers opportunities to explore ideas, strategies, and resources for navigating change through approaches including centering care, understanding circles of control, making meaning, aligning with purpose and values, and recognizing the importance of community.
Stepping Into Wellness: Cardio, Connection, & Courage
Presenter: Tiffany Riggs
Description: This interactive workshop combines physical wellness and interpersonal connection through movement. Participants will take part in line dances, reflect on the experience of moving together and stepping outside their comfort zones, and consider ways to incorporate these same principles into everyday life.
REGISTER HERE
