On May 22, faculty and staff across the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses gathered to invest in their growth and community at Texas State University’s 4th Annual Development Day. With morning in-person sessions and afternoon virtual workshops, this hybrid event reflected the very theme that kicked it off: hope as an active, intentional force for good.
A Morning Rooted in Story and Purpose
The day began with breakfast and a warm welcome before attendees were invited into an inspiring keynote from Dr. Mamta Accapadi, Higher Education Consulting Director at Huron and former Vice Provost for University Life at the University of Pennsylvania.
In her keynote, titled “Hope Lives Here,” Dr. Accapadi offered a story-rich reflection on how hope lives through our choices, our relationships, and our institutions. She challenged us to reimagine hope not as passive optimism but as love multiplied by time. Her family’s generational stories, like her grandmother selling her last gold bangle to keep her daughter in school, illustrated how small acts of courage can shift the course of history.
She urged us to conduct a “hope audit” of our spaces, policies, and practices, asking: Where does hope show up at Texas State? From the Clovis points to the Challenge Coin tradition, from the labyrinth at St. David’s School of Nursing to the legacy of Elena Zamora O’Shea, Dr. Accapadi reminded us that hope is already here, and it grows when we choose to nurture it.
The morning continued with Dr. Kimberley Conner’s engaging session on AI in Action at TXST, offering practical and people-centered insight into emerging tools, followed by Dr. Terrance McClain’s thoughtful workshop on Managing Difficult Conversations and Relationships in the Workplace.
Afternoon Virtual Sessions for Every Interest
In the afternoon, the event transitioned online for a wide range of breakout sessions. Whether you joined a workshop on performance management, workplace well-being, personal branding, or retirement planning, Development Day offered something for everyone. Featured presenters included:
- Tabitha N. Walker – Running on E: Rest, Recovery, and the Power of Saying No
- Cynthia Keilers & Ernesto Rendon – Performance Management 101
- Elma Clarke (LinkedIn) – The Value of LinkedIn for Your Team
- Peter Metzner (ComPsych) – How to Delegate at Work and in Life
- TRS Representative – Preparing for Retirement
- Elias Martinez & Callie Lewis – Brand in Every Moment: A Conversation on TXST’s Brand Strategy
Each presenter brought their unique perspective, offering practical takeaways and moments of reflection tailored to support professional growth and everyday workplace challenges.
Catch Up or Revisit: Post-Session Resources Now Available
Missed a session or want to revisit something impactful? Session recordings are now available.
We encourage you to explore the materials and continue the conversations sparked during the day.