2025 Annual Conference

Registration is now available for the NAST Annual Conference in Denver at the Westin Denver Downtown.
All events will take place at the hotel unless otherwise noted. The conference is business casual for all events. The agenda below is subject to modification. The complete agenda, including speakers’ bios, will be in the online conference app. Log in information will be sent to attendees prior to the event, along with an attendee roster. See below for hotel information and rates. 

Sunday, September 14

3:30-5:00 PM Retirement Security and Pensions Committee Meeting

4:00-5:00 PM Treasurers Emeritus Meeting (Invitation Only) 

5:00-5:30 PM First Time Attendee & New Member Welcome Reception (Invitation Only)

5:30-7:00 PM Welcome Reception at the Swissotel

Monday, September 15

8:00-8:45 AM Networking Breakfast

8:45-9:15 AM Conference Kick Off
Speakers: NAST President & Host State Treasurer Michael Frerichs (IL) and NAST CEO Shaun Snyder

9:15-10:00 AM 2024 Economic Update 
Austan Goolsbee, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, serves on the Federal Open Market Committee—the Federal Reserve System’s monetary policymaking body—and leads the Chicago Fed, which conducts research and monitors local economic conditions in support of the formulation of monetary policy, supervises and regulates banking organizations, and provides financial services to banks and similar institutions, as well as to the U.S. government. Voted the “Funniest Celebrity in Washington,” you may have seen him with Jon Stewart on the Daily Show or on The Colbert Report.
Keynote Speaker: Austan Goolsbee, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago 

10:15-11:15 AM Low and No Cost Hacks for IT Security and Fraud Prevention
This panel of State Treasury CTOs will offer actionable takeaways to immediately implement in your office and home. 

11:30-12:00 PM Federal Policy Update
From NAST and Williams & Jensen.

12:00-1:20 PM Networking Lunch & Awards Presentation

1:30-3:30 PM NAST Annual Business Meeting & Election of Officers

3:45-4:45 PM NAST Corporate Affiliate Board Meeting 

3:45-4:45 PM NAUPA Member Meeting 
NAUPA state members and corporate affiliates are welcome to join this meeting to discuss NAUPA’s successes in 2024 and look ahead to the opportunities of 2025.

6:30-9:00 PM Buffet Dinner & Exhibits at the Museum of Science & Industry

Tuesday, September 16

8:00-9:00 AM Networking Breakfast

9:00-10:30 AM Attracting and Retaining the Next Greatest Generation 
 Join us for a riveting presentation where we spill the tea on our top-notch strategies for interviewing, onboarding, and empowering Millennials and GenZs, making them not just stay but genuinely WANT to be part of your office. 
Keynote Speaker: Kristin Scroggin, Founder genWHY

10:45-11:30 AM Looking past the AI Hype: What’s real, what’s fake, and predictions for the future
A practical, under-the-hood look at AI technology and political use cases to help better understand what is genuinely new, what is overhyped marketing, and how political organizations are and will use AI technology to advance their efforts. AI technology creates enormous opportunity but also incredible risk for political organizations and democracy, making it even more important to understand the fundamentals and constructive opportunities for AI. 

11:45 AM-12:30 PM How to Survive the “Polycrisis:” Notes on Leading an Organization Through a Crisis
Whether it’s a pandemic, a data breach, an embarrassing error made by an AI system, or a legal or HR issue, every organization will face a crisis situation in coming years – or has already faced one. Crisis response is emerging as a required skill set for leaders of all important institutions. The panel will discuss how to define a crisis (and a “fake crisis”), everyone’s role in a crisis situation, and the key tools and lessons that successful organizations observe to identify, mitigate, and quickly recover.

12:30-1:20 PM Networking Lunch

1:30-3:00 PM Treasurers’ Roundtable

3:15-4:15 PM Deputy Treasurers/Chiefs of Staff Caucus Meeting (Invitation Only) 

3:15-4:15 PM State Facilitated Retirement Program Working Group Meeting
The Working Group will seek to explore pragmatic solutions to the retirement savings gap currently impacting nearly half of the private sector workforce and provide a forum for discussing state level approaches to closing the savings gap.

6:30-8:30 PM Chicago River Cruise
A buffet dinner will be served as we cruise along the Chicago River and enjoy the unique architecture of the Windy City. The Wendella boat departs from Dock 4 located on located on the riverwalk between the Wrigley Building and Trump International Hotel, a 15 minute walk from the Swissotel. 

Wednesday, September 17

8:00-9:00 AM Networking Breakfast