2026 APSA Best Practices Conference

The 59th Annual APSA Best Practices Conference will be Friday, October 30, 2026 at the Desert Willow Conference Center, Phoenix.

Contact us for Late Registration

Sponsorships are SOLD OUT

Here is the full day agenda:

APSA 2026 Best Practices Conference Schedule:  October 30, 2026

8:15am – 9:00am                   Registration and Breakfast with Exhibitors

9:00am – 9:45am                   Opening Session and Morning Keynote

9:45am – 10:45am                 Breakout Sessions

10:45am – 11:00am               Break with Exhibitors 

11:00am – Noon                    Breakout Sessions

12:15pm –1:45pm              Awards Luncheon Scholarships,Teachers & Legislator of the Year

1:45pm – 2:00pm                   Break with Exhibitors

2:00pm – 3:00pm                   Breakout Sessions

3:15pm – 3:45pm                   Refreshments/Raffle with Exhibitors

See below for the breakout sessions at a glance:

View the detailed program here:

Thank you to our Gold Sponsor:

Silver Sponsors:

Bronze Sponsors:

Electronic Badge Sponsor:

Accredible

Here is a sampling of last year’s event:

Breakout Sessions

Scheduled Sessions Include:

• Morning Keynote: Making Meaningful Connections
• AZ Office of Economic Opportunity: AI and workforce research, labor market trends, IDS
• Best Practices for Successful Audits
• Building Belonging When Students Aren’t in the Same Room       
• Legal Hot Topics – Washington Update
• AI Anxiety- Dealing with the Inevitable
• What is your strategy for default prevention
• Visible Learning in Action: High-Impact Instructional Strategies That Increase Learner Success
• AZPPSE Stakeholder Meeting and Review of Rules and Registration
• Legislator of the Year: Arizona Senator Shawna Bolick
• Community Service and Teacher of the Year Awards
• Life Long Learning Awards Luncheon
• The Admissions Escape Room Challenge
• Turning Student Debt Relief Into a Retention and Placement Strategy   
• Effective Classroom Management for the Adult Learning Environment 
• Working with State/Federal Officials: featuring Jason Altmire (CECU); Trish Hart (AZ Lobbying), Kevin LaMountain (AZPPSE), and Tom Netting (CSPEN)

Speakers Include:

Dr. Jason Altmire: Career Education Colleges and Universities
Parker Charlton: McClintock & Associates, P.C.
Rob Exham: Sonoran Desert Institute

Mary Lyn Hammer: Champion Col-EDGE Solutions
Trish Hart: Arizona Lobbying
Jessica High: Duane Morris
Kevin LaMountain: Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education
Christine Leavitt: Bryan University
Tom Netting: Career Schools Private Education Network
Lisa Olmedo: Gragg Advertising
Jeri Prochaska: Conext
Ferris Ramadan: Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity
Christina Thomas: G-W Publisher
Arin Whedbee: Clasp
Mike Wherry: McClintock & Associates, P.C.
John White: Champion Col-EDGE Solutions
Carol Woodard: YappyCarol