The success of every company – from the smallest start-up to the largest manufacturer – is built on the contributions of its employees.

But how does your business build a better team known for their amazing workmanship and trustworthiness? And how can you as a leader grow your coaching abilities and understanding of social skills to help every member of your team thrive?

These questions and others will be answered during five sessions focused on people and culture at the 11^th Annual Ignite Conference at the Ramada Plaza May 19.

Matt Melinkovich, owner of Timberline Training, will lead two sessions: “Be Amazing” and “Trust: A Learnable Leadership Skill”

In “Be Amazing,” Melinkovich will teach attendees how to amaze their customers, impress their coworkers and outperform the competition. Attendees will garner the skills to make themselves and their organization amazing and create habits that will benefit them at work and at home. Melinkovich will share why it matters to be amazing and how to develop and change habits, focus on excellence and continually improve yourself and your organization.

Trust affects everyone in an organization. When trust is low, individuals are suspicious; business slows down; and productivity and profits are dramatically adversely affected. When trust is high, communication, creativity, employee engagement, overall enjoyment and productivity increase. In “Trust: A Learnable Leadership Skill,” attendees will learn how to increase their trust by developing your own personal credibility as well as learning the behaviors that demonstrate high trust.

Melinkovich created Timberline Training to educate and empower business professionals with tools for success. As a certified Innovation Growth Coach, a level two Family Business Advisor and an accredited trust facilitator, Melinkovich brings a wealth of knowledge and business experience on the topics of efficiency, innovation, leadership, trust, team building, customer interaction and value-added sales. For the past 13 years, he has been using his entrepreneurial skills and business experience to help small businesses become more efficient, grow their operations and increase profits.

Stacia Skretterberg, consultant with Peak Consulting, LLC , will also lead two sessions at Ignite: “Better Teams, Better Results: What Makes A Good Team Player” and “Growing Your Coaching Skills as a Leader”

Strong teams don’t happen by accident — they’re built by people who consistently show up in the right ways. In “Better Teams, Better Results: What Makes A Good Team Player,”
Skretteberg will explore the three essential qualities of an ideal team player: humble, hungry and people-smart. Designed for professionals at all levels and across industries, this session will focus on real-world application — not theory.

Coaching moves leaders from being the “doer” to the “facilitator,” which can have a positive impact on employee performance and building the capacity of your team. “Growing Your Coaching Skills as a Leader” will focus on the different ways to incorporate coaching to improve employee engagement, problem solving, self-awareness and accountability for development and performance.

Skretteberg has over 25 years of experience in the human resources field. Over the past 13 years, she has been providing consulting to both for-profit and non-profit organizations. She has held human resources and management roles in industries spanning retail, communications, hospitality and food and beverage. She provides clients with innovative, easy-to-implement HR solutions. Her passion for human resources is clear, as is her down-to-earth realistic approach to assisting clients in solving their workplace issues.

Stuart McRae, city administrator for the City of Sheridan since 2020, will lead “Social Styles: Tools For Working More Effectively with Others.” Training in social styles equips participants with practical insight into how people think, communicate and make decisions differently, enabling more effective and respectful interactions. By learning to recognize and adapt to varying styles, participants improve collaboration, reduce misunderstandings and navigate conflict with greater confidence and empathy, achieving better outcomes in both professional and community settings.

Before joining the city, McRae served a 30-year career in the U.S. Army, retiring as a Colonel in 2017. He commanded at every level multiple times from Captain through Colonel. Certified as a credentialed manager by the Internation City/County Management Association (ICMA), he has been doing city management for over 10 years. He has presented at the Ignite Conference for the past three years and is certified by the TRACOM Group as a Social Styles instructor.

The 2026 Ignite Conference will be held Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the Ramada Plaza. For more information on these sessions and others, visit https://sheridanwyomingchamber.org/programs-events/ignite-conference/.

Registration costs $175 for chamber members and $210 for non-chamber members. Additional registrations from the same company will receive a $10 discount per registration. Your registration includes five breakout sessions, morning and breaktime refreshments, lunch and bonus keynote and wrap-up sessions.

For any questions, contact the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce at 307-672-2485 or email info@sheridanwyomingchamber.org.