Yvonne Collins, retirement plan CFO for the Office for Regional Conference Ministries, offers words of wisdom at the 2025 NAD tHRive HR Conference, held April 28–30 in Miami, Florida, as Danielle Toddy, NAD HR director, looks on. Photo: Art Brondo | NAD Communication
From April 28 to 30, 2025, human resources professionals from across the division gathered in Miami, Florida, for the North American Division's annual event honoring their often-unseen labor and offering a unique networking, training, and worship experience. Throughout tHRive, the division's 2025 Human Resources Conference, 329 attendees were reminded that their work is more than recruitment, onboarding, and policies. It’s critical to the gospel mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The event name, a play on the words thrive and HR, was introduced last year and underscored NAD HR’s ongoing call to thrive together.
“Human resources professionals are often the quiet champions behind the scenes,” said Danielle Toddy, NAD human resources director, in her welcome. “They’re caring for teams, building cultures, navigating challenges, and stewarding a part of an organization. Recognizing their service isn’t just meaningful. It’s essential.”
“I do believe people are called to do HR. God gifts [them] with the skills and talents they have so they can support the mission,” Toddy affirmed.
Thriving in Jesus
Worship was a central part of the 2025 tHRive NAD HR Conference, reminding attendees of their deeper calling. Here, the praise team from Miami Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church leads the group in song.
Photo: Art Brondo | NAD Communication
Morning devotionals and praise sessions emphasized that walking with Jesus is the only way to thrive amid the demands of work and life. Opening devotional speaker Michael Owusu, Southeastern Conference president, shared the story of Joseph as a study in resilience. “Joseph thrived not because the road was easy but because he trusted in the providence of God,” he said.
Owusu acknowledged the burdens HR professionals carry — organizational challenges, workplace conflicts, financial shortfalls, personnel changes, broken systems — but offered hope. “Challenges will come, but they do not define us,” he promised. “Like Joseph, we must see beyond the adversity to the ‘but God’ moments that lead to transformation and growth.”
He added, “God uses our roles to shift the environment so leaders can develop, missions can flourish, and His work can advance. We are not just managing human resources. We are stewarding divine assignments.”
HR as a Mission
In a presentation titled “The HR Advantage,” Toddy recalled her early days in HR, operating with just a few notes, trial and error, and much prayer. “I had no idea that those humble beginnings would lead to a calling,” she said. “A calling I believe each of the HR professionals in this room shares.”
She praised the increasing support for HR professionals division-wide, from investment in training and certification to being recognized as partners in ministry. “I see a growing recognition that HR is not just for people or compliance but for mission.”
The 2025 NAD HR conference offers HR professionals and other leaders a unique networking and training experience. Photo: Art Brondo | NAD Communication
That same conviction was echoed by attendee Xiomara Mercado, HR director for the Gulf States Conference, who reflected on the deeper purpose behind their work: “Even though we are not pastors preaching a sermon, we are part of the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”
Equipping HR Professionals
The conference also addressed the real issues HR professionals encounter daily. Sessions covered retirement planning, payroll tools, employee engagement, team-building, and more. Standout segments included the “Legal Hot Topics” panel and the “AI and HR” plenary.
The legal panel, led by NAD and General Conference attorneys, tackled issues like remote work, DEI, employee file access, pay transparency, and conflict management with honesty and humor. “Conflicts aren’t deadly. It’s not a dirty word,” quipped NAD general counsel Bob Burrow.
In the AI plenary, Justin Khoe, founder of Advent Co.lab, introduced the CRAFT method — Collect materials; Relate clear instructions; Ask clarifying questions; Generate a draft; and Fix what's missing — for using AI tools such as ChatGPT responsibly. He and co-presenter Burrow stressed the need to audit anything produced by AI for accuracy, copyright issues, and biases.
“The way I like to think about AI is as a very highly capable intern,” said Khoe. “Proper use frees you up from highly repetitive tasks so you can focus on what only you can do.”
NAD HR professionals from across the division gather at the 2025 tHRive Conference in Miami, Florida. Photo: Art Brondo | NAD Communication
Mentorship and Legacy
Another key emphasis was mentorship. Four students attended the event through NAD sponsorship and were guided by Michael Martell, HR manager at ADRA International. “I ask them, Why do you want to work for the church?” Martell said of his mentorship focus. “You have to love HR specifically for what it represents in support of the church’s mission.”
The conference also honored HR veterans. Gina Heslep, Southeastern California Conference human resources director, was acknowledged for 40 years of denominational service, while retiring professionals Yvonne Collins, retirement plan CFO, Office for Regional Conference Ministries, and Deanna Simeone, Southern California Conference HR director, were also recognized for decades of faithful service.
Collins urged attendees to share their knowledge with the younger generation. “When thriving, take someone with you. Educate someone. Don’t keep this wonderful good news to yourself!”
Save the date for the NAD’s next HR conference, which will be held April 26-29, 2026.