2026 User Group Forum Highlights
May 5–6, 2026 Comfort Inn & Suites and Conference Center Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Thank you to everyone who attended the 2026 User Group Forum in Mount Pleasant! Over two days, Michigan Works! staff from across the state came together to share ideas, strengthen connections, recognize outstanding peers, and discuss challenges and opportunities facing Michigan’s workforce system.
Keynote Speaker: David Weinandy, PhD | Aquinas College
Positive Relationships Start With Positive Communication
Dr. Weinandy’s presentation focused on communication strategies that strengthen workplace relationships, improve collaboration, and support more effective conversations across teams and organizations.
Michigan Works! User Group People’s Choice Awards
Each year as part of the forum, our User Groups recognize members who go above and beyond within their groups through the Rising Star Award and the Outstanding Engagement & Collaboration Award. Congratulations to our 2026 award winners!
Apprenticeship Success Coordinators User Group (ASCUG)
Rising Star Award: Jeremiah Johnson
Outstanding Engagement & Collaboration Award: Jennifer Tucker
Business Services User Group (BSUG)
Rising Star Award: Nicole Welsh
Outstanding Engagement & Collaboration Award: Teri Sand
Communications User Group (CUG)
Rising Star Award: Shelby Springett
Outstanding Engagement & Collaboration Award: Malinda Powers
Fiscal User Group (FUG)
Rising Star Award: Kirsti Jones
Outstanding Engagement & Collaboration Award: Kandyce Smith
Management Information Systems User Group (MISUG)
Rising Star Award: Sally Richard
Outstanding Engagement & Collaboration Award: Tawnee Van Horn
Planners User Group (PUG)
Rising Star Award: Wes Lentz
Outstanding Engagement & Collaboration Award: Lisa Schut
Future User Group Forums
Users’ Groups offer a unique forum for:
best practice sharing and solution-based approaches to common problems;
establishing clarity around state policy issuance;
in-person meetings to engage in dialogue focusing on members’ areas of responsibility;
discussion and feedback on topics presented by the MW Directors;
providing feedback to the MW Directors/Deputy-COO concerning action items underway within each respective users’ group.
Membership in a users’ group is by invitation only, and is only open to Michigan Works! Agency Staff
2027 User Group Forum
May 4 & 5, 2027
Delta Hotels Kalamazoo Conference Center 2747 South 11th Street, Kalamazoo, MI, 49009
Registration and hotel booking information coming soon!