ATD Cascadia Book Club Series | Building a Culture of Evaluation
Great Books Spark Ideas. Great Conversations Bring Them to Life.
Virtual Book Club Kickoff
Why Attend?
We collect a lot of data in Learning & Development. But how often does that data actually change what we do?
We measure attendance. We gather feedback. We ask participants what they thought. And sometimes, that's where evaluation ends.
But what if evaluation wasn't something we did after learning? What if it became part of how we design, deliver, adapt, and continuously improve?
Join the ATD Cascadia community as we kick off our next book club conversation with Building a Culture of Evaluation by Vanessa Milara Alzate.
We'll explore what it means to make evaluation part of our everyday work, share our experiences, and start thinking differently about how we measure and improve learning.
No preparation required. Just bring your curiosity and a willingness to join the conversation.
Learning Format
Virtual Book Club Kickoff & Facilitated Peer Conversation
What You'll Experience
This isn't a book report, and there won't be a quiz.
Our facilitators will introduce a few thought-provoking questions to get us started, then open the conversation for everyone to share ideas, experiences, and early impressions.
We'll explore why evaluation can be challenging, what gets in the way of measuring meaningful outcomes, and how continuous feedback might help us make better decisions.
Whether you're passionate about evaluation or still trying to figure out how to move beyond smile sheets, there's a place for you in the conversation.
You'll Leave With
- Fresh perspectives on why evaluation matters and what makes it challenging
- New ideas for embedding feedback and measurement into learning
- Questions to consider as you explore the book
- Connections with fellow talent development professionals who are navigating similar challenges
About the Book
Building a Culture of Evaluation by Vanessa Milara Alzate challenges us to rethink evaluation as something much more valuable than a final survey or report.
By embedding continuous measurement, real-time feedback, and evidence-based decision-making into everyday learning practices, organizations can become more responsive, adaptable, and effective.
At the heart of our conversation is an important question: What would change if we used evaluation not just to prove learning worked, but to make learning better?
Haven't started the book? Come anyway. You don't need to have read every page to contribute to a great conversation.
Facilitators:
Natalie Laderas-Kilkenny is a Learning Experience Designer who is passionate about elevating the human element of L&D. She fosters growth through community connection, mutual support, and the stewardship of transformative ideas.With work experience in L&D at Kaiser Permanente and Intel, Natalie is committed to building innovative learning experiences both online and in-person.
Elle Christensen is the Training and Development Manager at OrePac Building Products, where she supports leadership development across the organization. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College (Class of 2015) with a degree in Critical Social Thought, Elle brings a strong foundation in systems thinking and human behavior to her work. She is also an alumna of Gonzaga University (Class of 2018), where she earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership. Elle’s work focuses on building leadership capability by helping people understand the neuroscience behind predictable human reactions and apply that knowledge to stay calm, clear, and connected.
Capability Areas:
Evaluating Impact, Data & Analytics, Instructional Design, Performance Improvement, Business Insight, Consulting & Business Partnering
