Join R. Ethan Braden, Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, for an inside look at how Texas A&M is elevating its reputation and impact on the national stage through disciplined brand building. Based on the principles of his signature Keynote presentation, Building a Brand That Matters, discover how the university is translating its core values into bold storytelling, innovative partnerships, and creative expressions that make Texas A&M impossible to overlook. Learn how staff across campus play a vital role in shaping the Aggie story, from the everyday choices we make to the way we share our work with the world. This session will connect you to the vision behind our brand, highlight recent successes, and offer practical ways you can help Texas A&M be recognized not just as the best in the nation, but the best for it.This will be aone-hour presentation before the USC Meeting. The series can be attended in person at the General Services Complex in Room 101A or via Zoom. For nearly two decades, R. Ethan Braden has built brands and teams that people love and trust. Today, he serves as Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Texas A&M University, where he and his team are shaping the national narrative around one of America's most storied and consequential institutions. Ethan leads the effort to position, promote, and protect the largest land-grant university in the nation, elevating Texas A&M's reputation, relevance, and reach. Prior to Texas A&M, Ethan served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Purdue University and Purdue Global, where he helped transform Purdue into a nationally recognized marketing powerhouse. Under his leadership, Purdue earned three Fast Company "Brands That Matter" honors and was named #1 in education on Fast Company's 2023 Most Innovative Companies list, the only university included. A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Ethan has spoken at Salesforce's Dreamforce and Connections, Adweek's Brand Week, Google Marketing Live, and keynoted Content Marketing World, where he was named B2C Content Marketer of the Year (2023). He was also named "Marketer of the Year" in higher education by the American Marketing Association (2020), and his work has been featured in Ad Age, The Washington Post, Morning Brew, and NPR, which dubbed him "the top dog in higher ed marketing." Before entering higher education, Ethan spent nearly a decade at Eli Lilly and Company, leading global marketing efforts for billion-dollar brands including Cymbalta and Jardiance. He holds a BA from Willamette University, an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, and lives in College Station, Texas, with his wife and three children.

Staff are encouraged to attend the next University Staff Council (USC) meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 2:30 p.m. (immediately following the Common Grounds Series) in person at the General Services Complex in Room 101A or via Zoom. The vision of the USC is to help staff feel supported, included and valued at Texas A&M University, where we live the Aggie Core Values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selfless service. Come to the meeting and let your voice be heard or learn more about what the USC is doing for you. You may access full meeting minutes from previous meetings on the USC website.

From Gen Z to Baby Boomers, every generation brings something valuable. Learn how to flex your leadership style to bridge communication and motivation across age groups.  Additional topics include:Checking Your Benefit Dates (Benefit & Retirement Services) Register HERE (https://tamu.zoom.us/meeting/register/aJTWhaOLRmWHWrqWN5s1Lw). Visit the Managers' Minutes website (https://employees.tamu.edu/talent-management/Managers-Minutes/index.html).

Planning for retirement and choosing the right plan for you and your family can be overwhelming. There is a lot at stake, and it is important that you understand all of your options, as well as the laws and regulations governing the distribution of your benefits once you leave Texas A&M University. Make plans to attend one of our group workshops for pre-retirement counseling. These workshops are not one-on-one sessions, but you will have the opportunity to ask questions. As a participant, you will receive information as to what forms you will need to complete to get you started and to better understand your retirement benefits. Registration is required through: Traintraq (https://traintraq.tamus.edu/SectionDetails.aspx?snum=11744) Find upcoming retirement events on the HROE webpage. (https://employees.tamu.edu/benefits/retirement/index.html)

This presentation will focus on the Texa$aver 457(b) Plan. It will include a brief discussion of pension and Social Security benefits, highlighting how they fit into the overall state retirement picture. The session will then provide a comprehensive overview of the Texa$aver program and explain how it, along with outside savings, can help participants retire from the state without significantly reducing their quality of life.Registration (https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/8ba4acc3-16be-47b8-a93e-a44e83018dc6@68f381e3-46da-47b9-ba57-6f322b8f0da1) is required. Visit Upcoming Retirement and Financial Planning Events (https://employees.tamu.edu/benefits/retirement/index.html) to see a full list of events and resources.

Any manager who's struggled to close a significant performance gap or anyone who has ever walked out of an annual review feeling like they've just been processed rather than prioritized knows there's nothing easy about it. Performance management is about addressing behavior routinely and consistently. It's about candidly coaching through challenges and fostering a culture of accountability for lapses in behavior. It's about identifying goals, fast-tracking careers, and in the process, improving the bottom line. The good news is these accountability skills are replicable and learnable. We're all just a few crucial skills away from learning how to manage people and performance daily and directly. Crucial Conversations for Accountability is an engaging classroom course rich with group discussion, real-time practice, and group support and coaching.Learning ObjectivesMaster performance discussions. Manage projects without taking over. Reach alignment when stakes are high and opinions vary. Strengthen trust and reliability. Apply multiple sources of influence. Get results and improve relationships. Register via TrainTraq (https://traintraq.tamus.edu/SectionDetails.aspx?snum=11986) by October 31st.If the registration deadline has passed or the date for this section doesn't work for you, please visit the Course Details (https://traintraq.tamus.edu/CourseDetails.aspx?cnum=2114686) page and click on the Upcoming Sections tab to explore other available options.