MEET, MINGLE & MAKE: A PAYROLL SHORE LEAVE SOCIAL

Kick off your NEPC Shore Leave with an evening of creativity, connection and fun. Meet fellow payroll professionals over blueberry and apple crisp while making an ocean-inspired votive candle, a charm keychain, and your own custom payroll patch hat. Step away from your daily routine, try something new, and set the tone for a conference filled with new experiences and plenty of payroll camaraderie.

Sign-up direction will be sent to registrants soon!

BREAKFAST

WELCOME ADDRESS

MC: Sue Noyes, CPP, NEPC Chairperson Board of Directors

Meet your MC for the conference and take in tips on getting the most out of your NEPC experience.

DESK YOGA PART I

INSTRUCTOR: Cindy Henry

7:40 - 8:00 AM

Start your morning with simple movements designed to build strength, improve mobility, and open your range of motion—all without leaving your seat. In Part 1 of Desk Yoga, Cindy Henry will guide you through movements for the cervical spine (neck), shoulders, elbows, fingers, and wrists. You’ll learn practical techniques that can easily become part of a simple daily routine, helping you feel more comfortable and energized throughout the workday.

STEADY AT THE HELM: NAVIGATING CRISIS, CHALLENGES & CHANGE

SPEAKER: Dr. Mary Kelly

8:00 - 9:30 AM

Payroll professionals operate where accuracy, compliance, technology, security, and employee trust converge, and disruptions don't stop the payroll calendar. Regulatory changes, system implementations, staffing shortages, cybersecurity threats, organizational restructuring, and unexpected crises can quickly create pressure for both payroll professionals and the people who depend on them. In this engaging, practical keynote, Dr. Mary Kelly draws on her experience as a retired U.S. Navy Commander, economist, and leadership expert to help payroll professionals navigate uncertainty with confidence and clarity. Participants will learn how to anticipate challenges, make sound decisions under pressure, communicate effectively when tensions are high, and keep their teams focused on what matters most. They will also explore how to strengthen personal resilience, maintain accountability, and turn disruption into an opportunity to improve processes, relationships, and results. Filled with actionable strategies, relatable examples, and Mary’s signature no-nonsense approach, this program equips attendees to remain steady when circumstances are not, support their teams through difficult transitions, and successfully lead themselves and others through whatever lies ahead.

MEET HOMELAND HEROES FOUNDATION

SPEAKER: Julie Weymouth, Executive Director

9:30 - 9:45 AM

Learn more about NEPC's 2026 local charity, Homeland Heroes Foundation, from their Executive Director.

BREWING CONNECTIONS: MEET THE EXHIBITORS

Exhibitor Networking, Coffee and Book Signing with Dr. Mary Kelly

Take a break, grab a cup of coffee, and connect with the companies that help keep the payroll world moving. Visit with NEPC sponsors and exhibitors, explore their products and services, ask questions, and discover solutions to make your workday a little easier. Plus, don't miss this special opportunity to meet keynote speaker Dr. Mary Kelly. She has generously donated 100 copies of her book, Leadership Is Tough: What Great Leaders Do Differently which is available to purchase with all proceeds benefiting this year's local charity, Homeland Heroes Foundation. Stop by to get your copy, support a great cause, and have your book personally signed.

BREAKOUT SESSION 1

1A: AVOIDING ROUGH WATERS: REGULAR RATE OF PAY COMPLIANCE
Speaker: Rosemarie Fraumeni, CPP

1B: MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS: NAVIGATING THE TAX WATERS
Speaker: Rori Carney, Equifax

1C: CROSSING BORDERS, STAYING COMPLIANT: A GLOBAL PAYROLL VOYAGE
Speaker: Neatha Snyder, CPP

1D: BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES: RECOGNIZING SCAMS, FRAUD & IDENTITY THEFT
Speaker: Jeffrey Latessa, Internal Revenue Service

LUNCH

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

MC: Sue Noyes, CPP, NEPC Chairperson Board of Directors

CRUISING TO SUCCESS WITH KNOWLEDGE AND CONSISTENCY

SPEAKER: Kerin Stackpole, Esq., SPHR

Firm: Paul Frank & Collins P.C.

Handbooks and policies can be enforced like contracts. It is important to balance written rules with good examples from the workplace. It's also important that managers be consistent with policy across the organization to create a positive culture and avoid legal claims.

BREAK

BREAKOUT SESSION 2

2A: EXCEL BELOW DECK: TOOLS & TRICKS FOR PAYROLL PROS
Speaker: Sam McAtee, CPP

2B: MAKING WAVES: UPDATES TO THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT
Speaker: Jeffrey Latessa, Internal Revenue Service

2C: ALL HANDS ON DECK: LEADING A HIGH-PERFORMING PAYROLL TEAM
Speaker: Neatha Snyder, CPP

2D: FROM SHORE TO SHORE: MASTERING MULTI-STATE PAYROLL
Speaker: Jon Schausten, CPP

BREAK

CHART YOUR COURSE: TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TIME, PRIORITIES & PRODUCTIVITY

SPEAKER: Dr. Mary Kelly

Payroll professionals rarely suffer from a shortage of work. Between recurring deadlines, regulatory requirements, employee questions, system updates, reconciliations, reporting demands, and unexpected problems, even highly capable professionals can become trapped in a cycle of reacting to what is urgent while postponing what is important. Based on Dr. Mary Kelly’s book, Stop Procrastinating Tomorrow: Attack What’s Holding You Back, this energetic and practical program helps participants identify the habits, distractions, competing priorities, and workplace pressures that undermine productivity. Attendees will learn how to clarify priorities, overcome avoidance, protect their most productive time, and take decisive action on the projects and conversations they may have been postponing. Using relatable examples and immediately applicable strategies, Mary shows payroll professionals how to reduce distractions, manage interruptions, create realistic action plans, and make meaningful progress without adding more hours to the workday. Participants will leave prepared to stop delaying important work, approach demanding responsibilities with greater confidence, and become more focused, proactive, and productive—starting today, not tomorrow.

SEAS THE EVENING: BURGER & FRY BAR MIXER

Exhibitor Networking, Bites, Drinks, Book Signing and Raffle Prizes

With the day’s sessions in your wake, it’s time to unwind and refuel. Connect with fellow payroll professionals and NEPC exhibitors over savory snacks, including burger bites, french fry spread with an assortment of tasty sauces, and fresh veggies with dip. Grab a drink at the cash bar using your complimentary drink token and mingle. Keep the excitement going by visiting exhibitors for your chance to reel in a prize from one of their raffle giveaways. Before the evening ends, be sure to catch keynote speaker Dr. Mary Kelly for a personally signed copy of her book Leadership Is Tough: What Great Leaders Do Differently.

YOGA

INSTRUCTOR: Cindy Henry

LOCATION: Harbor's Edge Room

Get an extra early start with gentle yoga stretches catered to all levels overlooking the Portsmouth waterfront.

BREAKFAST

BREAKOUT SESSION 3

3A: ALL HANDS ON DATA: PRESENTING PAYROLL ANALYTICS THAT DRIVE RESULTS
Speaker: Mark Thornton, CPP

3B: KEEPING PAYROLL & ACCOUNTING IN THE SAME BOAT
Speaker: Carrie Hovell, CPP

3C: FULL STEAM AHEAD: SELECTING & IMPLEMENTING A NEW PAYROLL SYSTEM
Speaker: Sue Baptista, CPP

3D: UNTANGLING THE LINES OF CHILD SUPPORT & GARNISHMENTS
Speaker: Sue Noyes, CPP and Christena Verrill, CPP

BREAK

DESK YOGA PART 2

INSTRUCTOR: Cindy Henry

9:00 - 9:20 AM

Continue your Desk Yoga practice with movements focused on the thoracic spine (mid back) and lumbar spine (lower back). Cindy will lead you through seated movements designed to improve mobility, build strength, and release tension in areas that can take a beating during a day at your desk. Take these simple movements with you and incorporate them into your daily routine for a more comfortable, mobile workday.

NAVIGATING THE NEW WATERS OF EWA, PAYCARDS & DISBURSEMENTS

SPEAKERS: Mike Levine, Bryan Thomas & Panel
Company: rapid!

9:20 - 10:50 AM

When the paycheck can't wait for payday, where do employees drop anchor? Join us for Navigating the New Waters of EWA, Paycards & Disbursement, a candid panel discussion charting the evolving landscape of Earned Wage Access, paycards, and modern disbursement solutions. Our panelists will explore how employers are rethinking the traditional pay cycle, what it means to give workers flexibility without sacrificing compliance, and how disbursement rails are shifting beneath our feet. From the open seas of EWA regulation to the port-of-call convenience of paycards, we'll navigate the tradeoffs, opportunities, and uncharted territories shaping the future of workforce pay. This session offers a full crew's perspective on getting workers paid faster, smarter, and on their terms.

BREAK

BREAKOUT SESSION 4

4A: KEEPING PAYROLL AFLOAT: CRISIS MANAGEMENT & RECORDKEEPING ESSENTIALS
Speaker: Neatha Snyder, CPP

4B: EARN YOUR STRIPES: NAVIGATING THE FPC & CPP CERTIFICATIONS
Speaker: Sue Baptista, CPP

4C: TERMINATION PAY GUIDELINES ACROSS THE U.S.
Speaker: Michaela Miller, FPC

4D: SHIPSHAPE & AUDIT READY: PREPARING FOR AUDITS INSIDE AND OUT
Speaker: Mark Thornton, CPP

LUNCH

BREAKOUT SESSION 5

5A: EXCEL IN THE DEEP END: ADVANCED SKILLS FOR PAYROLL PROS
Speaker: Sam McAtee, CPP

5B: YOU'RE GLOBAL, NOW WHAT? MAKING SENSE OF OPTIONS AND PREPARING FOR CHALLENGES
Speaker: Cathy Honey

5C: PAY BEYOND THE HORIZON: UNDERSTANDING SUPPLEMENTAL WAGE WITHHOLDING
Speaker: Rosemarie Fraumeni, CPP

5D: SMOOTH SAILING THROUGH SECURE 2.0
Speaker: Carrie Hovell, CPP

BREAK

PAYO UPDATES

ANCHORED IN EXCELLENCE: THE POWER OF PAYROLL CUSTOMER SERVICE

SPEAKER: Jon Schausten, CPP

Payroll is more than processing numbers — it’s one of the most visible touchpoints between an organization and its employees. This session explores why exceptional customer service is a core payroll competency and how the way we communicate, respond, and solve problems can be just as important as getting the paycheck right. Discover who your customers are, what great service looks like, and practical ways to handle difficult conversations, deliver bad news, and recover from mistakes. Learn customer-service lessons from organizations such as Chick-fil-A, Ritz-Carlton, Apple, and Amazon, and take away strategies for setting service standards, empowering your team, building relationships, and following through. The session wraps up with 10 practical best practices you can put to work right away to elevate the payroll experience.

CLOSING REMARKS & RAFFLE DRAWING