President's Message...
with Laurie Lukken
The Local Chapter awards season has come to a close and I want to congratulate all of the Best Service and Support Analyst and Best Service and Support Technician nominees and winners across all of our chapters and virtual community. The season kicked off in August with nominations coming in from companies across the nation that took the time to nominate 77 well deserving individuals for the analyst award and 32 well deserving individuals for the technician award. Each chapter celebrated, or will be celebrating, the achievements of these folks with special ceremonies recognizing all the nominees and the winners. These local chapter winners will now move on to compete at a district level and those winners will be announced soon. After that, 4 analysts and 4 technicians will compete at the national level with the winners announced at the HDI Service & Support World conference in May.
I want to sincerely thank all of the people that understand the importance of recognizing deserving individuals and took the time to submit a nomination. Recognition is a crucial element for fostering a positive and productive environment. When employees feel valued and appreciated, it not only boosts their morale but also enhances their overall job satisfaction. This, in turn, leads to increased motivation and productivity. Recognition also reinforces desired behaviors and outcomes. When employees are acknowledged for their hard work and achievements, they are more likely to continue performing at a high level. This creates a culture of excellence where everyone strives to do their best and can improve teamwork and collaboration. When employees see their peers being recognized, it encourages them to support and celebrate each other's successes.
Congratulations to all the nominees and local chapter winners! Take some time now to mark your calendars starting in August 2026 to submit nominations for your well-deserving employees and peers!
Bytes and Banter - Latest Episode Released!
This month on Bytes and Banter, we’re bringing you two conversations that go beyond job titles and KPIs to explore what it really means to lead with authenticity, courage, and care in today’s tech world.
🎙️ Episode 31 – Sarah Caminiti: Stop Shrinking – Take Up Space in Tech Support and Leadership
In Part II of her powerful conversation with Bytes and Banter, Sarah Caminiti returns to explore the quiet, internal struggle many tech professionals face: the urge to shrink. From self-doubt in meetings to staying silent out of fear of rocking the boat, Sarah unpacks how hesitation becomes a habit—and how intentional space-making helps us step into our full potential. Her message is a rallying cry for support professionals and emerging leaders alike: You are capable of so much more than you realize.
🔁 Previously on Bytes and Banter – Episode 13: Lisa Duerre – Rebooting Leadership in Tech
We’re revisiting our conversation with Lisa Duerre, CEO & Co-Founder of RLD Group, who shares what it means to lead with humanity in high-pressure environments. After facing burnout during her 20+ years in Silicon Valley, Lisa became a fierce advocate for strengths-based leadership, psychological safety, and culture-driven transformation. She also opens up about living with Lipedema—and how invisible challenges shape the way we lead, support, and show up for one another.
🌐 Interested in AI Leadership Alignment? Lisa and the RLD Group are hosting virtual executive forums to help tech leaders align AI strategy with culture and leadership goals.
Learn more and register at: rldgroupllc.com/executive-forum
🎧 Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube,or your favorite platform
Explore past episodes and subscribe at hdilocalchapters.org/bytesandbanter.
Follow #BytesAndBanter for conversations that connect people, purpose, and tech.
February AI Meetup: AI + Digital Accessibility (ADA Title II — What It Means)
Join Amy Wight, CPACC, for a plain-English overview of ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements and what they mean for public-facing digital services, teams, and everyday work.
Date: February 6, 2026
Time: 10:00 PM - 11:00 AM ET
Location: Virtual! Details sent on registration
Cost: Free!
Register Here!
An Evening with Roy Atkinson: Not the Same Old Metrics
Roy Atkinson is an internationally recognized thought leader in IT Strategy, IT Operations, and Customer Experience. His expertise has been featured in print, podcasts, webinars, and conferences around the world.
He is ranked as a Top 10 Thought Leader in IT Strategy and IT Operations, and a Top 50 Thought Leader in Customer Experience by Thinkers360. In March 2025, Roy was appointed to the Advisory Board for the Strategic AI Program at Furman University, reflecting his influence at the intersection of technology, strategy, and leadership.
What You’ll Learn
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How IT strategy and service management enable real business outcomes
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The evolving role of customer and employee experience in technology organizations
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Practical leadership insights for navigating digital and AI-driven transformation
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Lessons from decades of advisory work across industries
Who Should Attend
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IT and technology leaders
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Service management and operations professionals
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Customer and employee experience leaders
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Digital transformation and AI strategy practitioners
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Executives seeking practical, human-centered technology insights
Speaker Links & Contact
Date: February 11, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM CT
Location: Virtual! Details sent on registration
Cost: Members: Free!
Register Here!
Service and Support Roundtable
Join fellow service and support professionals for an interactive roundtable focused on real-world challenges, shared experiences, and meaningful peer networking.
Date: February 26, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM MT
Location: Woods Boss Brewering 2210 California Street, Denver, Colorado 80205
Cost: Free!
Register Here!
Updates from HDI...Check out these great industry happenings!
What Happens in Vegas...is a lot!
May 3-7, 2026, Ceasar's Palace - Las Vegas, NV
The ultimate destination for IT Service Management, Customer Support, and Technical Support.
The future of IT service and support starts here. For the first time ever, HDI is bringing together SupportWorld Live and Service Management World into one powerful experience: HDI Service & Support World. This is where IT Service Management, Customer Support, and Technical Support converge, creating a single destination for learning, networking, and innovation.
The industry is evolving fast, and this event is your chance to stay ahead. HDI Service & Support World delivers actionable insights, dynamic training, and strategies to help you thrive in a rapidly changing ITSM landscape. Connect with a diverse community of IT leaders, explore cutting-edge solutions, and discover the tools that will define the future of service and support. Join us in Las Vegas this May and be part of the movement shaping what’s next.
HDI Local Chapter members save $800 off of the registration price! An HDI Local Chapters membership is only $149!
Here's how to get the discount:
- If you are already an active HDI Local Chapter member, use the discount code unique to your local chapter when you register! OR...
- If you are not currently an Active Member, Join or Renew your HDI Local Chapter Membership THEN
use the discount code unique to your local chapter when you register!
Then...
- Register for HDI Service and Support World - Use your member discount code and save!
Register for the Conference Here!
Introducing the HDI Top 25 Thought Leaders for 2026
For more than a decade, HDI has called on the IT support and service management community to help us shine a spotlight on the thought leaders shaping the future of our industry. After pouring over hundreds of nominations, we're excited to reveal HDI's 2026 Top 25 Thought Leaders, this time with a special twist.
All of the honorees were nominated by their peers for their standout contributions across four key areas:
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Thought leadership
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Industry impact
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Knowledge sharing and professional achievements
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Leadership impact
Many of these leaders are HDI Local Chapter Officers, further showing the benefits of being engaged in the industry and connected with chapters in your area. Throughout the year, expect to learn from these professionals at both conferences and in the SupportWorld newsletter. We’ll share exclusive content and experiences and invite you to be a part of it all. Stay tuned!
Click here for the list!
NEW! HDI Future Leaders Collective
Leadership doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built through experience, perspective, and connection, often long before a title catches up.
At HDI, we’ve spent decades supporting IT service and support professionals at every stage of their careers. We celebrate excellence through programs like Rising Stars, and we champion continued growth through education, community, and events. Now, we’re excited to introduce something new for professionals who are already thinking about what comes next.
Meet the HDI Future Leaders Collective.
A Program Designed for What Comes After “High Potential”
The HDI Future Leaders Collective is a cohort-based leadership development experience for IT service and support professionals under 40 who aspire to senior leadership roles.
This is not an awards program, and it’s not about checking boxes or proving past performance. Instead, it’s designed for professionals who are intentionally preparing for the transition into larger leadership roles. If you want to think more strategically, build influence, and grow alongside peers who share similar ambitions.
What Participants Can Expect
Members of the HDI Future Leaders Collective will take part in a thoughtfully designed experience that blends connection, access, and real-world leadership perspective.
A Curated Service & Support World Experience
Participants will receive complimentary registration to Service & Support World, along with a curated experience that goes beyond attending sessions. This includes a recommended leadership-focused session path, private cohort discussions, and intentional opportunities to connect with senior leaders and industry experts.
Bi-Monthly Virtual Cohort Meetups
Throughout the year, participants will gather virtually every other month for facilitated discussions focused on leadership readiness. Topics will include navigating career transitions, influencing without authority, executive communication, and measuring impact beyond operational metrics.
A Meaningful 1:1 Leadership Connection
Each participant will be paired with a senior leader or industry advisor for an intentional conversation focused on career navigation, perspective, and growth.
A Voice in the Future of HDI Events
Future Leaders will also have the opportunity to provide direct input into the design of Service & Support World 2027, sharing ideas around content, formats, and experiences they wish they had earlier in their careers.
Investment in Growth
Participants will receive exclusive, deep discounts on HDI training and certifications, reinforcing HDI’s commitment to supporting their long-term development.
Who Should Apply
The HDI Future Leaders Collective is ideal for:
This program is application-based and cohort-limited to ensure a meaningful experience for every participant.
Important Dates
Apply Here!
SupportWorld - Are You in the Know?
Leading the technical support field with tips and insights from experts around the globe, exclusive research, and strategies for all segments of them industry, HDI's SupportWorld helps you become the expert in technical support and service management. Get in the know - new articles are released every week!
Subscribe Here!
Training Spotlight - Artificial Intelligence in the Support Center Certification
Master AI strategy to revolutionize service delivery and future-proof your support organization.
This comprehensive 2-day AI certification program equips strategic decision-makers, aspiring leaders, IT specialists, and transformation team members with the expertise to champion AI initiatives within support organizations. The program focuses on collaborative learning and hands-on application of our exclusive online resource toolkit. This toolkit features AI Readiness Checklists, Use Case frameworks, and Maturity Scoring templates to ensure successful implementation.
Through dynamic peer discussions and immediate practical exercises, you'll master essential AI competencies. These include strategic vision development, implementation planning, change management approaches, and performance measurement frameworks—all designed to seamlessly transition from classroom to workplace.
Whether enhancing an existing AI strategy or building one from scratch, you'll leave with transformed understanding, industry best practices, and a structured roadmap that boosts your career prospects while delivering measurable results that revolutionize service delivery and operational excellence.
Is Your Support Center Due For a Checkup?
It’ll be thorough, but nothing too invasive, we promise.
HDI's IT Support Operations HealthCheck is designed to provide your organization with a quick analysis of your organization's operational effectiveness. Key foundational areas are reviewed and compared to best practices, and recommendations are made based on your organizational goals. An HDI HealthCheck can be conducted live onsite, or through an easy and convenient virtual format!
The HealthCheck process starts with organizations submitting documentation and samples of practices, processes, procedures in place in their current environment. HDI Consultants will review the documentation before arriving onsite (or conducting interviews through virtual web conferencing) where they will conduct observation, interviews, and additional analysis. The last part of the process is creating the HealthCheck summary report.
When your HealthCheck is complete, you’ll receive a comprehensive summary report of observations along with recommendations for improvement.
Contact your regional account manager to schedule your HealthCheck appointment today!
HDI Local Chapters proudly express our heartfelt appreciation to ASPG for their generous sponsorship in 2026. We value their partnership and look forward to introducing ASPG to our community. Advanced Software Products Group (ASPG) is a trusted global provider of enterprise software solutions that help organizations increase productivity, protect critical data, and resolve complex IT challenges. For distributed IT environments, ASPG delivers help-desk tools that streamline service desk operations and enable faster end-user support, alongside Access Management solutions such as ReACT, ProACT, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and Offline Access Recovery (OAR) to secure privileged access and ensure operational continuity. Serving customers across government, healthcare, finance, education, and commercial industries worldwide, ASPG supports a majority of the GLOBAL 1000 data centers. In 2026, ASPG proudly celebrates its 40th anniversary, marking four decades of innovation and commitment to modern IT operations.
Why Contract IT Work is Worth Considering
Today’s tech teams are moving fast, supporting AI initiatives, modernizing cloud systems and strengthening cybersecurity defenses. To keep up with shifting priorities and project-based demands, many organizations are turning to contract IT talent for specialized skills and immediate impact. For IT professionals, contract roles offer hands-on experience with in-demand technologies, exposure to different environments and a chance to build a strong, versatile career portfolio. Wondering if contract work fits your career goals? Read this article to explore the benefits and see how flexible IT roles can help you grow and stay relevant in a changing tech landscape.
HDI CONNECT...Where Practitioners Go for Advice!
HDI Connect is the place where support and service management professionals come to expand their knowledge, advance their careers, and find a community that acts like a family. Joining the community is complimentary to you, but priceless to your career and organization! Click here to sign up! It's free!
WHY WE'RE HERE...WHAT WE DO
HDI Local Chapters primary mission focuses on elevating the service and support industry through our Local Chapter Network. These goals are accomplished by:
❖ Building a community where people are encouraged to form connections that span different career paths and levels of experience in the service and support industry.
❖ Providing quality communications, educational events, and sharing of best practices among members within the service and support community.
❖ Maintaining a relationship and working closely with HDI Corporate as a strategic partner.
JOIN HDI!
Connect - Learn - Succeed for one low annual membership fee $149 per year. Students can join for the low price of $29 per year. Click here to join!
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