2025 Walsh Duffield Benefits Seminar

AGENDA 

8:00am - 9:00 am: Registration, Breakfast & Vendor Fair

Presentations:

The Mulligan - In Golf, a do-over; In Life or Business, another shot

Presented By: Cindy Miller, CEO & Founder Cindy Miller, Inc.

Any true fan of the game will tell you that golf is a metaphor for life. Cindy Miller is living proof of that. In this keynote address she shares the story of her remarkable comeback in golf and in life.

A former LPGA Tour player, LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame, and a member of the Legends Tour, she stepped away to become a PGA Tour wife and mother yet always felt she walked away without achieving her potential in golf. After two decades away from competitive golf, she saw the Legends Tour as a chance for personal redemption. That path took her to an unlikely spot on Golf Channel’s Big Break III; Ladies Only where she proved to herself and an international television golf audience that the courage to change starts by realizing you are the only one holding the club.

With humor and heart, Cindy’s keynote Take Another Shot inspires audiences to recognize their potential, take their shot, and pursue their purpose. She delivers a transformative message: The only one holding the club is you. You decide where the shot goes...

Bio: Cindy Miller is an LPGA Professionals Hall of Fame Member, former LPGA Tour Player, and member of the Legends of the LPGA. She is a Certified Behavior, Motivation, Judgement, and Emotional Intelligence Professional.

She delivers keynotes, workshops and seminars that teach individuals and corporations how to create better teams, resolve conflict, unlock potential and improve performance. She is the author of Take Another Shot, at Business, Golf, or Life, an inspirational self-help memoir that teaches you that it is never too late to take another shot.

She and her husband Allen Miller are the only married couple in the world who have played on all four major tours. The PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, PGA TOUR Champions, and Legends of the LPGA Tour.

Bridging the Benefits Gap: How AI is Transforming Employee Financial Wellbeing

Presented by: Anthony Bunnell, CEO & Patti Landry, COO - Peopled

In this conversation, we will discover how AI is revolutionizing employee benefits and financial education. Learn how innovative platforms combine workplace benefits optimization with personal finance management, filling a crucial market gap. See how a multi-LLM approach with custom prompt libraries and AI agents helps companies scale their expertise without expanding teams. The session concludes with a live demonstration of a conversational AI assistant that transforms how employees understand and utilize their benefits.

Bios: Anthony Bunnell, Co-founder & CEO - As a longtime finance executive with over 20 years in workplace benefits, Anthony’s strategic solutions have led multiple initiatives to scale and acquisitions—from start-ups to Fortune 500’s. He was most recently a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, where he led the firm’s Retirement and Deferred Compensation Solutions organization. Before that, he was a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs following the sale of his first fintech company, Honest Dollar, to the firm.  

Patti Landry - Chief Client Officer - Former Managing Director at Morgan Stanley (MS) in Canada where she launched and led the MS at Work strategy, and was instrumental in the launch of MS Wealth Management. Prior to that, Patti led as Head of Client Success over 250 client-facing members in the US as Morgan Stanley integrated businesses from Solium, Morgan Stanley, and E*TRADE. Known for her transformational leadership skills, Patti has 20+ years of leadership in Business Development, Client Success, Relationship Management and Onboarding.

Leadership Unlocked: 10 Lessons You Can Learn Without the Hard Knocks

Presented By: Thomas Ulbrich, President & CEO, Goodwill Western New York

Tom will explore the top 10 leadership lessons he has learned through experience, so you don’t have to face the same challenges. Avoid the common pitfalls, bypass unnecessary struggles, and gain actionable insights that will accelerate your growth as a leader. Whether navigating the business world, leading a team, or working towards personal leadership excellence, Tom will equip you with the wisdom to lead confidently, without the scars. 

Bio: As a passionate advocate for small business and a former business owner himself; Tom intimately understands the power that entrepreneurship has to unlock human potential, create jobs, inspire wealth, and invigorate economies and communities across the globe.

Tom is an entrepreneurial leader with broad-based management experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. His passion for social innovation is focused on nurturing strong relationships and building consensus across diverse groups of stakeholders in the academic, for-profit, non-profit and government sectors.

During his prior tenure as an assistant dean at the University at Buffalo’s School of Management and School of Social Work he did extensive work in the field of social entrepreneurship with a focus on the emerging concept of the “entrepreneurial non-profit”. He retains an appointment at the UB School of Management as Executive in Residence for Entrepreneurship.

He is a speaker and writer with a weekly newsletter titled Soar, Don’t Settle where he shares his thoughts about business, leadership and life. He is also a member of the Forbes Non-Profit Council and contributes content that you can find on Forbes.com.

In May 2020, he became President and CEO of Goodwill of Western New York where he is working with a dedicated team to apply an interdisciplinary approach to social innovation in a real-world setting.

Your Breath is Your Superpower Presented by: Molly Kinkel

Legislative Updates

Presented by: Frank Kerbein – Director, Center for Human Resources, The Business Council of New York State, Inc.

The New York State legislative landscape is constantly changing, and businesses of all sizes need to stay informed about the latest updates to remain compliant with state and federal regulations. In this presentation, we will focus on the most recent legislative updates in New York State and how they impact HR policies and practices.  

We will discuss recent changes with the signed NYS Budget, what was included, and what didn’t pass. We will explore the practical implications of these changes for businesses and provide guidance on how to remain compliant with state and federal regulations.  

This presentation is designed for HR professionals, business owners, and anyone responsible for managing HR policies and practices. By attending, you will gain valuable insights and practical tips for navigating the complex landscape of New York State employment law and ensuring that your organization remains compliant with all relevant regulations.  

Bio: Frank is responsible for advocacy on labor/HR, unemployment insurance and workers' compensation issues, and for providing human resources consulting services to Council members. Frank comes to The Business Council from the New York State Funeral Directors Association where he provided human resource and OSHA consulting services to employers of all sizes. Prior work experience includes human resources staff and leadership positions in the financial services and health care arenas. Frank is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations with nearly 35 years of experience in human resource management. He is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), a Certified Association Executive (CAE), and a frequent presenter of human resource topics across the state and nationally.